Social Value is no longer optional in procurement; it’s an expectation and a differentiating factor. Organisations across different sectors are regularly asked to forecast, commit to, deliver and evidence real impacts. Measurements can vary differently depending on how impacts are evaluated which can create challenges and risks.
Not using a robust methodology results in less credible and transparent social value claims. Good intentions to commit to social value simply aren’t enough when bidding for new opportunities or reporting for current contracts with social value KPIs. This is why we have integrated the accredited proxy values it into our Social Value Management solution to support the lifecycle from tender through to reporting achievements.
The Cost of Inconsistent Measurement
Many businesses still rely on spreadsheet-driven methods, generic and irrelevant proxy values, and unreliable frameworks to measure social value. This results in untraceable calculations and methodologies, claims that lack credibility and transparency, and operational dependency risks.
Common pitfalls include leaning on proxy values without understanding their origins or limitations, ignoring core principles such as deadweight and attribution, and applying the same values everywhere, regardless of local economic and social conditions.
Without defensible evidence, good intentions fall short.
Credibility, Consistency, and Confidence
Accreditation helps your organisation demonstrate assurance that your measurement is credible and trustworthy, as well as being aligned with established frameworks. Our social value measures have been assured by the Institute for Social Value and Social Value International, meaning they’ve been verified against nationally recognised standards.
Our measures are also aligned with HM Treasury Green Book and Cabinet Office SROI guidance. This ensures the application of key SROI principles, such as deadweight, attribution, displacement, duration, drop-off, and discounting is actively embedded. Theory of Change underpins every measure, making sure that each activity links to measurable, monetised outputs and outcomes, and most importantly, values are tailored by region using national data, reflecting local economic and social conditions.
Of course, understanding all these terms that support social value measurement is also crucial – that’s why we’ve created a comprehensive Social Value Terminology Guide that breaks down the technical jargon into key concepts to help you get familiar with the language of impact.
From Bid Stage to Evidence
Social value measurement isn’t just about the delivery – it covers the entire lifecycle from bidding, right the way to reporting achievements. Our accredited proxy values enable accurate forecasting at bid stage, ensuring relevant and credible targets that align with procurement frameworks and client expectations. Our real-time monitoring features allow you to track delivery against those targets with automated calculations and live dashboards. Additionally, our reporting tools help you evidence outputs and outcomes with audit-ready records, branded case studies, and export-ready outputs.
Track Social Value with Confidence
Social value measurement isn’t optional anymore, and you can’t afford to get it wrong. Whether you’re managing a single project, an entire portfolio, or managing your organisation’s total impact, accredited methodology provides you with the credibility, consistency and assurance you need to forecast, deliver and evidence your impact.
Ready to discover how our Social Value Management solution can support your organisation? Get in touch with our team today to find out more about our accredited measures and how we can help you deliver social value that’s measurable, meaningful, and credible.
With a well experienced background in Social Value, Katie is an integral member of our team, helping organisations to deliver and evidence meaningful impact with confidence.
