A series of regular fact sheets and other resources circulated to the community of practice about recent social procurement research and reports.
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1. Barriers to social procurement in the construction industry: a subcontractor’s perspective (99KB)
2. The job seeking experiences of refugees and migrants in the Australian construction industry(30KB)
3. Integrating ex-offenders into the Australian construction industry (32KB)
4. Assessing the impact of Indigenous social procurement policies (210KB)
5. Preventing Youth Homelessness through Social Procurement in Construction (33KB)
6. The risks and opportunities of social procurement from a social enterprise perspective (39KB)
7. The risks and opportunities of social procurement: a cross-sector collaboration perspective (40KB)
8. A typology of social procurement champions in the construction industry (39KB)
12. How to promote social procurement in your organisation (48KB)
13. How to develop an effective social procurement strategy (42KB)
14. Developing social enterprise through social procurement – learning from the Scottish experience (43KB)
15. Creating social value through ‘alternative provision’ in the construction industry (43KB)
16. The art of ‘making-do’ in construction social procurement: a bricolage perspective (49KB)
17. Champions of social procurement in the construction industry (28KB)
This document summarises the results of a research project to explore how leading champions of social procurement in the construction industry are promoting social procurement in their organisations and the industry more generally.
18. Youth unemployment and social procurement in the construction industry (3.5MB)
This is a presentation entitled “Youth unemployment and social procurement in the construction industry” given at the Round Table on Social and Indigenous Preferential Procurement hosted by Swinburne University of Technology on 25/6/21.
19. Wellbeing Public Policy Needs More Theory (730KB)
Everyone is talking about using a ‘wellbeing’ approach to social impact measurement. This paper advocates for a more cautious approach owing to our poor understanding of both wellbeing and policy applications of adopting it for measuring social impact.
20. COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENTS (2.1MB)
This is a recent report on Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). Advocates of CBAs argue that they provide a bottom-up, community-driven approach to creating social value in the communities in which we all build. This contrasts with the top-down, mandated and highly targeted approach to social procurement we have adopted in Australia.
21. Maximising Social Value from Infrastructure Projects (5MB)
This is a report by the UK Institution of Civil Engineers (2020) entitled “Maximising social value from infrastructure projects.” While there may be interesting lessons to be learned from the attached report, differences in policy approaches and foci create unique opportunities and challenges for implementing social procurement in Australia.
22. Buy with Impact Social Procurement in Canada 2022 Report (2.5MB)
This report provides interesting insights into social procurement progress across Canada. The report includes some brief case studies construction, infrastructure, and development organisations which have implemented social procurement and Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) into their projects.
23. CIOB Report on Social Value and SMEs (5.6MB)
A report from the UK’s Chartered Institute of Building on Social Value and SMEs which shows that despite a range of procurement policies being introduced across the UK which seek to imbed social value into procurement and up-front development planning and application decisions, the vast majority of construction SMEs are not familiar with the concept of social value, how it is delivered and how it is measured.
24. SOCIAL VALUE IN CONSTRUCTION Benchmarking Report 2023 (3.2MB)
A recent report on Social Value in Construction from the UK Social Value Portal. Methodology for measuring social value is largely based around the TOMs.
25. Self Attestation Removing Barriers to Diversity in Supply Chains (1.3MB)
An excellent and thoughtful report from Buy Social Canada which critiques how existing methods of third party certification which are mean to identify and include diverse suppliers can be counterproductive to those aims. The report finds shifting away from third party certification towards self-attestation will remove real and perceived barriers of inclusion for diverse-owned businesses and social enterprises, and support their participation and engagement in the procurement process.
26. Measuring What Matters Australia’s First Wellbeing Framework (4.4MB)
This is Australia’s first national wellbeing framework entitled ‘Measuring What Matters.’ The framework proposes 50 indicators across 5 wellbeing themes which will be used to provide a basis for government policy makers to better understand progress towards a more healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive and prosperous Australia. There is also an online dashboard which is to be updated annually to take stock of progress and identify priorities for future.
27. Achieving the UN SDGs Through the Integration of Social Procurement in Construction Projects (431KB)
A great new book chapter entitled “Achieving the UN SDGs Through the Integration of Social Procurement in Construction Projects” by David LePage and Emma Renaerts from Buy Social Canada. Draws an important and clear connection between social procurement in construction and the SDGs. There are also numerous examples of how to do this in practice. There is strong emphasis on the potential role of social enterprises.
