{"id":127779,"date":"2023-07-04T12:27:10","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T11:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=127779"},"modified":"2023-07-04T12:27:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-04T11:27:22","slug":"how-social-value-can-help-win-new-work-with-public-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/how-social-value-can-help-win-new-work-with-public-sector\/127779\/","title":{"rendered":"How social value can help win new work with the public sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guy Battle, CEO of Social Value Portal, explains how installing social value can be key to winning bids in public sector developments<\/h2>\n

Social value\u2019s purpose is to bring people and organisations together to collaborate on building flourishing and sustainable communities. In actual fact, the majority of organisations today are already delivering social value, but many may not realise it – or know that it\u2019s something that can be measured and reported.<\/p>\n

For instance, organisations who buy and employ locally, have an apprenticeship scheme in place, employ those furthest from the job market, donate staff hours for volunteering in the community and\/or have a plan to reduce carbon emissions are delivering social value.<\/p>\n

Gross spending on public sector procurement in the UK stands at around \u00a3379bn, so there are significant opportunities for organisations of all shapes and sizes to win new contracts and grow their business. The key is to understand and deliver on social value.<\/p>\n

Competition is understandably fierce so if you\u2019re responsible for business development, every possible advantage is worth pursuing. From basics such as evidencing compliance to demonstrating a thorough understanding of the tender\u2019s needs and pain points, there\u2019s a lot to navigate in a bid submission.<\/p>\n

Six elements of a winning bid<\/h3>\n

For almost a decade, we have worked both with organisations bidding for work as well as procurement and specifiers in the public sector. This gives us a unique perspective on what a winning bid looks like.<\/p>\n

Strong foundations<\/h4>\n

If it isn\u2019t already, now is the time to hard wire social value into your organisation from the top down, empowering the entire team to get involved to form a culture around doing good.<\/p>\n

It will also make writing bids less arduous as the data and narrative will already be in place.<\/p>\n

Clear understanding of what is being asked<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s important to do the research, studying the buyer\u2019s specific social and environmental priorities and policies and making sure that the information you include is directly relevant to your findings.<\/p>\n

A good starting point is the scoring matrix and weighting the organisation will be using to evaluate the submission. Build a convincing story around that, make sure you can deliver on your promises and show how your offering is superior to the competition<\/a> and you won\u2019t go far wrong.<\/p>\n

Solid planning<\/h4>\n

Buyers will be looking for a well organised plan which stands out so outlining the structure of the social value initiatives in line with the measures provided is key. If they are not stipulated, use the Social Value TOM System as a framework<\/a> – many public sector buyers are familiar with this system.<\/p>\n

Keep your delivery plan clear, providing details of who will be responsible, what the process for capturing social value will be and what reporting methods will be used and in what timescales.<\/p>\n

Target setting<\/h4>\n

The local benefit of social value initiatives will undoubtedly be critical to the requirements of the tender so setting targets that are relevant and clearly achievable is key.<\/p>\n

Check the unit of measurements that you will need to use, for example, if the question asks for the time spent on apprenticeships in weeks, use that specific unit.<\/p>\n

In our experience, conducting a Local Needs Analysis to identify what the area most needs is a useful means of ensuring that targets set are relevant for the project needs.<\/p>\n

Provision of evidence<\/h4>\n

Buyers need to feel confident that each measure can be achieved so instilling confidence in the targets by providing detailed information on your social value proposition and aligning it with the buyer’s goals and objectives will provide reassurance that targets will be met.<\/p>\n

Wherever possible, demonstrate a strong track record by highlighting individual team member\u2019s experience and expertise, offering case study stories of previous successes<\/a> and demonstrating the positive impact that your organisation has already made.<\/p>\n

Finesse<\/h4>\n

A well-paced document free from errors and brought to life with images and testimonials will demonstrate your organisation\u2019s ability to get the job done.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth considering ways of offering something innovative or unique, that goes above and beyond the core requirements – it could gain extra points for the submission.<\/p>\n

Advice on measuring and reporting social value<\/h3>\n

Set up in 2016, The National Social Value Taskforce<\/a> is chaired by the Local Government Association and made up of 50 – 60 different organisations across the public and private sector. In 2017, we partnered with the Taskforce to develop the Social Value TOM System, a UK wide measurement framework that provides a standardised reporting system to help organisations maximise the social value they are delivering and set expectations that all stakeholders can relate to.<\/p>\n

The \u2018value\u2019 of an activity matters, not only because of the financial savings delivered to society but also because it helps organisations to understand scale and impact. When the buyer sees that a social value strategy can deliver an additional 10-20% of the contract value, they quickly see that the impact is significant and matters.<\/p>\n

The TOM system allows social value to be calculated and reported in bids. For instance, employing someone who is long-term unemployed is worth around \u00a320,000 in social value. 50 volunteering hours donated is around \u00a3846 and removing one tonne of carbon emissions is the equivalent of \u00a3244 in social value – all of which can be justifiably reported and endorsed for a tender submission.<\/p>\n

Putting the theory into practice – delivering social value and housing in Bristol<\/h3>\n

We work with leading engineering and environmental professional services firm WSP, which has been measuring, evaluating and reporting social value since 2020. By making a commitment to build a strong legacy and playing an active part in the communities it serves, Social Value has become a guiding principle for the way the organisation conducts itself.<\/p>\n

Where possible, WSP aligns itself with the local supply chain to generate economic opportunities for MSMEs and seeks to build links with existing community groups in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the needs of a particular area.<\/p>\n

For instance, WSP, and its supply chain partners, worked with the local council in delivering a number of housing development site projects in Bristol since 2020 which embedded social value into the day to day delivery of each project. This has included:<\/p>\n