The document summarizes the key points of the Social Value Act 2012, which requires public authorities in England and Wales to consider how procurement of services might improve social, economic, and environmental well-being. It defines social value as the wider non-financial impacts and benefits to communities from programs and interventions. While the goals of the act are important, there are challenges in implementing it due to lack of guidance and prioritization of cost over social outcomes in contracting. The presentation provides recommendations for voluntary organizations to demonstrate their social impact through partnerships, improved data collection, and impact assessment methodologies.

1. Social Value
After the Public Services (Social
Value) Act 2012
Wiltshire Voluntary Sector Forum
3 July 2013

3. What does the Act say?
“The authority must consider—
(a)how what is proposed to be procured might improve the
economic, social and environmental well-being of the
relevant area, and
(b)how, in conducting the process of procurement, it might
act with a view to securing that improvement.”
– Exemption for urgent procurements
– Does not overrule procurement legislation
(my emphasis)

4. Also requires authorities:
• To consider whether to undertake any
consultation as to what it should consider in
order to comply with its main duty under the
Act.

6. What is Social Value?

7. What is Social Value?
No universal definition
Social Enterprise UK:
Social value asks the question: “If £1 is spent on
the delivery of services, can that same £1 be used,
to also produce a wider benefit to the
community”.

8. What is Social Value?
"social value refers to wider non-financial
impacts of programmes, organisations and
interventions, including the wellbeing of
individuals and communities, social capital and the
environment. These are typically described as 'soft‘
outcomes, mainly because they are difficult to
quantify and measure.“
Measuring Social Value, Demos

9. What’s Happening?

11. An uphill battle...
You have to know languages when you go to sell
something…
…but when you go to buy everyone does what
he must to understand you.”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the time of
Cholera

13. Challenges
• Only 18% of commissioners regularly engage
with potential providers to design a tender
• Criteria for awarding contracts
– TOP: Cost
– BOTTOM: Community engagement potential
Future Service Partnerships, LGiU, http://bit.ly/OwoE6M

14. What you can do:
Find out locally:
1. What are the local priorities?
2. Is there clear political leadership
3. What counts as having met the Act’s
requirements?

15. Insert Social Value...
here
here
here
here
here

16. “…there’s an onus on us to make the biggest
difference we can… It’s not enough to show that
you did something. You have to show that what
you did is better than anything else you could
have done.”
Peter Wanless
( former Chief Executive, The Big Lottery Fund)
Demonstrate your Impact

17. September – December Events
•Commercial Skills Masterclass for Public Service Delivery
•Proving Your Impact on a Shoestring
•Communicate Your Impact
•How to Measure your Impact – An introduction to Proving you
make a difference
An Introduction to Outcomes and How to Measure them
What are we
Doing?

18. Proving Our Value
• 5 research partnerships
• new approaches and measures to collate data
and evidence impact;
• 5 methodologies for impact assessment
• Dedicated PhD student

19. Acknowledgments
This presentation is based on material from:
• John Dawson, Local Commissioning and
Procurement Adviser, NAVCA
• Jenni Inglis, VIE
• Helen Vines, Vinesworks
• Charlotte Hanson – Proving Our Value, South
West Forum

20. http://southwestforum.org.uk/member-events
simon@southwestforum.org.uk
01392 247901