WIREDGOV

The Office of Civil Society has launched a series of case studies showing how providers apply social value.

The Office of Civil Society has funded a total of £30,000 (including VAT), to 8 different external providers with expertise in social value and/or impact management, to work with commissioners in practically applying the Public Services (Social Value Act) 2012. This work was known as the Social Value Implementation and Measurement Project.

Each provider has documented their experience through a case study. This week sees the first 2 of the series to be published on GOV.UK. The providers ranged from an adult social care provider to forums supporting voluntary organisations.

Each of these organisations worked in partnership with a public sector organisation to either:

• create a social value framework
• follow a procurement opportunity
• conduct a cross-organisational social value review

The aim was to help embed social value into their processes. The remaining case studies will be rolled out between October and December 2016.

Practical and applicable

The case studies provide real accounts of what can be involved at the forefront of generating social value. As well as giving a practical insight, the case studies are intended to serve as starting points for initiating new ideas and for sparking innovative thinking. Any aspects found to be of interest within the case studies can be applied and developed accordingly.

These case studies are most likely to be of interest to:

• commissioners seeking practical solutions to help them embed social value across their organisation, or within a specific procurement opportunity
• procurers looking for examples of best practice to follow
• any party with an interest in finding out more about social value – as the journeys they describe showcase not only their successes, but their experience as a whole, including lessons learned

Further information

The providers who participated in the Social Value Implementation and Measurement Project include:

• Skillnet Group CIC
• The Social Value Portal (SVP)
• The Prince’s Trust
• The North Bank Forum for Voluntary Organisations Ltd (NBF)
• South West Forum (SWF)
• Social Enterprise UK
• B2B North
• Sustainable Supply Chains Ltd (SSC)