This newsletter describes the ongoing work of GMSVN to develop the network and some of the key wider activities currently going on around social value in Greater Manchester.

Please contact us if you have news of interest to other members of the network to include in future newsletters.

GMSVN Website

The website provides: information about the network; cases studies of practice around social value in Greater Manchester; information about our events; and provides link to news and resources around social value. We welcome blog articles, case studies, and news for the website.

GMSVN Linked-In Group

We also have a Linked-In group where people can connect with others with an interest in social value and discuss issues. Please join!

The Network

The steering group of GMSVN consists of ten people. The role of the steering group, which meets on a bi-monthly basis, is to make the network thrive through: visioning, influencing, planning, coordinating, and evaluating. Over 125 people form part of the wider network.

Events

GMSVN hosted 2 events in 2016, both kindly supported by the University of Manchester and Greater Manchester Talent Match. The events were an opportunity for network members to meet and to raise awareness of the activities of the network and activities around social value in Greater Manchester more generally. View the presentations from our last events. Regular events are being planned for 2017.

Case Studies

GMSVN has developed and continues to develop case studies of practice around social value in Greater Manchester. There are case studies for BAM Construct UK and New Charter Homes with more to follow. Please send us case studies to include.

Training

There are many organisations across Greater Manchester offering training and support around social value. GMSVN has brought some of these organisations together to develop a collective offer. The offer is split into two parts: short policy courses; and practice based courses. The courses will be piloted in the next few months and then the course programme and resources will be made freely available for other organisations to use.

Wider activities being undertaken in Greater Manchester

This section of the newsletter describes some of the wider activities which are currently going on in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Mayoral Election

The election for a Mayor of Greater Manchester will take place in May 2017. Various organisations are seeking to influence mayoral priorities and GMSVN is no different. We are looking to host a roundtable with one of the candidates, Andy Burnham, to ensure social value is at the forefront of mayoral priorities and Greater Manchester strategy moving forward. More information coming soon.

The health sector

A range of activities are being undertaken around social value with and in the health sector in Greater Manchester, all of which GMSVN members are involved in. GMSVN members are working closely with the Greater Manchester Director of Public Health Improvement to ensure social value is central to the GM Population Health Plan. A high-level proposal to secure resources through the Transformation Fund for this activity has been made.

Manchester Growth Company

The Manchester Growth Company seeks to make Greater Manchester an attractive place in which to invest in and support existing business to grow. They also have a desire to address the issues of economic and social inequality in Greater Manchester. They have therefore, with some support from GMSVN, been looking to embed social value strategically into the organisation and into their business support offer to ensure businesses also consider social value in their practices and behaviour.

Greater Manchester Housing Providers Group

Representatives from a few social housing providers recently met to discuss and share best practice on delivering social value through procurement. They have asked for this topic to be raised with the CEOs of the Greater Manchester Housing Providers Group to discuss how a consistent approach can be taken across the sector. They are due to meet with the core group of CEOs in the next couple of months to take this forward.

Greater Manchester Social Value Procurement Framework

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) signed off the Greater Manchester Social Value Procurement Framework in Autumn 2014. It is designed to ensure that commissioners and procurers consider social value outcomes at the various stages of the procurement process including in bidding and monitoring. GMSVN has been promoting the importance of the framework to commissioners across the public, commercial and social sectors.

The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) and the AGMA Procurement Hub are currently updating the baseline position for the framework in relation to the achievement of outcomes by the suppliers to the ten Greater Manchester authorities.

Commissioning and outcomes framework

Linked to the procurement framework, GMCA and New Economy are currently developing a Greater Manchester Outcomes Framework that will measure the impact of devolution across local authorities and the health sector. Members of GMSVN are seeking to influence the framework to ensure that social value considerations and impact around procurement are embedded and to ensure that existing activity is not duplicated.

If you would like to become a member of GMSVN or have news items, please contact Nigel Rose at MACC on nigel@macc.org.uk

The Greater Manchester Social Value Network (GMSVN) seeks to influence stakeholders, policy and strategy at the GM level around social value. The Network undertakes three activities:

It collects information, evidence and examples of social value across Greater Manchester;
It supports organisations across all sectors to deliver more effective social value policy, practice and outcomes;
It uses the skills and knowledge of the network to influence the behaviour of the range of individuals and organisations with a stake in social value.