Finding the Right Fit: My Journey Exploring Social Value Measurement Tools

As part of the commitment to delivering meaningful social value across the business, I undertook a comprehensive market review of social value measurement tools (SVMTs) to identify a platform capable of supporting our strategic goals, meeting client reporting requirements, and addressing operational needs. 

Answering ‘The Why?’

The need for a robust SVMT arose from increasing demands to demonstrate social value delivery, particularly in public sector contracts and large infrastructure projects. Our existing processes, reliant on spreadsheets and manual tracking, posed challenges in unified reporting, scalability, supply chain inclusion and bid forecasting. We sought a solution that could centralise data, support multiple reporting frameworks (e.g. National TOMS), be inclusive of supply chain and provide local needs analysis to inform strategic bid thinking and decision making. 

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The Approach

As part of the review process, I engaged directly with the following major tool providers; Thrive, IMPACT, Social Value Portal, HACT, Loop (Pagabo), and Simetrica Jacobs through platform demonstrations to gain a hands-on understanding of their capabilities. I then applied a structured scoring framework to assess each tool against our internal needs. Evaluation criteria included platform usability, reporting flexibility, onboarding and support, integration capabilities, and, of course, cost.

To support the internal review, I also spoke with external partners, including supply chain members and key customers, to understand which tools they were using and what their experiences had been. These conversations offered practical insights, highlighting both the benefits of flexible platforms and the drawbacks of overly complex or rigid systems. Their feedback helped validate our priorities and ensured our chosen solution would meet both internal needs and external expectations.

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Key Considerations

While several platforms offered strong features, the deciding factor was usability. The tool would not only be used by social value leads, but it also needed to be accessible to a wide range of users across the business, therefore ease of access, intuitive navigation, and minimal training requirements were critical. A tool that could be easily adopted by non-specialists was essential to ensure consistent data input and engagement across teams.

Equally important was the platform’s ability to support our bid team. The chosen tool needed to enable the creation of social value forecasts during the tendering process, quality evidence examples for inclusion in the tender, and then be handed over for project tracking once contracts are secured. This functionality was vital to ensure added value to our bid team, continuity, accountability, and accurate reporting throughout the project lifecycle, whilst providing comprehensive data for use in future work winning.

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Evaluation Priorities 

Rather than focusing solely on cost or popularity, our evaluation was guided by:

• Strategic Fit: How well the tool supports our business model and social value commitments.
• Flexibility: Ability to adapt to client-specific frameworks and internal reporting needs.
• Scalability: Suitability for enterprise-wide deployment across diverse business units.
• Impact Measurement: Tools that go beyond monetisation to capture qualitative outcomes and stories.

This exploration has deepened our understanding of the SVMT landscape and clarified what matters most in delivering and evidencing social value at scale. It has also laid the groundwork for a more integrated, data-driven approach to social value across Tarmac.

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From Selection to Implementation

With a preferred SVMT platform selected that aligns with our business needs, the focus shifts to implementation, where priorities include:

• Stakeholder Engagement – Securing alignment and buy-in across key teams.
• Commercial Agreement – Finalising contractual terms with the selected provider.
• Platform Configuration – Building and tailoring the system to reflect our operational structure and reporting requirements.
• Training & Rollout – Delivering targeted training and support to ensure smooth adoption across the business.

Each of these steps is critical to embedding the tool effectively and unlocking its full potential, a topic that warrants its own deep dive!

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About the Author

Charlotte Hobster - Social Value Manager, Tarmac

Charlotte is a strategic bid and social value professional with over a decade of experience securing major UK infrastructure projects across transport, energy, and construction. Currently Social Value Manager at Tarmac, she leads the development and implementation of business wide strategies that align with client priorities and drive meaningful community impact. Charlotte is APMP certified and passionate about embedding social value into work-winning, with a strong focus on data-driven decision-making and stakeholder collaboration.

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