It’s all change; but our mission stays the same – to deliver a Social Value Economy. That’s the message of this year’s Social Value Conference.
A new government, a new (slightly delayed!) Procurement Act, new rules, and new fears of what could happen if we get it wrong.
It’s been over 12 years since the Social Value Act hit the statute books (March 2012). Whilst the pace of change and uptake has, at times, been slow, unsteady, and inconsistent, no one can deny that the Act has transformed the relationship between the public sector and its providers – generally for the better.
This change has been driven by procurement, and an expectation that if you want to work with the public sector and enjoy all the benefits that result (such as guaranteed on time payments) then it is right that the public sector can (and should) expect, and perhaps be offered, more.
Of course, this means best price and best quality, but now providers need to consider the wider benefits they can bring to communities if they want to win the work – such as jobs for young offenders, training for local people, volunteering, and carbon savings.
Looking back to 2012, I find myself astounded by how we have all adapted, especially business; it’s like the Act has unlocked an untapped well of energy to do good and it has now burst forth. If you think about it, this is hardly surprising, as even big businesses employ real people, who live in real communities, most of whom want to support their communities. I mean, why wouldn’t they?
But I was worried – I could see storm clouds appearing as people were rushing to deploy the new Procurement Act, seeing it as a reason to either delay procurements or remove Social Value.
Now that the Procurement Act has been delayed till February, it gives us some much-wanted breathing space to make sure we are all ready to implement the new rules. I am particularly heartened and intrigued by the Statement coming from the Cabinet Office about the desire to:
“Create a mission-led procurement regime which builds on the transformative powers within the Act, and which meets the challenge of applying the full potential of public procurement to deliver value for money, economic growth and social value.”
This is exciting news and will inform much of our discussion at the Social Value Conference 2024 as we bring together experts and visionaries from around the world to help inform the vision.
There are too many to mention them all, but they include the Rt Hon Justine Greening; Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive of Rotherham Council; Councillor John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council; and Nick Forbes CBE, Former Leader of Newcastle City Council and Shadow Cabinet Member, to name just a few.
We are delighted you can join us on our mission and to help build our movement to deliver a Social Value Economy for all.