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Putting evaluations to use: from measuring to endorsing social value

Arvidson, Malin LU and Kara, Helen (2014) In Working Paper Series
Abstract
This paper examines the concept of ‘social value’, emphasised in the recently implemented Social Value Act. It argues that evaluations can play an important role in advocating the status of social value. Evaluations are tailored to highlight priorities and promote interests and can offer an important way of evidencing and promoting social value in order that it becomes an active ingredient in decision-making in the commissioning of public services. This is essential, since the implementation of the Social Value Act is circumscribed by vagueness and contradictory demands. The paper elaborates on a set of questions that can help us explore evaluation frameworks with the view to highlight where and how evaluations can capture and promote... (More)
This paper examines the concept of ‘social value’, emphasised in the recently implemented Social Value Act. It argues that evaluations can play an important role in advocating the status of social value. Evaluations are tailored to highlight priorities and promote interests and can offer an important way of evidencing and promoting social value in order that it becomes an active ingredient in decision-making in the commissioning of public services. This is essential, since the implementation of the Social Value Act is circumscribed by vagueness and contradictory demands. The paper elaborates on a set of questions that can help us explore evaluation frameworks with the view to highlight where and how evaluations can capture and promote social values, such as social inclusion, as a feature of how public services are delivered by third sector organisations. This, we argue, will be crucial for the Social Value Act to become a meaningful addition to the way public services are procured and commissioned, and for third sector organisations to secure continued public service contracts based on arguments and values that play on their presumed advantages over other service deliverers. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
in
Working Paper Series
issue
110
pages
14 pages
publisher
Third Sector Research Centre, University of Birmingham
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
82cb5537-2eb2-4959-88cc-e7850c0f0a45 (old id 4429289)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:01:00
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:02:08
@misc{82cb5537-2eb2-4959-88cc-e7850c0f0a45,
  abstract     = {{This paper examines the concept of ‘social value’, emphasised in the recently implemented Social Value Act. It argues that evaluations can play an important role in advocating the status of social value. Evaluations are tailored to highlight priorities and promote interests and can offer an important way of evidencing and promoting social value in order that it becomes an active ingredient in decision-making in the commissioning of public services. This is essential, since the implementation of the Social Value Act is circumscribed by vagueness and contradictory demands. The paper elaborates on a set of questions that can help us explore evaluation frameworks with the view to highlight where and how evaluations can capture and promote social values, such as social inclusion, as a feature of how public services are delivered by third sector organisations. This, we argue, will be crucial for the Social Value Act to become a meaningful addition to the way public services are procured and commissioned, and for third sector organisations to secure continued public service contracts based on arguments and values that play on their presumed advantages over other service deliverers.}},
  author       = {{Arvidson, Malin and Kara, Helen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{110}},
  publisher    = {{Third Sector Research Centre, University of Birmingham}},
  series       = {{Working Paper Series}},
  title        = {{Putting evaluations to use: from measuring to endorsing social value}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}