28. Research Roundtable on Social and Indigenous Preferential Procurement (2.8MB)
This is the final report of a Research Roundtable on Social and Indigenous Preferential Procurement held at Swinburne University in September 2021.
29. Social Value Toolkit for Architecture (2.6MB)
This Social Value Toolkit for Architecture was produced in the UK and provides examples of how SV is being created by architects in practice. It recognises that while the UK Social Value Act 2012 was never specifically intended to apply to the design of places and buildings, architects increasingly need to demonstrate Social Value on their projects.
30. Measuring social value in infrastructure projects: insights from the public sector (2.9MB)
This very detailed and rigorous UK report provides an overview of different methods for measuring social value in infrastructure projects.
31. Maximising social value in design (18MB)
An interesting guide for design teams on maximising social value in design from the UK Social value Portal based on the TOMs methodology.
32. Interview with Professor Jane Lynch (35KB)
This is a transcript of an interview with Professor Martin Loosemore, University of Technology Sydney, and Professor Jane Lynch, Head of Centre of Public Value Procurement at Cardiff University, UK. It tackles subjects such as: How to define social value; What it looks like in practice; How you embed it into tenders and the procurement process; How to engage with the supply market; and general tips about getting started on your social value journey.
33. Communicating the impact of social procurement (42KB)
This is the 17th fact sheet about recent international peer-reviewed social procurement research. Social procurement is essentially about creating ‘social value’ and therefore our work takes place on a very public stage. Effectively communicating the social impact of our work is essential to garner support for what we do and to enable us to learn lessons and continuously improve. To this end, this factsheet provides insights into some basic principles of effective social impact reporting.
34. Is your social procurement as innovative as you think? (43KB)
It’s simple to make a big claim that you are innovating. But could you prove it if you were asked? Social innovation lies at the core of what government is trying to achieve with their social procurement policies. By incentivizing new partnerships between government, private, not-for-profit and other civil society organisations, the government is looking for its supply chains to come up with innovative ideas to tackle the increasingly complex social challenges society faces.This factsheet provides some basic insights into the principles of social innovation – what it means, why it’s challenging and how to measure and prove it.
35. The untapped potential of female skilled migrants in the construction industry (44KB)
This fact sheet summarises the results of recent research at UTS, which explored the untapped potential of female skilled migrants in the construction industry. Despite a major skills shortage and calls to diversify the industry, our results point to a significant gap between the rhetoric and reality of what the government and private construction sector says in public and does in practice.
This factsheet summarises the results of a recent three-year federally funded Australian Research Council research project lead by UTS into the potential of social procurement to reduce Australia’s unacceptably high rate of youth unemployment and under-employment. The fact sheet presents a case study of Multiplex’s Connectivity Centres © as an innovative exemplar of cross sector collaboration in the international construction industry which can help address such social challenges.
37. Community Benefits in Construction – Mandate, Design, and Implement Guide (3.1MB)
In Canada the process of responding to social procurement requirements on major construction and infrastructure projects is often undertaken via a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). A CBA is a formal, legally binding and enforceable agreement between a developer and a community which defines in measurable terms the community benefits to be derived from a specific project. To be a valid, a CBA must have been developed through meaningful consultation with key representatives of a project community. This is of course easier said than done and to assist in this process, the above guide from Buy Social in Canada breaks down the CBA process into three stages: Mandate, Design, and Implement. The report also includes additional reports, articles, guides and examples of community benefit agreements in construction.
38. Buying social justice through procurement: Report of project findings (2.3MB)
The attached report which was published in 2023 by Queen Mary University of London and is entitled ‘ Buying Social Justice Through Social Procurement.’ The research is based on a survey and interviews with three types of public bodies: local authorities (LAs); housing associations (HAs); and higher education institutions (HEIs), plus a major infrastructure project (HS2) and a transport authority that has been proactive in the use of social procurement (Transport for London). The report provides an interesting overview of social procurement policies in the EU, UK (England, Wales and Scotland), Spain, Germany, Australia, South Africa, the US. There are also some brief but interesting case studies of social procurement in practice in Councils, Housing Associations, Universities, City Deals and major infrastructure projects like HS2. The findings are re-iterate much of what we already know about the challenges of implementing social procurement the key success factors in doing so. The positive role of Unions in promoting social procurement (in contrast to Australia) is interesting.
39. Will social procurement help close the gap?
A year on from the failed referendum to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution, I thought you may be interested in this article published in The Conversation this week by James Blackwell.
