Social Value Unit
The Social Value Unit advise the public sector on including social value in public sector contracts.
Northern Ireland currently spends circa £3 billion annually on public procurement. By spending this money differently government can develop and deliver better social and economic outcomes for people in Northern Ireland through social value. The Social Value Unit advise the public sector on including social value in public sector contracts.
Project Description
The Social Value Unit advise the public sector on including social value in public sector contracts. It does this by helping public bodies to design, implement and monitor social value that is included in their contracts, for example, employment opportunities, to disadvantaged groups, ethical supply chains and environmental issues.
In this way, the contracts can deliver improvements to key quality-of-life indicators including personal well-being, social cohesion and inclusion, equal opportunities and sustainable development.
Project Description
The Social Value Unit work with public bodies to design, implement and monitor social value that is included in their contracts, for example, employment opportunities to disadvantaged groups, the use of social enterprises in the supply chain, ethical supply chain requirements and addressing environmental issues. In this way, the contracts can deliver improvements to key quality-of-life indicators including personal well-being, social cohesion and inclusion, equal opportunities and sustainable development.
Established in SIB in 2014 with a mandate from Executive Office ministers, the Social Value Unit works with government departments, councils and arms-length bodies. Before 2019, social value was primarily achieved through contract performance clauses, through the Buy Social approach.
Project Status
In July 2021 the Northern Ireland Executive published Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 01/21 Scoring Social Value. PPN 01/21 mandates that from 1 June 2022 tenders must allocate a minimum of 10% of the total award criteria to social value. This minimum weighting will apply to procurements at or above the thresholds set out in the Public Contracts Regulations. The Social Value Unit are responsible for developing guidance and training for the implementation of PPN 01/21. The Social Value Unit are also working on developing guidance on sustainable procurement beyond award criteria.
PPN 01/21 sets out that Departments should score for social value using an outcomes-based framework which has four broad themes:
- increasing secure employment and skills;
- building ethical and resilient supply chains;
- delivering zero carbon, and
- promoting well-being.
SIB Involvement
SIB has led on the implementation of Procurement Policy Note 01/21 and has championed social value across the public sector by assisting public bodies to design, implement and monitor social value included in public contracts.
The Social Value Unit have dedicated Social Value Advisers who are able to work with public bodies to provide expert advice on maximising the social value delivered by public procurement, in line with the Contracting Authority’s strategic priorities, from the earliest stage of the project.
For further information contact:
Lisa Beers, Head of the Social Value Unit
