Embedding Social Value in Public Procurement
Set my timezone
Select a timezone from the map or dropdown and click the Set timezone button to adjust the event date/times to your current timezone.
How contracting authorities set 'social value' priorities?
The Procurement of Government Outcomes (POGO) Club is a knowledge sharing initiative that is open to anyone interested in capacity building in public procurement and in collaboration to improve social outcomes. We host monthly calls, maintain a mailing list, and share other resources. Participants come from many different disciplines, sectors, and countries. Our chair is Anne Davies, Professor of Law and Public Policy.
Aims of our group
- Helping public sector leaders understand how public procurement may be used to improve social outcomes through collaboration with the private and community / voluntary sectors.
- Encouraging better alignment of procurement plans with the mission, strategy, and budget of a program, agency or government.
- Developing the capacity of procurement practitioners to collaborate and procure social outcomes as part of the professionalisation of public procurement.
Interested? Join the mailing list by emailing Leigh Crowley. Find us on LinkedIn here.
Session overview
Governments are increasingly trying to use public contracts to pursue economic, social, and environmental goals beyond the core goods, works or services being procured. These goals may include employment opportunities, fair labour conditions, environmental targets or working with voluntary, community, or social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. This strategic use of public procurement is called different things around the world, including buying social, social clauses, community wealth building, broader outcomes, and social value. In this Oxford POGO Club session, an expert panel compares these initiatives in various nations’ procurement policies. We discuss whether these procurement initiatives are linked to wider outcomes frameworks. We also discussed different approaches to capacity development of public bodies to help implement these policies. Practical problems with implementation will be highlighted.
Background Resources
UK Central Government (England and Wales)
- Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
- Cabinet Office (2020), Procurement Policy Note 06/20 – taking account of social value in the award of central government contracts
Northern Ireland
- Department of Finance, Northern Ireland (2021). Public Procurement Note 01/21 Scoring Social Value
- https://www.buysocialni.org
Wales
Scotland
- Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, Scotland, Sustainable Procurement Duty
- Scotland. National Performance Framework
Australia