The article raises important questions for us about the effectiveness of Indigenous Social Procurement in addressing Indigenous disadvantage. Although it does not specifically mention social procurement, the article criticises the government’s current attempts at Indigenous policy based on “economic empowerment,” pointing to policies being developed without meaningful codesign and engagement. Blackwell argues that these policies have not substantively moved the dial despite being around for 20 yrs. He also criticises the overexaggerated benefits of renewable energy as a driver of Indigenous economic power, arguing that this is not “economic development” for all mobs.
The gap between policy and practice reflects concerns raised in our social procurement Community of Practice – as summarised in a number of our facts sheets and freely available resources and case studies. This has been linked to a number of challenges we face as a newly emerging field of professional practice such as the lack of empirical research and the competitive tensions which prevent the sharing of lessons learnt to provide a reliable basis for evidence-based policy.
This is why we have set up this independent Community of Practice.
40. Measuring and reporting social value - food for thought
How we measure and report social value is a challenge we all face in our emerging field of social procurement practice. It’s critical that we think very carefully about the consequences of the tools, systems methodologies we use to do this. If we make the wrong choice, then with the best will in the world, we may inadvertently do more harm than good.
For those interested in how we do this effectively, here is a link https://lnkd.in/edb5A6KV to an interesting debate in the UK at the moment which we should all reflect on in Australia as we continue to implement and measure the impact of social procurement policies.
The letter in the link raises concerns by the UK Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector that social value is becoming driven by a highly simplified, standardised and commercialised approach to social value measurement and reporting which does not align with the social value which VCSE sector organisations create. If these organisations do not conform, this results in them losing opportunities to more commercially driven organisations which are prepared to gamify the system to fit into this approach.
VCSE sector organisations are a critical part of the social value ecosystem and the authors, who are all senior representatives of this group, caution that the way that social value is measured, reported and interpreted strongly influences public management practice. They warn that standardised and simplified approaches to measuring social value which may appeal to those who just want to ‘tick the box’ divert attention from the very people these policies are meant to help. They argue that ‘materiality’ rather than ‘performativity’ should lie at the heart of social procurement policy and practice.
41. the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative
Internationally, the British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative has some valuable case studies of best practice in social procurement. These case studies are valuable because they are not just the good news stories or marketing pitches that we too often see produced by the many commercially motivated websites popping up in the social procurement and social value space.
42. a recent webinar by the Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC)
This is a recent webinar by the Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC) on Social Procurement in Construction: Risks, Opportunities, Barriers and Solutions — APCC . Established in 1967, the APCC was created by government for government. APCC is the peak council whose members are responsible for procurement, construction, and asset management policy for Australian State and Territory governments, the Australian Government, and the New Zealand Government.
43. a recent webinar by the Master Builders Association
This is a recent webinar by the Master Builders Association on proposals to mandate a shorter working week in the Australian construction industry using social procurement as the lever.
In 2023 SMEs accounted for 99.9% of the total number of businesses in the UK, around three-fifths of the employment and around half of the turnover in the UK private sector. While SMEs play a clear role in supporting the UK economy, their contribution to delivering social value is often underestimated. SMEs also face an array of barriers when attempting to deliver and embed social value within their organisations. This guide aims to identify these barriers and provide solutions to them, to facilitate the embedding and delivery of social value.
This report was commissioned by the Welsh Government and conducted by the Centre of Public Value Procurement, Cardiff University. Socially responsible procurement has advanced significantly in Wales under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and this report is aimed at supporting procurement and other professionals in their practice, drawing on seven exemplary case examples to demonstrate how social, environmental, economic and cultural wellbeing (social value) outcomes can be delivered and embedded through procurement practices. Accompanying video interviews provide a quick and easy grasp of the main learning outcomes for each case.
46. Closing the Gap: Commonwealth 2024 annual report and 2025 implementation plan
The ‘Closing the Gap: Commonwealth 2024 annual report and 2025 implementation plan’ reviews the Commonwealth Government’s 2024 actions and 2025 strategic priorities relating to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The report acknowledges that employment lies at the heart of socio‑economic opportunity, social mobility and access to higher standards of living. It also acknowledges the power of social procurement in bringing this about.
Two of the key 2025 strategic priorities which directly relate to Social Procurement are:
Extending and strengthening the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) and implementing further reforms to increase the integrity of the IPP by strengthening the eligibility criteria, strengthening verification and assurance measures, and increasing procurement targets for First Nations businesses.
