Emphasis on boosting social, economic and ecological value in public sector procurement is not just about good PR – its now part of the tender process, and you need to join in.
With so much emphasis on social value in the public sector market, what do you include to ensure you achieve the highest percentage possible? Social value accounts for anything between 10-25% in some tenders, and when your technical response scores full marks, but you lose out to a competitor on social value by 1% because you didn’t give it the attention it deserves, it’s truly heart-breaking.
1. Get serious about it, and get wise
Firstly, you haven’t got a choice. If you want to be successful in the public sector, you need to get on board. It’s important to understand why you are having to demonstrate Social Value, and what it means for you. It will show in your tender responses whether you understand it or not.
You should avoid thinking of it as yet another tick box. It needs to be an integral part of your business if you intend on being successful in the modern public sector market. You need to aspire to become a Social Enterprise even if you don’t qualify as one.
2. Recording and showing focused commitment
To demonstrate your knowledge, and your commitment to your clients, you need to have a method for recording and reporting your actions. Empty promises to provide social value only get you so many marks. You need to ‘tell a story’ of how your organisation has delivered in the past and how you can do the same in your clients community.
The seven principles of Social Value are a nice way to think about why you are doing what you’re doing and create a strategy. Think about who your stakeholders are, plan your social value, work out what indicators you will use, and determine what tools and systems you need.
The National Social Value Measurement Framework – or National TOMs – is a method of reporting and measuring social value to a consistent standard, supported by the Social Value Portal and Local Government Authority.
3. Getting this down on paper
If you have followed the guidance in this article, you should have all the ammo you need to score top marks. In your responses, evidence that you understand the key drivers for social value and your aspiration to support the movement. Show you have spoken to stakeholders and evaluated what is most important to them, developing a plan that intends to address these areas.
Remember that research is key. If you are able to speak with the client about both their targets and how they like to record and report social value, do so. Reference that you have reviewed these documents and how you will tailor your activities to create measurable changes that support their targets.
For support in evaluating a social value question, or if you have queries on how to best demonstrate your efforts, feel free to get in touch with our team.
