There is ongoing recognition that Greater Manchester needs to make its economy more ‘inclusive’, build citizen involvement and advance citizen action as a basis to public sector reform. Furthermore, public bodies in Greater Manchester are increasingly thinking about how to ensure that the social, economic and environmental outcomes that they want to deliver and have developed frameworks that consider the different ethical issues that they believe matter when they decide where they spend their money. These are typically called “Social Value Procurement Frameworks” and they help public bodies to act in a more socially responsible and ethical way in deciding how they spend their money and to influence the organisations that they work with to do the same. That much of this thinking is already happening is a massive opportunity. The election of GM's first metro mayor and more long-standing city-regional devolution also offered a timely context for people in Greater Manchester to make sure that their tax contributions and wider public spending have the best possible impact.

Existing Social Value Procurement Frameworks do not necessarily take into account or prioritise the issues that really matter to GM citizens. Working with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), Jam and Justice's ‘People’s Procurement’ project aimed to advance this agenda by developing a ‘proof of concept’ for giving GM residents more of say in how procurement decisions are made and how their money is spent. The ideas put forward during the research project are now being taken forward by various groups, including community organisations and local authorities.

To join ongoing conversations about social value in Greater Manchester, contact the Greater Manchester Social Value Network.