The effectiveness of the post-Brexit UK legal framework in enabling meaningful social value delivery through public procurement

在英国，每年超过3，000亿英镑或国内生产总值的15%用于采购重要的公共服务，如卫生，教育和国防。有效的采购做法在确保纳税人的资金价值方面的重要性无论如何强调都不过分，因为执行不力会产生重大的财务、法律的和声誉影响。英国脱欧后，英国正在彻底改革采购立法，以确保政府合同不仅提供最低价格，而且还提供“社会价值”，这是政治议程上的重要内容。目前英国的采购条例主要是欧盟指令的产物，因此主要侧重于推动竞争，以确保欧盟内部市场不因国籍而歧视。实际上，不歧视、透明和程序公正的原则使采购成为“立法和监管最严格的政府领域”之一（Lloyd & McCue，2004年）。与国际法律的框架不同，降低成本往往被视为国家一级采购的主要预期成果。例如，政府的一个关键优先事项是实现白厅支出的效率（HM Treasury，2022）。有人认为，竞争性招标导致“更多的节省和最大限度地提高运营效率”（皇冠商业服务，2022年），但国家审计署认为，这种方法导致了“敌对”的供应商关系，可能会对资金价值产生负面影响。因此，公共采购是在履行法律的义务和实现资金效益最大化之间微妙地平衡，公共采购的另一个要求是推动社会经济目标。“脱欧”后，英国提出了“公共采购转型”法案，该法案将取代现行规则，并要求制定新的国家采购政策声明，致力于实现社会价值成果。政府还在进行一项重大的政策努力，从争取最低价格转向更广泛的公共价值或“社会价值”概念，即政府合同要实现一系列目标，而不仅仅是获得货物或服务本身，例如支持可持续发展或增加就业。这是通过在投标书中列入对社会价值成果的要求来实现的。测试供应商提供社会成果的能力以及传统的价格和质量指标，刺激市场投资于社会价值产品。然而，虽然政府显然有责任为公民增加“价值”，但界定这一价值是什么、如何实现这一价值以及如何在这一价值与低成本交付的压力之间取得平衡，仍然是一项挑战。由于公共机构设定了自己的社会价值优先事项，因此没有统一的方法，这造成了方法和结果的不一致。在社会价值交付的定量测量方面，这一领域的知识存在很大差距，因此本项目将是第一个实证评估监管在交付社会价值方面的有效性的项目。在此过程中，它将确定最佳做法和改革，但实际社会价值交付方面的业绩仍然难以衡量。缺乏一致的社会价值衡量方法这项研究将通过探讨三个关键领域填补一个重要空白：1）采购从业人员对落实社会价值的信心;2）遵守社会价值政策制度;及3）客观评估规管架构在提供社会价值方面的成效。面对采购制度及“生活成本”危机，有效运用公帑至为重要。就监管框架的改革提出建议有助于改变这一领域的做法。

In the UK, over £300 billion or 15% of GDP per annum is spent via procurement to discharge vital public services such as health, education and defence. The importance of effective procurement practice cannot be overstated in ensuring value for money for taxpayers with significant financial, legal and reputational repercussions for poor execution. Post-Brexit, the UK is radically reforming procurement legislation to ensure government contracts deliver not only the lowest price but also "social value," which is high on the political agenda. Current UK procurement regulations are largely the product of EU Directives and so focus principally on driving competition to ensure non-discrimination on grounds of nationality within the EU internal market. Practically, the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and procedural fairness have contributed to procurement being one of the most "highly legislated and regulated fields of government" (Lloyd & McCue, 2004). In contrast with the international legal framework, cost reduction is often perceived as the main desired output of procurement on a national level. For example, a key priority for Government is achieving efficiencies across Whitehall spend (HM Treasury, 2022). It has been argued that competitive tendering results in "greater savings and maximises operating efficiency," (Crown Commercial Service, 2022) but the National Audit Office suggests this approach has led to "adversarial" supplier relationships which could negatively impact value for money. Public procurement is therefore delicately balancing meeting legal obligations and maximising value for money.Another requirement of public procurement is driving socio-economic objectives. Following "Brexit" the UK has proposed the 'Transforming Public Procurement' bill which will replace current rules and mandates a new National Procurement Policy Statement committed to achieving social value outcomes. The Government is also on a major policy drive away from attaining lowest price towards a broader conception of public value or "social value" i.e. for government contracts to achieve a range of objectives beyond obtaining the goods or services themselves e.g. supporting sustainable development or increasing employment. This is achieved by including requirements for social value outcomes in tenders. Testing the supplier's capability to deliver social outcomes as well as the traditional price and quality metrics spurs the market to invest in social value offerings. However, while it is clear that Government has a responsibility to add 'value' to citizens, defining what this value is, how to achieve it and how to balance it against the pressures of delivering at low cost remains a challenge. There is no uniform approach as public bodies set their own social value priorities which creates inconsistency in method and in outcomes.There is a substantial gap in knowledge in this field in terms of the quantitative measurement of social value delivery and therefore this project will be the first to empirically assess the effectiveness of regulation in delivering social value. In doing so, it will identify best practice and reform.Performance in terms of actual social value delivery remains difficult to measure. The lack of a consistent approach to social value metrics (i.e. what to measure and how) has presented particular challenges for undertaking systematic research.This research will fill an important gap by exploring three critical areas:1) The confidence of procurement practitioners in implementing social value;2) Compliance with the social value policy regime; and3) An objective assessment of the success of the regulatory framework in delivering social value.With an incoming procurement regime and a 'cost of living' crisis, the efficient use of public funds is vital. Making recommendations for reform of the regulatory framework could help transform practice in this area.