Social Value and Sustainability Policy

This policy outlines Coventry Council’s definition of Social Value and Sustainability and explains how Social Value and Sustainability are considered and addressed through its day to day activities. Coventry Council has embedded the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 within procurement processes and subsequent third-party contracts where proportionate and relevant.

Coventry City Council sees Social Value and Sustainability as having a much wider context than simply procurement and subsequent third-party contracts within its organisation, such as within Major Development Project Planning. Long term sustainable solutions, and additional value and benefits can also be driven and delivered to our communities by engaging and working closely with partners and key anchor institutions within the City.

This view is also in line with the Council’s One Coventry approach and our One Coventry Values. One Coventry is the organisational approach that helps shapes the way the Council works with its partners
to improve the City and improve people’s lives. It includes the Council’s vision, values and priorities, new ways of working, and core areas of activity to deliver the One Coventry Plan objectives, key strategies and approaches. One Coventry will enable better use of resources to deliver better outcomes for people, and help the Council meet the challenges of increasing demand and reduction in funding. The One Coventry Partnership is the key partnership forum to drive the One Coventry approach for the
City. Adopting the One Coventry Approach enables the Council to work together with other Partners in the City as a Partnership. The One Coventry Partnership consists of senior officers from broad ‘public sector’ agencies from across the City e.g. Coventry University. The One Coventry Partnership’s aim to enable a consistent, joined-up public sector approach to the development and delivery of strategic City-wide priorities. The One Coventry Partnership also promotes and works to develop a One Coventry
approach culture for how the public sector behaves and relates to communities and the voluntary and its community sectors.

So many decisions we make have wider implications for society and the environment at a local and global level whether it is:

• the goods we purchase; or
• the services we commission from others to address local needs; or
• by shaping future planning for development across the City; or
• influencing the way, we and our partners work.

With a clear policy framework in place, the Council can make a big difference to people’s lives and help to address those environmental, economic and social issues impacting upon inequalities and sustainability. Social value addresses two forms of equity:

Intergenerational equity - where the actions of the existing generation are not carried out at the expense of future generations, we aim to leave the next generation with the same or a better environment and quality of life as we have today; and that of
Intragenerational equity - where there is fairness and justice in today’s society, whether that be addressing inequalities within our City or inequalities between our society and that in other parts of the world e.g. Fair Trade. The Council’s commitment to delivering the 17 United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) listed below will be supported by this policy framework.

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals ‘…recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Arguably, all the SDGs are relevant to this policy and promote social value across the city. Below are some examples that can be linked to measurable outcomes of the Social Value and Sustainability Policy:

Goal 1: No Poverty
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
Goal 7: Affordable clean energy
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.