Outline Service Specification for Social Return on Investment (SROI) on
Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) core services
Scope of Work
We wish to commission a Social Return on Investment (SROI). The subject of the SROI
are the core services of Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC).
Contract Value
We are inviting quotes up to the value of £3,500.00 including VAT. This fee excludes the
cost for SROI accreditation, which will be paid separately.
Details set out below
1 Background and purpose of the SROI
2 Activities subject to SROI and the time period of their delivery
3The resources we will make available
4 Proposed SROI research activities
5 Your submission- content and the skills required
6 Commission and contract delivery schedule
1 Background and purpose of the SROI
Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC), also known as the Centre for Voluntary
Action, supports the development of the voluntary and community sector across
Birmingham and is one of the largest voluntary sector support organisations in the UK. We
work with established charities and also local grassroots groups to enable strong local
community delivery.
We are committed to the SROI concept and wish to commission an experienced SROI
practitioner-assessor to utilise the SROI framework to measure and value of our core
services. We wish you to take into account social, environmental and economic costs and
benefits when looking at BVSCs impact. We expect a ratio of benefits to costs to be
calculated as a result.
The primary purpose of the SROI is over the past 2-3 years. In accordance with our
contractual undertakings to BCC, you will capture the impact that BVSC has had at a
community and neighborhood level (our beneficiaries). The SROI will therefore gather and
analyse intelligence, then measure and report on the impact of BVSC core services on the
voluntary and community sector in Birmingham.
Given the recent reductions in public sector spending on most CVSs nationally, we expect
this report to address the impact of any cuts to BVSC. The SROI should reveal the impact
1
of any cuts during this period on the service BVSC has offered to Birmingham’s voluntary
and community sector.
In addition we expect the SROI process to show how well we have promoted the value of
the third sector in Birmingham, in particular to public and private sector stakeholders.
2 BVSC Core activities subject to SROI and time period of their delivery
We are clear that this will form part of an evaluation designed to capture the impact of our
core services between April 2012 and time of writing (2014). The projects and activities to
be included are:






The Volunteer Centre
Third Sector Assembly
BVSC Training
BVSC Gallery
BVSC On line portal and On line services (plus Ask BVSC Helpline?)
BVSC Communications including e-bulletins, Update magazine etc
3 The resources we will make available
[We are inviting quotes up to the value of £3500 including VAT. The fee for SROI
accreditation will be paid separately but is included in the above amount. We expect at
least 12 consultancy days for this fee]
On the BVSC Third Sector Database we have named contacts, email, telephone, postal
addresses for BVSC members. We are able to use these as long as consideration is
given to data protection. It is important to note however, that we expect a wide cross
section of members’ views about BVSC to become available through survey responses
from other research being conducted concurrently with the SROI (BVSC’s State of the
Sector research). You will not need to carry out a separate member survey but should be
able to use and interpret the raw data generated through this research, and explore it as
appropriate through focus groups, interviews etc.
Whilst we also expect the SROI to produce a ratio, we also know that the process will
need to take in to account change and people’s experiences, both of which will influence
the ratio. To assist you in this description, [BVSC will appoint an independent consultant to
assist analysing the research findings and contextualizing report. He/she will provide
information about important strategies and policies emanating from central and local
government, and public agencies in Birmingham, as well as challenges faced by third
sector infrastructure nationally.]
4. SROI proposed research activities
In your submission to us please do communicate any innovative ideas that you have which
may add value. We expect the practitioner to follow SROI template and include these
stages:
 Identifying key stakeholders from different sectors and how to engage them
 Defining and mapping outcomes setting out the relationship between inputs, outputs
and outcomes
2






Primary research to collect evidence of outcomes
Giving outcomes a value, bearing in mind how long a benefit lasts, and establishing
financial proxies for monetisation
Establishing impact (having assessed deadweight and displacement, attribution
drop-off etc)
Calculating the SROI ratio, and checking underpinning assumptions have been
correct
Reporting the SROI. The final report should set out the ratio calculated, but also
include qualitative, quantitative and financial information on the social value that has
been created by delivering these core activities.
Providing an executive summary for wider dissemination and to share findings with
stakeholders.
The research project will need to incorporate both quantitative and qualitative methods to
ensure that we can measure activity but also understand the details (how’s and why’s) and
include case study examples.
Please tell us in your submission which of the following approaches of collecting primary
data collection you will use:
 One-to-one interviews
 Management information and other records
 Focus groups and workshops
 Questionnaires (face-to-face, over the phone, in the post, on line, bearing in mind
that raw data of BVSC member’s views will be provided through attendant survey
research)
5 Your submission: content and the skills required
Please set out the following in your submission:
Your Skills and Experience
 Understanding, knowledge, training and experience of undertaking Social Return on
Investment
 Prior experience of outcomes measurement, evaluation, and using Microsoft’s
Excel software
 Evidence of basic accounting skills
 Evidence of ability and capacity to use quantitative and qualitative research
methods, financial proxies and attributing conditions/factors necessary for the
successful achievement of this SROI
 Prior experience and ccommunication skills to engage a wide range of stakeholders
 Report writing skills
 Familiarity with the Third Sector in Birmingham and an understanding of current
social and economic challenges it faces
Proposed Methodology:
 How you will go about the SROI and which approaches to collecting primary data
collection you will use
 Your capacity to undertake the work in given timeframe
 Delivery schedule, key milestones, and consultancy days
 Any risks you see and how you will mitigate them control
3
Legal information:
 Your contact details and legal standing (to trade)
 Your insurance cover
6 Commission and contract delivery schedule
You should send your submission by email to norad@bvsc.org. Please do not exceed 5 x
A4 pages excluding CVs. Paper copies are not required.

The deadline for submission of your quote is 12 noon on 18th July 2014.

SROI provider commissioned by 31st July 2014

Contract issued by 7th August 2014 followed by inception meeting

Start date: 14th August 2014

Relevant findings from SOS research available: by 31st October 2014

Interim SROI report: by 30th November 2014

Final SROI report: by 4th December 2014

End date and BVSC Board sign off : 10th December 2014
BVSC will retain intellectual copyright of all materials generated or used during this SROI.
You will provide your completed report and any accompanying data in hard and electronic
formats.
If you require any further information please contact Nora Darby at BVSC
BVSC, 138 Digbeth
Birmingham
B5 6DR
Telephone: 0121 678 8819
Email: norad@bvsc.org
4