Event Social Outcomes Conference 2019: Call for papers – On 5-6th September we will be hosting our third international conference on social outcomes. We will look at cutting-edge academic research and how it plays out in the real world. To explore the most pressing matters across the field we invite you to submit abstracts and proposals. This is open to academics, policy makers, provider organisations, commissioners, social investors and more.
News GO Lab to lead global platform for impact bonds – We are excited to announce that the GO lab are leading a consortium to develop a knowledge platform for impact bonds in low and middle-income countries. We will provide accessible and practical information for those across the world. You can help us shape this platform by filling out the survey in the link above.
Event Are we Rallying Together? Launching our report on collaboration and public sector reform - This Thursday (28th) we share our findings on our latest research project. We want to open the discussion to you to tackle key questions around collaboration and what it can look like in practice. View the agenda and delegate pack online. See you in Manchester
Technical guidance Awarding the public contract in a social impact bond - We have published a brand new technical guide on contracting for SIBs. This looks at what is involved in procuring a SIB, how to make sure you are following the law, as well as tips on procurement and overcoming hurdles when closing the deal.
Webinar recording Public contracting for a social impact bond – We also held a webinar on awarding the contracting for a SIB. We had expert speakers from a range of backgrounds, view the recording online and download the slides.
Research Walking the contractual tightrope: A transaction cost economics perspective on social impact bonds.This paper is written by Clare, Elle, Ruth and Mara from the GO Lab team. It applies transaction cost economics to social impact bonds in order to explore how public services commissioners could improve outcomes based contracts. Public Money and Management
GO Lab Public contracting webinar – happening tomorrow morning – We are hosting a webinar on how to award the contract for a social impact bond. We will be joined by expert speakers with law, procurement, local government and commissioning backgrounds. 19th March 10-11.30am. GO Lab
Report Transforming Rehabilitation – Progress Review – The National Audit Office have published a report on the progress of Transforming Rehabilitation. Overall, it finds that there have been major problems with the programme. There is little evidence of hoped for innovation and many early operational issues persist. Whilst the number of reoffenders reduced but the average number of reoffences they committed increased. Overall, TR has been poor value for money for the taxpayer.
Other news coverage and commentary can be found here:
News Evaluation reveals net financial benefit of Troubled Families – New evaluation suggests that £1 on Troubled Families delivers £2.28 in benefit to the economy. Local Government Chronicle
Opinion Donna Hall: Troubled Families is community paradigm in action – The government’s Troubled Families Programme has received praise and criticism in equal measure over the last seven years of its life. Donna Hall, former CEO of pioneering Wigan Council and new Chair of the New Local Government Network (NLGN), offers hers perspective. Local Government Chronicle
News Councils call for Troubled Families funding after success of scheme – Council leaders have called for continued funding for Troubled Families programme after an evaluation found the scheme has helped hundreds of thousands of families. The national evaluations found the scheme had reduced the number of children going into care by a third, reduced the proportion of adults going to prison by a quarter, and helped more people find employment. Local Gov
Press release Businesses urged to do more to help improve society – Businesses who want to secure future government contracts urged to show they can also help improve society. This was a key measure set out in the Civil Society Strategy and discussed at the Social Value Summit in London last week. Gov.uk
More coverage on this…
News Public sector contracts more likely to go to employers that ‘improve society’- Companies that do more to employ people from diverse background and reduce modern slavery will be first up for public contracts, the government announced last week. Personnel Today
News Public value framework to become ‘part of the culture’ in departments – Governments have been told to embed the Treasury's new public value framework in their planning and everyday decision-making in bid to improve value for money in public services. Civil Service World
Opinion What are social impact bonds – and do they work? - An overview of social impact bonds from a US perspective. They argue that it is too early to tell if social impact bonds can help resolve intractable problems, but we can heed lessons from successes and failures. Apolitical
Opinion Ensuring value-based outcomes through medicines optimisation – In Croydon, health and social care providers and commissioners have adopted a whole systems approach known as outcomes based commissioning to transform the delivery of health and social care for older people. A useful overview of how this works in practice and outlines the savings made and a clinical persepctive. Pharmaceutical Journal
News Public good payments rates will not be published in 2019, says Defra official – Famers should not expect to find out this year how much they will be paid to provide public goods under Defra’s post-Brexit agriculture scheme, according to Andrea Ledward, a natural environment direct at the department. Farmers Guardian
News Atlanta issues environmental impact bond from Green Infrastructure – An overview of the new environmental bond in the US. Atlanta is using its $14 million EIB to fund six projects in the Proctor Creek watershed. This is hoped to provide additional benefits to communities – environmental, economic and social. Next City
News Labour ‘will ban’ outsourcing of public services to private firms - Private companies will be banned by a Labour government from running services that deal with vulnerable people and their rights, under a far-reaching plan to restrict outsourcing. The Guardian
