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If past experience of delivering social value is to be considered within a procurement, would this not have to be part of the selection criteria, and would that not risk excluding some SME’s and newer VCS organisations that haven’t had a chance to build that experience?

Date: 08.11.21
  • In public services, Social Value, or Public Value, is the inherent purpose of the procurement, according to an optimum quality/price assessment.
  • Meeting Social Value Imperative criteria might, accordingly, be a pre-qualification matter.
  • That would include a capability assessment, for purpose-driven delivery, to which past operational experience would be material.
  • Equal treatment for a newer organisation would allow a capability assessment more focussed on the credibility and assurance of the purpose-driven strategic planning.
  • Equal treatment for a smaller organisation would allow a capability assessment accounting for the scale at which it operates, on a purpose-driven basis.
  • At the specification stage, purpose-driven experience and/or capability (with similar equal treatment) would be material to the substantive assessment.
  • As a corrective to exaggerated Social Value promises, past performance may be material evidence of their credibility.
  • For newer organisations the credibility assessment will necessarily need to be on the strategic planning. Excellent strategic planning may appropriately outscore mediocre planning, evidenced by mediocre past performance.