Providing $3.4 million over 3 years from 2025‑26 to increase the participation rate of First Nations women in business through a place‑based business mentoring and coaching program, co‑designed and delivered by First Nations businesses and organisations in partnership with Indigenous Business Australia.
As state and federal governments become increasing aware of the power of social procurement to address structural disadvantage for many marginalised groups in our communities, I also attach an excellent and thoughtful report by Maria Mupanemunda (a member of our CoP) titled “The promise of social procurement: Leveraging purchasing power to create inclusive employment opportunities”.
There are many reports on social procurement, but I found this one particularly thoughtful because it tackles important questions such as:
What the most effective way of implementing social procurement activation policies might be—both at a federal and state level.
- Is there significant benefit in pursuing social value legislation?
- Should local government be involved in the use of such laws?
- For which specific marginalised jobseeker cohorts might social procurement produce the best sustainable employment outcomes?
- What measures need to be in place to ensure that the jobs created facilitate successful transition into full labour-market attachment?
- What are some of the unintended consequences of having overlapping, albeit complementary, social procurement policies?
48. Neurodiversity in construction
This report is by the UK National Federation of Builders and highlights that neurodiversity is surprisingly common in the construction industry, with one in four workers identifying as having a neurodiverse condition. ADHD is the most frequent, followed by Autism and Dyslexia. The report emphasizes the need to reduce stigma, improve awareness, and enhance workplace inclusion to ensure neurodiverse workers receive the necessary support and reasonable adjustments.
The Clean Slate Cymru Toolkit is a resource for employing ex-offenders in the construction industry, developed by Jemma Bridgeman, one of our CoP Welsh members, in collaboration with the Construction Youth Trust and CITB, with funding from BAM Nuttall. It was created to support ex-offenders in accessing construction opportunities. The project aimed to equip the industry with long-term resources, tested through pilot programs, to ensure ongoing support. The toolkit provides guidance and editable templates to help construction companies engage ex-offenders in prisons and communities.
50. Social Washing in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Firms
This article, Social Washing in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Firms by Locatelli et al. (2025), explores the phenomenon of social washing, where firms make misleading or exaggerated claims about their social sustainability efforts. The study focuses on two international construction firms, identifying key social washing practices, including misleading impact assessments, cherry-picking positive actions, failing to engage local communities, and concealing modern slavery.
The paper categorizes different types of social washing, such as woke-washing (extends to a broad range of social inequality and justice, including discrimination based on gender, nationality, and religion), SDG-washing (refers to the practice of reporting the adoption and alignment with the SDGs, hiding a symbolic rather than substantial commitment to the Sustainable Development Agenda), blue-washing (attempt at increasing their reputation by agreeing to the United Nations initiatives regardless of how well they implement the principles in the business operations), pinkwashing (firms that position themselves as leaders in the struggle to eradicate breast cancer while engaging in practices that may be contributing to rising rates of the disease), and DEI-washing and rainbow-washing (occurs when firms provide misleading communication about diversity, equity and inclusion policies, with a mismatch between disclosed DEI commitments and actual hiring practices.). It also highlights the risks of reputational and financial damage, stakeholder backlash, and legal consequences for firms engaged in social washing.
The study concludes by proposing a four-category framework for identifying social washers based on the gap between their actions and communication. While the research acknowledges methodological limitations, it contributes to the growing discourse on social impact measurement and the risk of social washing in the construction industry, raising awareness of how commercially available ESG tools might inadvertently contribute to deceptive reporting.
51. Advice on how to choose a propriety social impact measurement system
In the last few weeks and months, we have been contacted by many people for advice on ‘Which proprietary social value measurement system is best?’ In response, we developed this document to help shift the conversation from selecting a ready-made tool to asking more critical and reflective questions. It outlines three key considerations focused on the credibility, purpose, and community relevance of measurement systems. The document also provides links to helpful resources and webinars to support deeper learning and more informed choices.
52. Social Impact Assessment in Transport Planning
This fact sheet summarizes a recent book chapter by Lara Mottee into the role of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in the planning and development of transport projects. SIAs are a potentially valuable tool for decision-makers to anticipate, understand and maximize potential social impacts of proposed construction and infrastructure projects. While SIA are mandatory for public infrastructure projects in some countries they are not in Australia. In the attached factsheet, Lara explains what an SIA is and how they can be better used in early project planning stages to help ensure that any project has maximum positive social impact in the community in which is built.
