Maximising Social Value

The way that the public sector allocates resources has a huge impact on Scottish society, the economy, and the environment.

Within a challenging financial environment Public authorities are therefore being asked to reform services, purchase more sustainability, and commission in a way that delivers more for less.

Our goal is to shift the debate from how best to manage and control costs, to how best to maximise social value from within existing resources. By ‘social value’ we refer to the overall value of the changes that public spending brings to our communities and society.

We believe that the potential for positive change is substantial, with £9bn spent annually by Scotland’s public sector on the provision of goods, works, and services.

Our proposition is a simple one; that ‘social value’ can be maximised at each stage of the commissioning cycle, typically at no additional cost. This can be achieved simply by understanding what communities’ value, specifying services and procuring them in a slightly different way, and in doing so deepening relationships with Third Sector suppliers.

Find out more about how to identify, manage and measure Social Value, click here.