This Special Event from the CIPFA Procurement & Commissioning Network brought practitioners up to date with proposals to strengthen social value and make it an explicit requirement in future commissioning.
Despite the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 now being in force for several years, it is still suggested by various reports that it is not well understood by either the public sector or those suppliers designing and delivering services. It is suggested that express requirements to evaluate social value when awarding contracts will ensure that contracts are awarded on the basis of more than just value for money – but an organisation's values too, so that their actions in society are rightly recognised and rewarded and encourage more charities, mutuals, co-operatives and social enterprises to apply for and win public sector contracts.