Tag: manifesto

Greater Manchester Social Value Network Covid-19 Manifesto Launch

Posted on by GMSVN

Greater Manchester Social Value Network launched its manifesto at an online event on 28th January 2021. The participants came from a wide range of private, VCSE and statutory organisations.  As well as launching the manifesto the event also launched GMSVN’s “Guide to Good Practice in Social Value Relationships”.

The event was chaired by Matt Barqueriza-Jackson (chairperson of GMSVN). The main speakers were: Hazel Blears (Social Value Specialist and Former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government), Mo Isap (Co-Chair of GM Local Enterprise Partnership), and Rebecca Birkbeck, Director Community & Shared Value, the Co-op) and Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester).

As well as speakers there were 5 workshops based on the themes of the manifesto:

  • Cooperation and Brokerage
  • Putting Social Value at the heart of Commissioning and Procurement.
  • Putting Social Value at the centre of Industrial Strategy
  • Profit and Social Impact in Business.
  • Encouraging Positive Environmental Behaviour through Social Value

The discussion and proposals from the workshops are presented in the Conference Report.

You can watch excerpts from the conference:

Messages for Greater Manchester Mayoral candidates

Posted on by GMSVN

The Greater Manchester Social Value Network (GMSVN) is a network of organisations which seeks to influence stakeholders, policy and strategy at the Greater Manchester level around social value.

GMSVN believes that social value should be at the heart of Mayoral priorities in Greater Manchester moving forward and has therefore submitted the below message to all mayoral candidates.

 

Messages for Greater Manchester (GM) Mayoral candidates from the Greater Manchester Social Value Network (GMSVN)

  • Social Value should be at the heart of all GM strategy – that means the Mayor needs to ‘Social Value-proof’ existing and future strategy to ensure it has a common thread and is adapted accordingly. Social Value should be one of the priorities throughout the GM Strategy, Spatial Framework, and wider devolution planning.
  • The creation of social impact should be ‘valued’ and recognised as a way to achieve the maximum return from investment of public and private money in GM, and measurement frameworks are required. But frameworks should not insist that every last piece of ‘value’ has to be measured and accounted for in financial terms. There needs to be understanding and agreement that this is the right way to do business, but not all social value can/should be measured. All ‘measuring’ should be proportionate and relevant.
  • Social Value needs leadership – it should be taken seriously and effort/resources put into changing the way that GM does business. This should include the policy lead for social value being included in the GM Mayor’s own office.
  • Social Value isn’t just procurement, it’s inclusive growth – measures are required to ensure that every development project in the Greater Manchester Strategic Framework maximises the delivery of social value and contributes towards inclusive growth.

 

What should the GM mayor put in his/ her manifesto?

I will ensure that the public sector in GM goes beyond the confines of the Public Services (Social Value) Act, embedding a social value approach into everything that they do; and will work with the private sector to create a GM where ‘responsible business’ is ‘normal business’.

Social value will be used to ensure that expenditure of the GM pound will create a fairer, more inclusive and caring place to live, work and do business.

 

Activities to support these objectives:

  •  A GM employment/ social value charter – including a single definition of social value and a commitment to a number of high level GM-wide priorities for social value (for example; paying the Living Wage, creating employment and skills for GM people and encouraging greater community activity).
  • A GM wide procurement policy – all public sector organisations should be mandated to follow a single policy and process for maximising social value in procurement and commissioning.
  • GM planning and development – embedding of a social value ‘ask’ in development agreements, funding awards and strategic plans.
  • A GM commissioning framework – which encourages the public sector across GM to work collaboratively on this and develop a joined up approach rather than developing different policies/frameworks/process within different parts of the GM system. Achievable and measurable outcomes should be established and achievements monitored.
  • Greater Manchester Social Value Network – resources and effort to support sharing learning and experience, training and awareness raising around social value.