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Mba, Favour Uzoma (2025) Social value and procurement phases: a study of municipal procurement in London boroughs. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
The need to boost economic, social, and environmental outcomes has sparked increased interest in leveraging public procurement policies to achieve these objectives. In the UK, the enactment of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, alongside the Public Contracts Regulations (2015), mandates public bodies to consider social value (SV) in procurement processes. Scholars have also increased their studies of SV from different contexts. Notwithstanding the growing interest in the importance of SV and its increasing recognition, scholars and public sector procurement alike seem to have almost extensively given more attention to the pre-procurement process, leaving a dearth of empirical research on the sustainability of SV post-procurement. Furthermore, the literature suggests a variety of SV interpretations that influence the understanding and practice of SV.
This study adopts a service-oriented perspective, conceptualising SV as a co-created service rather than a value to society. To support this, the study adopts a triadic perspective to establish a representation of SV actors.
Utilising an embedded single-case design and interpretive approach, the research engages councils within London Borough and their suppliers involved in SV procurement and delivery as the case participants. The SV policy statements of each council within the case were also collected and analysed, in addition to interview data, to enable comparability across councils. The theoretical frameworks of transaction cost economics and diffusion of innovation inform the examination of SV procurement practices.
Findings highlight some factors relevant to understanding the SV concept, and a comparison of academic and case definitions of SV confirmed the disparity in SV interpretation. Using the common phrases found from both sources, the study proposed a definition of SV, reflecting empirical and theoretical views of the concepts. Data further suggested different approaches to municipal procurement of SV, which the researcher described as prescriptive and collaborative approaches. Comparing the interview data with the SV policy statement, it was found that most of the policy intentions to embed SV in the procurement process do not align with its practice.
This research substantially contributes to understanding how SV is integrated into and delivered through municipal procurement. It compares academic and practical definitions of the concept, creating a unified definition that synthesises theoretical and real-world interpretations of SV. By identifying and categorising the different approaches to SV delivery, the study brings to the surface the implication of these approaches on SV needs identification and delivery.
Using the theoretical lens of diffusion of innovation theory and transaction cost economics, the study examines real-life procurement practises in embedding SV across procurement phases; it confirms the focus on the early phase of the procurement process and uncovers challenges faced by both the buying organisation and suppliers in fulfilling SV commitments. By identifying these challenges, the study provides areas for improvement based on insights from the theories. It also proposes a social outcomes procurement process to offer concrete steps to better embed SV in procurement activities, making SV more visible in often neglected phases in the procurement process.
Overall the study provides valuable insights and practical recommendations to support SV and procurement actors enhance the achievement of SV outcomes in municipal procurement
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