Embracing Social Value and Sustainability
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is a founding member of the London Anchor Institutions’ Network and has made a significant commitment to support London’s recovery from Covid-19 through an innovative approach to procurement, which will see an increase in spend with small, micro and diverse businesses. Here, their Director of Commercial Services, Mark Roberts, talks about his approach to embracing Social Value and Sustainability for the benefit of London’s communities:
What do you think are London’s strengths?
The history, reputation, and attraction of London as a remarkable capital city is recognised around the world. I remember taking my three children to London for the first time for the 2012 Summer Olympics, their faces lit up with the sights, sounds (and offer of free ice cream) at St Pancras. So it’s no surprise to me that the World Economic Forum announced earlier this year that London has been voted the world’s most “magnetic” city for the tenth year in a row.
The fact that London has once again been chosen shows the remarkable strength of the underlying factors behind this selection, such as our capital city’s economy, research and development, cultural interaction, liveability, environment and accessibility. Yet, in spite of this recognition, and like many other great cities globally, London has its challenges to overcome. These challenges have been compounded by the damage done by COVID over the past few years.
Tell us about your aspirations
London’s Anchor Institution’ Charter, ratified in March 2021, is a great enabler for major organisations across London representing different sectors to come together with the sole aim of improving London for all communities. The aims and ambitions of the Charter align perfectly with my aspirations for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Commercial Services. Since assuming leadership of the function at the end of 2019, I have wanted to support and identify ways for our activities can embrace Social Value and Sustainability for the benefit of London’s communities.
I’m a firm believer that Commercial is the function that can take the lead and deliver benefits in these areas. As I look at other organisations progressing their own efforts in a range of industries globally, it is often the procurement, commercial or supply chain teams that are taking a lead role and shaping their respective agendas.
What is your approach?
MPS Commercial Services spends over £850m a year on goods and services to keep the organisation operational and, ultimately, keep the citizens of London safe. If we can increase the % of that spend with London-based organisations, that could help to increase employment amongst London’s communities and support community-based organisations who are providing services to our citizens. If we can achieve that, it might go some way to address crime across the capital and prevent individuals from making the incorrect life decision at a critical moment.
How did you go about it?
The MPS has been a committed contributor and signatory to the GLA Responsible Procurement Policy, which seeks to:
Improve Supplier Diversity
Embed Fair and Inclusive Employment Practices
Enable Skills, Training and Employment Opportunities
Promote Ethical Sourcing Practices,
Improve Environmental Sustainability
With this work already underway, Commercial Services set about establishing its own range of activities, behind which the function, and the MPS more widely, could align under the Commercial Conscience initiative in March 2021.
The aim of the initiative has been to identify areas of our Commercial activities where Sustainable Procurement and Social Value can be established to help support the citizens of London. The fact that the MPS was launching these efforts formally at a time when London’s Anchor Institutions’ Charter was being drafted has given the initiative added impetus.
What has happened so far?
Since launching the Commercial Conscience initiative, MPS Commercial Services have progressed the following activities:
Identifying value through our contracts that can be diverted to support London-based organisations via Givewith, a social value impact organisation with whom the MPS became the first organisation outside the US to establish a relationship in March 2020. Suppliers are asked whether they would be willing to divert value from their contracts with the MPS to specific organisations that have been selected by our Crime Prevention, Inclusion and Engagement Directorate. To date, we have identified funding in excess of £780k for supporting community-based organisations with nearly £100k being directed to Groundwork and RedThread, our first beneficiaries. Further analysis is now underway to identify the next beneficiaries. This work was officially recognised by Cabinet Office Ministers in January 2022.
Ensuring a minimum of 10% is included in our commercial activities that is focused on evaluating social value activities of our suppliers. This began at the start of 2021 and is in accordance with the Procurement Policy Note issued by Government in 2020. This provides us greater visibility into efforts undertaken by our suppliers in driving progress on areas such as prompt payment, London Living Wage, apprenticeships and Modern Slavery.
The MPS has now committed to the production and publication of its own Modern Slavery Statement, and we require our suppliers to demonstrate their commitment to eradicating modern slavery too. Since its publication, Commercial Services has attended a number of MPS advisory groups to explain our direction and commitment to the citizens of London.
Identifying opportunities to increase our spend with local micro, small diverse and VCSE organisations in London, with the aim of directing 20% of our spend towards this audience by the 2024/2025 financial year. Efforts towards meeting the 10% commitment for 2022/2023 are looking positive.
To support the identification of diverse businesses, the MPS is working with Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK), a UK organisation that helps to identify and support diverse businesses to establish relationships with prospective clients. The ability to train and educate these organisations is key as many will not have the infrastructure of larger competitors in understanding and preparing client submissions in attempting to win new business.
The introduction of a Supplier Code of Conduct that outlines expectations around behaviours and ethics expected of suppliers engaged with the MPS. This also includes guidance for organisations on areas such as how to address and prevent Violence towards Women and Girls.
All of these activities have been drawn together under the Social Value and Sustainability Strategy for Commercial Services.
What do you see happening in the future?
The events of this decade have forced our citizens reflect on how organisations can support society and communities. As London recovers from the effects of COVID, it will require contributions from private, public and third sector organisations. MPS Commercial Services recognises this unique opportunity and is seeking to leverage our investment capabilities to support the citizens of London in new and innovative ways.
Mark Roberts, Director MPS Commercial Services
If you would like to learn more about Responsible Procurement within the London Anchor Institutions’ Network please contact the Chair of the Responsible Procurement Working Group: Helen.Linklater@met.police.uk