Programme Structures

The structure of the programme is one of service with each role feeding up to delivering better impact for our immediate stakeholders (buyers / suppliers of goods/works/services) and their stakeholders, i.e. the communities they affect.

This is a volunteer led programme.  The core groups working on the programme are:

  • Steering Committee: inc strategic partners, SVUK, representatives of stakeholders, and leads of the Working Groups
  • Strategic Partners: key partners who support programme coordination and delivery and specific work outputs
  • Programme coordinator: SVUK. Responsible for coordinating programme delivery and stakeholder groups

Working groups (developed overseen by Steering Committee): main volunteer groups of the programme working on key programme outputs

Working Groups

There are 4 key working groups for the Contract for Change programme.  These groups were agreed by the Steering Committee in July 2022, and launched in September 2022: 

  1. Peer networking, practice sharing, and collaboration:  connecting across sectors to share current practice, to – identify the enablers and constraints to embedding social value principles in procurement and make proposals to tackling these. The group will lead on conferences, events and sharing resources. 
  1. Best practice, learning and capacity building: the group will focus on implement proposals from community to develop better practice, improving learning resources and build capacity, e.g developing and accrediting training; resources, guidance for suppliers and buyers and toolkit development
  2. Social Value practice confidence building: the group will focus on supporting the sector in building confidence in the growing practice, and to support embedding of standards of practice
    1. for the bids submitted for contracting 
    2. of the procurement function  
  1. Influencing policy and legislation:  engage organisations and government to promote and embed social value principles based practice into procurement, commissioning and contracting. 

The groups will initially focus on implementing the key programme action areas identified by the Steering Committee:

  1. Methodology and approach to be defined. This is key for best practice and case studies, and should be led by SVUK in collaboration with the Working Groups
  2. Case study bank / resource library. This is an imperative practical next step for the programme. There are some good examples of practice sharing that could be used as reference, e.g. NAO, WCC resource bank
  3. Develop guidance to support practice implementation, along with other capacity building support such as training, and professional practice accreditation
  4. Influence legislation and policy, but most importantly the guidance that surrounds policy and legislation, e.g. the Procurement Bill, National Procurement Strategy

 

Working Group Structure:

  • Working Groups will be cross sectoral.
  • There will be a lead of each Working Group who will also sit on the Steering Committee
  • Each group will be open to volunteers
  • Each group will define a framework of work including e.g. method, case studies, sharing of practice
  • Groups will be task and finish focused

Programme structure overview