News Key government contractor Interserve sold after entering administration - Outsourcing firm Interserve, which is a major supplier to a number of government departments, has been taken over by its creators after entering administration last weekend. Civil Service World
News Interserve handed £660m of contracts before going into administration - The company was taken over by administrators after shareholders rejected a rescue plan and immediately shifted to a company controlled by its lenders. This meant that Interserve could avoid a Carillion-style collapse, but investors have seen the value of their shares wiped out. Local Gov
News Councils fear Swansea construction giant could be the ‘Welsh Carillion’ - Swansea based construction giant Dawnus is said to be on the brink of collapse and expected to call in administrators Grant Thornton. Local Gov
News Outsourcing giant faces ‘crunch vote’ - Construction outsourcing giant Interserve was today facing a crunch vote over a proposed rescue plan to save it going into administration. Local Gov
Report Exploring the new world: practical insights for funding, commissioning and managing in complexity - Collaborate CIC and Newcastle Business School have published new research into funding, commissioning and delivering in complex environments. This report seeks to share emerging practice, inspire people to develop new approaches and build a movement for change. Collaborate
Opinion When talking the talk is enough to change culture – Careful cultural interventions can impart beliefs about collaboration that become self-fulfilling prophecies. This article looks at how you can create a culture of collaboration and ways to effectively put them into practice. Instead Knowledge
Opinion Getting local: collaborating with communities of colour - Leaders working on issues including public health, human rights and economic development discuss how nonprofits can do better by treating the people they’re trying to help as partners, not patients. Stanford Social Innovation Review
News Councils collaborate to address homelessness crisis - 13 London boroughs have joined the collaborative programme Capita Letters, which aims to support homelessness households across the capital. It is supported by £38m grant funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Local Gov
News British Asian Trust partners with BT to educate girls in India – The British Asian Trust has launched its largest corporate partnership through a three year tie-up with BT. This will enable NGOs to provide education, health and skills to half a million teenagers and young women. Third Sector
Opinion What charities need to know before entering the world of social finance - Richard Hawkes from the British Asian Trust, shares key areas that development organisations and charities need to know if they are serious about entering the world of impact bonds and innovative financing. 1. Patience is a virtue, 2. Clear, realistic goals, 3. Adaptability and willingness to work with others. Civil Society
Opinion Creating a new marketplace for resilient infrastructure investment – This article argues that communities need a new approach to accelerate investment infrastructure that is resilient to growing climate pressures. Policymakers need to help create a marketplace to jumpstart it. Brookings
Opinion Three elephants in the impact investing room – George Krlev, a researcher at University of Heidelberg’s Centre for Social Investment, highlights three controversies around impact investing. 1) The crowding out of Official Development Assistance (ODA) 2) We only talk about the supply side and forget the demand side, 3) We still know too little about the impact of impact investing. Pioneers pos
Opinion Impact investing for educational progress – This article argues that investing in innovative entrepreneurs can make high quality education and training more widely available, especially among poorly served racial and ethnic groups. Stanford Social Innovation Review
Opinion How to ensure your innovation lab thrives: lessons from Latin America - The Director of Laboratorio de Goberierno in Chile highlights four ingredients to their success. 1) They systematised learning, 2) They have a versatile and flexible team, 3) They have many people who will speak in their favour, 4) They received strong support from the Presidency. Apolitical
Israel Social Finance Israel launches bond to boost education for Arab Israeli Bedouin – The social impact bond aims to improve maths and Hebrew language performance for high school students in Israel Bedouin community. The intermediary are looking to raise $4.1 million for a six year programme. Impact Alpha
Global Innovation Labs around the world are closing – here’s why - In Mexico City and Colombia, a change in political priorities has meant that innovation labs have been shutting down. ‘Traditional politicians feel that innovation is a threat because they don’t want to have to change the way they do politics’ Apolitical
United States SIPRA opens $76M in pay for results funding - Funding is now available for pay for success projects under the Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act (SIPPRA) which became laws in the US in 2018. There are more than 20 qualifying outcomes for pay for results projects that deliver within 7.5 years. You can read about the kinds of projects that will be supported. Efficient Gov
United States Multifamily Green bond impact reports highlights financial, social and environmental benefits of Fannie Mae Loan Programmes - The company Fannie Mae have published metrics on the projected financial, social and environmental benefits on their Green Bonds for US housing. Fannie Mae were the largest green bond issuer in the world in 2017-18. Prnewswire
Kenya How bonds, taxes can fund Kenya’s universal healthcare coverage - An overview of how Kenya is financing its universal health care. Towards the end of this article they write about how they are considering social impact bonds and development impact bonds with the aim of improving efficiency in government health care spending. Business Daily Africa