53. Unleashing the power of collective social innovation to tackle complex issues
We have often discussed the collaborative underpinnings of social procurement. Social procurement is driven by the realisation that no one organisation working alone can solve the increasing complex social challenges we face. Rather, the most effective solutions are to be found between organisations at the intersections of sectors, disciplines and communities.
This article argues that in an era of deep fragmentation and polarization, collective social innovation provides a pathway to inclusive and sustainable solutions. By recognizing the power of collaboration and investing in mechanisms that enable collective action, we can create a more equitable, resilient and interconnected world.
This report draws on insights from young Australians aged 14-to-25, highlighting their biggest challenges and what they want to see change. Unsurprisingly, 56% rate cost of living as their most pressing issue, followed by deteriorating mental health (23.3%), declining confidence in political parties and political disengagement and growing frustrations with the higher education system. The report also finds young people are leading the way in tackling social issues, such as calling out discrimination, racism and gender bias. 75% prioritise environmental protection prioritised over economic growth and 86% of 18 to 24-year-olds see climate change as a key voting issue.
55. Social Traders 2024 Social Impact report
Published in March this year this report shows that social procurement spend continues to increase across Australia with 1.1 billion being spent with social enterprises over the last seven years. This cumulative spend on social enterprises alone has created: 10,000 jobs and over 918,000 training hours for people otherwise shut out of work; $88.1 million delivered in affordable and accessible community services; 56,500 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill; $13.1 million donated to charity partners.
56. Canada’s response to Trump’s tariffs
An interesting article from Buy Social Canada on how one major local government is responding to Trump’s tariffs by increasing in the weighting of the Social Value Questionnaire tender evaluations — from a minimum of 5 per cent to 10 per cent — to prioritize local presence, local knowledge, and social or sustainable business practices. Other related responses are discussed here too.
57. State of Social Procurement 2025 (World Economic Forum)
This website provides a range of interesting reports which remind us that regulation is critical to support ethical sourcing, fair labour practices, and environmental stewardship. It notes that two-thirds of a company's potential for positive or negative impact comes from its supply chain. For example, FTSE 100 companies typically allocate an average of $12 million to their corporate social responsibility (CSR) budgets. But their procurement spending averages $5 billion, which holds tremendous potential for positive impact through social procurement. Data reported here also shows that supply chain disruptions are becoming more frequent, with social issues being the second most frequent at 19% (labor strikes, protests and worker demonstrations).
58. Social enterprise jobs summit
Here is an inspiring overview by Mark Daniels (COO of White Box Enterprises) of the first-ever Social Enterprise Jobs Summit on 12th June in Melbourne which is co-hosted by White Box Enterprises and Social Enterprise Australia.
Procuring for circularity means making purchasing decisions that support the transition to a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. In a social context it means ensuring that resources are spent and re-spent in local communities to provide a local multiplier effect. The local multiplier effect (sometimes called the local premium) is the additional economic benefit accrued to an area from money being spent in the local economy. Spending at locally owned businesses generates more economic activity within a community compared to spending at non-local businesses, like online retailers or chain stores. This effect arises because local businesses are more likely to re-invest their profits within the local area, creating a chain reaction of spending that boosts the local economy. If you are interested in this area then CEDA is running a seminar on this subject (on the Productivity Commission’s interim inquiry report on Australia’s circular economy) on Monday 12th May between 10.00am to 11.00am (AEST).
60. Slowbalisation in procurement
This article from Procurement Australia discusses the growing popularity of snowbalisation as a response to an increasingly risky landscape of global trade. While not driven by the same social goals as social procurement it nevertheless achieves similar outcomes because it involves localising supply chains and bringing manufacturing capabilities back onshore.
61. Social procurement in the renewable energy sector
For those interested in social procurement in the renewal energy sector, this report from University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Institute for Sustainable Futures presents the case for social procurement in the sector Labour by showing that skills shortages are already translating into project delays and raising concerns that clean energy solutions will be unable to keep pace with demand to meet net zero targets.
