Andrew O’Brien and Hana Kapetanovic, Demos
Who are Demos and what do you do?
We are Andrew O'Brien, the Director of Policy and Impact at Demos and Hana Kapetanovic, a Lead Researcher at Demos.
Demos is an independent cross party think tank that was created about 30 years ago, with a drive to put people at the heart of policymaking to create bold ideas and a more collaborative democracy. One of our ideas is creating what we call the citizen's economy.
So creating an economy whereby people just don't think in terms of their individual interests, whether that's business just thinking about making profit, or individuals, just getting the goods and services you need, or government, just thinking about tax revenue, but also thinking holistically about how we need to collaborate and work together to generate the best possible social, environmental and economic impact that we can collectively.
So, for that reason, we're very interested in the issue of social value.
Andrew, can you tell us a little about your background?
I have been very privileged to previously work for Chris White MP. He is the author of the Social Value Act, and I helped him with the parliamentary process around that, such as drafting speeches and coordinating conversations with other MPs and helping Chris to really drive the legislation through.
It has been one of the great privileges of my career to have been involved in that very small piece of legislation. As Chris always says small, but perfectly formed. And I think that's a lovely way of describing it. So, I’ve been around the social value space for a good few years now.
What was the catalyst for writing the report?
One of the reasons we decided to write this report was due to the current financial environment that central government faces, and that local government faces - there is going to be renewed interest around how we maximise the economic, social, and environmental value that we can create from every pound of public spending.
As a think tank we want to make sure that our work is as relevant to the political and policy landscape as possible, and so we felt there was an opportunity around the role that combined authorities can play given the devolution agenda. Also, in terms of our values and this concept of the citizen economy, we feel that social value has a really critical role to play in helping to culturally reset the environment to make sure that businesses, government, and citizens are working together to generate those outcomes.
We worked together with our partner on this project, GS1 UK, they are a membership organisation that is responsible for the barcode, and many of the kinds of technologies that we use on a day-to-day basis to help track and process information across businesses.
They were interested in this growing trend around ESG and social value and what the role technology might be in helping to address some of these issues. And given the social value landscape, it is an interesting perspective and angle, which GS1 UK were bringing to the table.
Tell us about the title ‘Taming the Wild West: How technology can charter a new frontier for social value’.
Originally, when the Social Value Act was introduced, the view in the community at the time was very much, let a thousand flowers bloom, and allow a burst of creativity. There are lots of different aspects to social value and different people focus on different elements of it.
There's always been a battle between, can you quantify it, or is it more qualitative? And how do you weigh different things? We were very accepting of that in the beginning, but I think as time has gone on and it's become a bit become more integrated into the way that government operates with the Social Value Model and the National Procurement Policy Statements and local government generating their own strategies and plans around it, and therefore lots of tools and products developing from it.
The feedback I've been getting from lots of people in the community is that it has become a bit of a wild west where you don't really know what's going on. What tools work? What is a robust and fair way of reporting and measuring your social value? How much social value is actually being delivered?
A lot of the issues that we encountered in the report were very much around this lack of clarity and the need to bring some order to what's going on, and that's not to crush innovation or to stop people from developing their own specific ideas around social value and how they want to go about measuring and reporting and talking about it and interacting with people.
But around creating a space where people who enter the social value world can orientate themselves. So that's why we decided to call it Taming the Wild West.
What sorts of things did people tell you in your research for the report – what kinds of issues came up?
We heard a lot of frustration about the lack of clarity, consistency, transparency and accountability when it comes to social value. People also raised concerns about inequity in access linked to issues of capacity and capability. There was also a recurring theme around the need for trust - how do we build systems that communities can rely on and feel a part of?
What are the key recommendations/findings of the report – can you talk us through them?
We outline several key recommendations in the report. First, there’s a need for clearer standards and frameworks to add a level of consistency and simplify social value processes, and to ensure technology development aligns with social objectives.
Collaboration is another major theme - bringing together governments, tech companies, and civil society to co-create solutions.
And of course, we emphasise the importance of measuring impact, not just outputs. It’s not enough to roll out new tools; we need to track whether they’re truly making a difference in people’s lives.
Engaging the audience: Putting people at the heart of policymaking to inspire collaboration, innovation, and a citizen-focused economy.
What’s the prize if we can get this right? What are the risks if we get it wrong?
If we get it right, the prize is enormous - stronger communities, more inclusive economies, and a fairer society where everyone can benefit from technological advancements.
But if we get it wrong, the risks are equally significant. We could see the deepening of inequalities, erosion of trust in institutions and businesses, and technology becoming a tool for harm rather than progress.
What can public sector suppliers do, or anyone who is listening and wants to help but who isn’t a policymaker?
Well public sector suppliers and individuals can start by aligning their work with the principles of social value. This means thinking beyond immediate profits and asking, “How can this project contribute to the public good?”
Building partnerships with local communities, practising and advocating ethical practices, and staying informed about, measuring and reporting on the broader social impacts of their work are all crucial steps.
How can we help
At Samtaler, we understand the importance of your social value commitment. You’re here because you care about your business's impact on society and want to improve. We want you to succeed, and we know from experience that achieving social value requires skill, strategy, and support.
To find out how we can help, send an email to hello@samtaler.co.uk
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