URL: https://stroud.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=292

Decision Maker: Council, Strategy and Resources Committee

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: To present to the Committee the updated Social Value Policy and the proposed measurement tool to measure Social Value created.

Content: The Senior Policy and Commissioning Officer explained the report included the renewed Social Value (SV) Policy (Appendix A) and proposed methods to measure SV. She provided background detail on SV and advised it was governed by legislation requiring Councils to consider how service contracts provided benefits across the district. This included measured contributions to social, economic and environmental outcomes. The renewed Policy continued to exceed the requirements of the Social Value Act and SDC would continue to set the SV evaluation on tenders at 10%. The renewed Policy included: National context, including Procurement Act and National Procurement Policy Statement. What SV meant to Stroud. Aims and Objectives. How SV created contributed to SDCs priorities and the Council Plan. Future development to measure SV. Tiered approach to apply SV in contracts with different thresholds for contract types rather than a flat threshold for all contracts.   The SV Act did not mandate methodologies or measurement tools to measure SV giving Council’s flexibility on how and what to measure. Since 2021 SDC had used the SV Portal and national framework which contained 200 Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs). Officers had chosen 29 measures from the national framework which reflected SDCs activities within the Council Plan and projects and created a ‘Master TOM’. The Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) had agreed not to renew the SV Portal contract at the end of September 2025 as it did not provide flexibility and would prevent additional costs.   Officers had undertaken research with other local Councils, many of which were creating their own measures to reflect their own Council priorities. Paragraph 2.19 of the report detailed the consultation outcome with SDC Officers and paragraphs 2.22-2.29 set out how SDC proposed to measure SV. Appendix B detailed the proposed new measures which would be developed in consultation with Members and Officers over the next 3 months. The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLEC) would provide support in the development of the measurement tool, the proxy values, proportionality and relevance checks as part of SDC Community Wealth Building activity.   Member training would be held on Wednesday 2 July and feedback incorporated into the measures. One Legal had been consulted regarding contract terms and conditions and Officer training would be held between August and September.   In response to Members questions, the following answers were provided: The tender process required a set of measures which measured quantitative SV. It would eventually be possible to have quantitative and qualitative measures. Many Councils were moving away from the SV Portal and SDC were wanting to simplify the process for Officers and Suppliers. Officers had provided feedback on behalf of Suppliers based on their experience of using the SV Portal. The measures related to the Council and would demonstrate more tangible evidence of SV delivery. Regular updates would be provided which included through the annual Procurement and Contract Management report to Committee. Contracts currently on the SV Portal would remain on there due to Suppliers having a contract with the SV Portal. Suppliers would therefore need to provide the additional information under the new SV Policy and Measuring Tool for the duration of the contract. The review period for the methodology would be annual.   Proposed by the Chair, Councillor Turner, seconded by Councillor Martin Brown.   Councillor Martin Brown commented that SDC would want to see Suppliers providing over and above the contract for delivering SV and it was sensible to replace with more appropriate measures.   The Chair, Councillor Turner proposed a friendly amendment to ask for the final SV Measurement Tool to be brought back to Committee in October following a Member feedback session in July. The wording for point a of the decision was amended to: The Committee RESOLVES to: a.    RECOMMEND to Council the renewed Social Value Policy and the development of the new Social Value Measures for final approval at Strategy & Resources Committee on the 2 October.   The Monitoring Officer confirmed that no amendment was required to section b of the decision as any successors to the posts listed would exercise any previous delegations in response to Councillor Braun.   Councillor Martin Brown as initial seconder agreed the amendment.   Councillor Hofmann advised she was pleased that the measures went beyond any mandatory measures to enable SDC to reflect their own priorities.    On being put to the vote, the amendment to the Motion was carried unanimously.   The Chair, Councillor Turner, expressed her interest in seeing the process evolve and going beyond statutory requirements and she highlighted the peer learning from other authorities.   On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried unanimously.   RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL   RESOLVED a.    The renewed Social Value Policy and the development of the new Social Value Measures for final approval at Strategy & Resources Committee on 2 October and; b.    To delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director of Resources to make minor amendments to the Social Value Measures.    

Date of Decision: June 26, 2025