62. Crossing The Chasm Twice — Construction Tech’s Enduring Challenge
This interesting article about the challenges on technological innovation in construction is very relevant to firms and individuals who are trying to introduce social innovations into the construction industry. It discusses why so many early technology companies show early promise before floundering and eventually failing. This is put down to not recognising the differences between the visionaries and early adopters who support and shape the early idea/product and the pragmatists and followers who facilitate widespread adoption. The early adopters are the much-needed early customers who supply early revenues to keep the business going and provide important advice on how to improve the product’s features. But these early customers are not “normal” and are willing to look past flaws in a product because they love the idea or technology or they’re a company with a long-term strategic plan that your idea or products addresses. Their motivations compared to mainstream buyers who will make your product or idea a long-term success are totally different and to be successful, innovators need to play both sides. They need to appease the early adopters while also building product geared towards the mainstream.
63. New WGEA requirements info graphic
Starting next year, employers with 500 or more employees will be required to set and make progress on specific gender equality goals, according to the new Workplace Gender Equality Agency requirements. As previous noted, this is a form of social procurement because noncompliant organisations will not get a certificate which is considered when firms tender for government contracts. This is infographic from the HRM Institute guides HR through the types of targets available, how the process will work and the steps you can take now to prepare.
64. DEI and Supplier Diversity and Reconciliation in 2025 - Bridging Now to Next
This is a thoughtful reflection by Charles Prouse (Nyikbar Consulting https://www.nyikbar.com/) on whether we are asking the right questions to truly embed Indigenous Procurement and Supplier Diversity across every stage of your supply chain.
Ensuring Australia’s energy transition benefits regional communities and industries
The aim of the Inquiry is to ensure local workers, communities and industries reap the economic benefits of this massive one-in-a-lifetime investment in our energy transition process.
Richard provided evidence (see page 32) to the inquiry regarding the importance of planning SIAs at the very start of a project’s lifecycle and undertaking them in collaboration with affected communities following best practice guidelines.
As Richard says “As a society, we are asking regional and rural communities to generously accept massive local change, often at substantial cost to themselves, and we can't expect that this acceptance will come automatically as a result of compelling arguments around the climate crisis. Instead, the research shows that this scale of change is more readily accepted when we listen deeply to those who have different perspectives or experiences of the energy transition, when they have agency or influence over decisions that affect them and when we implement locally sensitive solutions.”
Impact of Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) on rural and regional communities and industries in New South Wales, and you can see the video of the hearing here on the NSW Parliaments YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb7SKvfgKNwbu5aT0NHeAkqbSMO2VQobk
66. The cost impacts of social and sustainable procurement
This paper published and sponsored by The Sapiens Network (an international training network of 10 EU universities and 19 partner organisations funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Framework Program which are focused on promoting sustainability and procurement in European and other countries), presents empirical evidence for Spain based on publicly available government tender data regarding the impact of sustainable award criteria (SAC) on firm bidding behaviour and contract costs. They report a negative impact on the number of received bids, present both in environmental award criteria (-5.6%) and socially responsible award criteria (-8.3%). They also find that for environmental award criteria, there is a 1% cost premium, while there is no significant cost impact found for socially responsible criteria.
67. Indigenous procurement – from token to transformational | Business & Politics | The Fifth Estate
Here is an article in The FifthEstate which argues that the private sector still has a way to go to align Reconciliation intentions and effective and meaningful support for First Nations enterprises and communities. The article argues that unconscious bias, race bias, stereotyping, cosy supply chain relationships and ignorance of what Indigenous businesses can do, continues to shape procurement decisions and means that First Nations businesses are held to different standards.
68. AI hiring tools may be filtering out the best job applicants
An interesting article from the BBC about how the increasing use of AI in recruitment processes could disadvantage some already marginalised groups. Demonstrates the need for social procurement professionals to work closely with HR professionals to ensure that their work is not being inadvertently undermined by the increasing use of these tools.
69. How to embed wellbeing into Government policy making
Two thirds of OECD countries now have wellbeing frameworks and some have been more successful than others. This recent report from the Centre for Policy Development provides governments with guidance to help them embed the wellbeing of current and future generations into policy decisions, helping them achieve better outcomes for the communities they serve. It draws on the experiences of other countries to place wellbeing at the heart of policy-making. It outlines how this could work in Australia identifying 6 principles of good practice which could be followed here.
70. Empowering SMEs in public procurement
This policy brief published by the Sapiens Network provides a legal analysis of key measures aimed at enhancing SME participation in public procurement, including reserved contracts, the division of contracts into lots, and proportionate qualification requirements. It reports that while reserved contracts can provide short-term benefits to SMEs by providing them with business opportunities, they may also foster dependency, discouraging SMEs from expanding and competing with larger firms. This reliance undermines the long-term goal of promoting the competitiveness of SMEs. It also finds that effective lot division can significantly impact SME involvement, but its success hinges on careful design.
