Nikki Beattie
Thesis Title: Does the UK legal framework for public procurement effectively enable social value delivery?
n the UK, over £300 billion or 15% of GDP per annum is spent via procurement, the legal process that public authorities must use to buy goods and services to discharge vital public services such as health, education and defence (OECD, 2022). The importance of effective procurement cannot be overstated in terms of ensuring value for money for taxpayers with significant financial, legal and reputational repercussions for poor execution (Tátrai, Tünde & Vörösmarty, 2020).
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.
Performance in terms of actual social value delivery remains difficult to measure (Fujiwara, D & Dass, D., 2020). 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.
With access to procurement professionals and policy-makers, the central aim of this project is to ascertain the effectiveness of the UK’s public procurement framework in enabling social value delivery. The hypotheses to be tested include:
1. Procurement practitioners are confident in implementing social value; 2. Compliance with the social value regulatory regime is high; and 3. The regulatory framework delivers social value.
With a new procurement regulatory regime and a ‘cost of living’ crisis, the efficient use of public funds is vital. Defining social value, identifying appropriate metrics and making recommendations for reform of the regulatory framework could help significantly transform practice in this area.
Biography
Nikki arrives at the MGS from a Head of Operations role in the UK's largest public procurement organisation (Crown Commercial Service).
Nikki brings real-world experience in delivering tactical and strategic procurement across a number of Government departments including the Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions. Beyond this, Nikki also has first-hand experience in the challenges and successes of delivering social value through her time on HS2's ground-breaking work on contract integrated apprentices and the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy.
This practical experience complements her academic background which includes a first class Honours Law degree and a Masters in Laws from the University of Liverpool. Nikki is also a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS).
Nikki would be interested in engaging with any public sector organisation seeking to improve their social value outcomes or academics working on similar research, particularly from those operating in the business or economics fields.
Socio-Legal Studies
University of Nottingham
2023-24 Cohort, 1+3
Supervisory team
Dr Luke Butler
Dr peter Trepte