What is Social Value?
and why it matters for decision-making
Every decision an organisation makes changes someone's life.
A training scheme helps a person back into work. A new road cuts ten minutes off a commute, but cuts through a community. A procurement choice shifts jobs from one town to another.
Social value is how much those changes matter to the people who experience them.
Most organisations track money in fine detail but track these changes in people's lives barely at all. So decisions get made on cost and overlook the thing that matters most: their effect on people, communities and the environment.
Working with social value means asking the people affected what has changed for them, finding out how much those changes matter, and weighing that alongside the financial numbers. The result is better decisions: more of what improves lives, and less of what harms them.
The Principles of Social Value
The Principles of Social Value embed the experiences of those affected into decision-making, ensuring actions reflect what truly matters to everyone impacted in a significant way.
They provide the building blocks for applying a broader understanding of value, so decisions consider social and environmental effects as well as financial ones.
Take a look at Social Value in action
Core to all the Principles of Social Value is Principle 1: Involve Stakeholders.
Listening to those affected by decisions helps organisations understand which changes matter most and where value is really being created.
Our case studies bring this to life, sharing examples from around the world where stakeholder insight has shaped better decisions.
Social Value matters to…
The private sector
Enhance brand reputation and trust
Drive long term financial performance
Improves competitiveness and access to markets
The public sector
Ensure public spending maximises community benefits
Support social inclusion, sustainability and trust
Improve public service outcomes
Social entrepreneurs
Align social impact with financial stability
Attract impact investment
Cultivate community support and partner collaboration
Non-profits
Demonstrate impact to donors
Strengthen resource efficiency
Ensure programme alignment with community needs
Thinking of a career in Social Value or Impact Management?
Wherever you’re starting, we offer internationally recognised courses and accreditations to help you grow your social value practice. Explore upcoming events to learn more or get started today.
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