Finally, it finds that removing disproportionate qualification requirements is essential for reducing barriers to SME participation in public procurement. By limiting disproportionate criteria such as high annual turnover and successful past performance requirements, this measure can ease entry for SMEs without imposing additional administrative burdens on contracting authorities. However, while these adjustments facilitate access, they do not automatically improve SMEs' chances of winning contracts and may increase the risk of contract default or substandard performance.
71. Exploring new frontiers in citizen participation in the policy cycle
Many people feel that their voices are not being heard, despite a myriad of opportunities for citizens to contribute to public debate and policy. Policymakers are increasingly faced with complex policy issues that require careful trade-offs between the long and short term and across different groups in society. Meaningful citizen participation in policymaking is now critical.
Achieving meaningful citizen participation will require concerted action by adopting a strategic and targeted approach to citizen participation; lowering barriers to enable more inclusive participation; building capacity among both civil servants and citizens; and ensuring impact and accountability.
72. World Refugee Day falls on 2th June every year.
Today is World Refugee Day. It is therefore important to think of how addressing the under-utilisation of migrants and refugees in Australia through social procurement can contribute the Albanese Government’s second term economic agenda and in particular its focus on improving productivity in major industries like construction and infrastructure.
With construction productivity in long-term decline, and threatening to undermine the governments Housing targets, the Federal Government is looking for practical reforms that can improve productivity in our sector.
To this end you may be interested in this Conversation article we wrote last year which highlights the productivity and other social benefits which could be leveraged from better engaging our refugee and migrant populations. This article focusses on female skilled migrants in particular.
You may also be interested in this report sponsored by Settlement Services International which shows that the government could unlock an extra $9 billion each year – simply by better harnessing the skills potential of permanent migrants already here. It shows that almost half (44%) of permanent migrants in Australia work below their skill level – and that one of the industries most affected is construction and infrastructure.
Of course, its not just refugees and migrants who that are under-employed and under-utilised. Our young people are also badly affected and according to recent ABS labour force stats, in seasonally adjusted terms, in May 2025 the labour participation rate decreased to 67.0%. In Australia, youth underemployment, particularly among those aged 15-24, has been a significant issue. This means a substantial portion of young people are working fewer hours than they would like. Many young Australians are in casual or part-time positions, and the gap between desired and actual working hours has widened.
73. Social Value in the built environment
This new publication from The Fifth Estate on Social Value in the built environment will be of interest to members of this group.
74. What happened to Australia’s Wellbeing framework?
This new article in The Conversation asks what happened to the Federal Governments much lauded wellbeing agenda and how much was a poor consultation process to blame for it apparently falling by the wayside.
In celebrating the 50th NAIDOC week which runs from 6-13 July, Social Ventures Australia provide this Case Study of Indigenous evaluation with some interesting insights for practitioners and policy-makers.
if you were unable to attend the Transport for NSW ‘Shift change’ webinar, this data room also includes a recording of the discussion and all relevant documents. You can submit your feedback before the consultation closes on Friday 11 July 2025 at 4pm. If you have any questions or are having technical issues logging into the data room, please email: IED@transport.nsw.gov.au
77. Indigenous Participation in Corporate Australia: From Symbolism to Strategy (187KB)
This is an expanded version of Charles Prouse’s opinion piece on ‘Indigenous Participation in Corporate Australia: From Symbolism to Strategy’ with the power and access discussion expanded.
78. Why your Social Value starts with strategy, not spreadsheets (247KB)
This is a thoughtful and provocative contribution from one of our founding members Vanessa Pilla who recently co-founded Pathmaker - a female-founded, values-driven social enterprise committed to promoting a sustainable and equitable tomorrow in various sectors including the construction industry. The opinion-piece argues that social Value starts with strategy, not spreadsheets. However, too many organisations have it backwards. Vanessa argues that across boardrooms and strategy sessions, the conversation too often follows a predictable pattern: "How do we measure our social impact?" But this question reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about how genuine social value gets created. The measurement should follow the commitment, not the other way around.
79. The inter-jurisdictional challenges of implementing social procurement across Australia
If you were not able to attend our first CoP webinar in partnership with the SPN about the inter-jurisdictional challenges of implementing social procurement across Australia here is the link to the recording (password: 0jp@i.c@) https://utsmeet.zoom.us/rec/share/46jaDvRCv8SUwCNLysGiJzxDuewkbRVcK1UE07kSxwL2VDWWA9um44R1ZlCKYEwa.md33Ffz6B07ZcOUe
80. The power of yarning in evaluating First Nations projects and programs
Community First Development has launched a guide to evaluating First Nations projects and programs. As the guide notes, ‘Right Way Evaluation’ shares the community’s own story of growth, strength and change, told by the people living it, not interpreted by others. The approach is based on the premise that yarning has a unique power to motivate and engage First Nations peoples because it is based on truth telling, connection across communities and generations, and it is wrapped in a practice that has integrity and purpose.
81. Productivity Commission’s latest report
Days out from Jim Chalmers's economic reform roundtable, productivity reform is at the centre of the daily news cycle. Economists warn that without an improvement, governments of all persuasion will struggle to meet the soaring cost of commitments to many of our social services such as the NDIS. You may ask what this has to do with social procurement and in answering that question we would draw your attention to page 33 of the Productivity Commission’s latest interim report- Building a skilled and adaptable workforce which highlights the critical importance of an inclusive economy where everyone can contribute to their full productive capacity.
82. Work-life balance in the Australian construction industry
We know that due to initiatives like the draft Australian Culture Standard that work life balance is being encouraged as an important factor in future procurement decisions. The attached research paper reveals that workers in the construction industry face substantial challenges in achieving a healthy work life balance. Young people working in junior on-site supervisory roles (especially on large commercial and infrastructure projects) appear to suffer the greatest challenges in managing the boundaries between their non-work and work domains. It is also found that these challenges are maintained by institutionalized workplace norms, practices and cultures which undermine the intent of formal initiatives to help people achieve a healthy work life balance.
83. Respecting and Protecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)
This new guide about respecting and protecting ICIP highlights the lack of Australian laws to protect ICIP and provides an understanding of what ICIP rights are so that they can be upheld and protected for the First Nations communities.
84. The state of Australia’s social economy
This new report into the state of Australia’s social economy by the Centre for Social Impact uncovered a diverse ecosystem of small organisations addressing critical societal needs held back by a lack of cohesion in government support structures and policies. Challenges include poor access to funding and funding diversification, lack of resources for collaboration and social impact assessment.
85. Inclusive pathways to employment for people with a disability
This report by The Brotherhood of St. Laurence summarises results from the Inclusive Pathway to Employment (IPE) pilot which trialled new ways in which mainstream youth employment services can support young people with disability into employment. IPE was delivered in four youth employment services across different regions in Australia. The pilot demonstrated the benefit of young people with disability receiving enhanced support from a youth employment service on their career journey that could start while they are still at school. It points to the importance of cross-system collaboration in creating employment pathways by integrating school, employment services and other supports so they provide integrated transition support.
Australian Public Policy Institute (APPI) published a new report, Local Aboriginal Land Council Powershift: Sharing the benefits of the energy transition, authored by a joint team from UTS and UNSW, highlighting the vital role Aboriginal land councils can play in driving Australia’s Net Zero transition.
87. Truth-telling and reconciliation
Reconciliation Australia has released a new fact sheet (and resources) on truth telling. Truth telling is a term used to acknowledge the historic silencing of First Nations voices and perspectives which have been excluded or misrepresented in official historical accounts. It is an ongoing process of dialogue, engagement and intergenerational change which involves recognising the truth about Australia’s colonisation, deep listening to learn from that truth and acting on that new understanding through changes in community attitudes, actions and institutions.
88. Sustainable and inclusive wellbeing
This MERGE report presents a list of policy instruments that promote Sustainable and Inclusive Wellbeing (SIW). Sustainable and inclusive wellbeing has three interlinked and overlapping elements: Ensuring current wellbeing (including determinants such as health, education, air quality, employment, social relationships, income, housing, security, environmental health, and peace); Ensuring future wellbeing (encompassing biophysical and social conditions for future wellbeing such as climate, biodiversity, demographics, and innovation capacity); and limiting wellbeing inequalities for current and future generations (including: gauging gender inequality, income/wealth inequality, risk of poverty, child poverty and discrimination).
More than two-in-five young Australians feel lonely. A report from Ending Loneliness Australia provides a snapshot of loneliness in young people. Drawing on quantitative data from the HILDA survey and in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of young Australians, it shows that loneliness is shaped and fuelled by broader cultural, digital, economic, and social forces.