Introduction to the Value Toolkit

The Value Toolkit has been created by the Construction Innovation Hub to help clients make value-based decisions regarding their procurement.

The Value Toolkit is a suite of tools to empower clients and policymakers to make value-based procurement decisions that will result in the environmental, social, and economic outcomes they want. This profile is a visual representation of where the project team believe the value in your project is.

The NACF have supported the Value Toolkit throughout its development and have used it to agree the outcomes that we seek to achieve through our active management of local government frameworks. The NACF team have used the toolkit to capture the desired outcomes of NACF Framework Management.

Our NACF Chair, Keith Heard is a fully trained Value Toolkit facilitator and will be able to help you create a value profile for your project.

Natural Capital

Natural Capital is defined as the stock of renewable resources (e.g. plants, animals, air, water, soils minerals) that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people.

In the context of the built environment, Natural Capital values the natural environment, addresses solutions to climate impacts and provides benefits to society throughout the full life cycle of the built assets.

  • Air
  • Climate 
  • Water
  • Land 
  • Resource Use*
  • Biodiversity

What Natural Capital means for the NACF

The NACF have supported the Cambridge Carbon code and committed to achieve Net Zero status by 2045, in majority by 2030 (pledger status). NACF has committed to the ongoing reduction of resource use by promoting tools to ensure sustainable use of resources and a life cycle approach to project delivery. NACF has been at the forefront of Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality legislation, providing tools, training, and briefing, to ensure clients are prepared as legislation evolves.

Human Capital

Human Capital is defined as the knowledge, skills, competencies and attributes embodied in individuals that contribute to improved performance and wellbeing.

In the context of the built environment, Human Capital encompasses employment opportunities, skills development, individual health and wellbeing as well as an assets’ capacity to influence these factors.

  • Employment
  • Skills and Knowledge 
  • Health
  • Experience

What Human Capital means for the NACF

Human Capital is key to the NACF Value Profile, as it is an area where we can really add value to project delivery. We are committed to Maximise local employment opportunities, improve skills and knowledge in the industry, ensuring capacity and competence throughout. We commit to Zero Harm policies and the promotion of wellbeing across the sector, wherever possible facilitating positive cultural and behavioural change.

Social Capital

Social Capital is defined as the networks together with the shared norms, values and understanding that facilitate cooperation within and among groups.

In the context of the built environment, Social Capital refers to influence and consultation, equality and diversity, networks and connections as well as the changes people experience in these areas as a result of built assets.

  • Influence and Consultation
  • Equality and Diversity
  • Networks and Connections

What Social Capital means for the NACF

NACF seeks to involve all possible stakeholders at the earliest opportunity, leading exponents in fair and inclusive ethical practice, as a National Voice for Local Government, upholding high standards in the public sector to ensure the most effective delivery of public services through people and place.

Produced Capital

Produced Capital is defined as the man-made goods as well as all financial assets that are used to produce goods and services consumed by society.

In the context of the built environment, Produced Capital encompasses a combination of capital cost, operational cost and revenue, thereby covering the whole of the direct monetary spend on the project over its whole life. The man made elements include indicators of the efficiency and quality of design, construction and operational processes.

  • Life Cycle Cost
  • Return
  • Production
  • Resilience

What Produced Capital means for the NACF

NACF adopts a whole life cycle approach to all projects, promoting our frameworks to create and sustain commercially viable pipelines to benefit all stakeholders. NACF has a proven record in demonstrable market leading time, cost, quality, and performance – by driving evidence-led interventions to intelligently manage change and risk.

Strategic Objectives for NACF Framework Management

The NACF was born from the National Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and has been leading in gold standard framework management ever since, on a purely voluntary basis, donating officer time to drive best practice across the many areas outlined in the table to the right.

NACF members work to a set of attributes to ensure the highest ethical and procurement standards.

Our senior officers have agreed high-level Strategic Objectives in framework management to use in the toolkit, and mapped them to the Constructing the Gold Standard recommendations, demonstrating alignment with the best practice standards.

  • Strategic Objective
  • Quality Assurance
  • Client Experience
  • Collaboration
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Added Value
  • Integration
  • Promotion
  • Gold Standard Recommendation
  • 1, 12, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22
  • 2, 6, 14, 19, 21, 23, 24
  • 3, 11, 15, 16, 17, 22, 22
  • 3, 5, 9, 15, 16, 24
  • 4, 5, 13, 19
  • 7, 10, 12, 13, 17, 22, 23
  • 8, 10, 11

Desired Framework Management Outcome Drivers

Identify an Outcome for each identified category

The group then used the tool to map the outcomes to the value categories, that are grouped into four Capitals; Natural, Human,  Social and Produced.

This exercise allowed the group to set Outcome Drivers in each relevant category and score them in their ability to influence the desired outcomes.

Each of these Outcome Drivers reflects the collective experience of the group and their ongoing work to ensure the best outcomes through ethical public sector procurement and project governance

Scoring Outcomes

To create a Value Profile, and give a visual representation of NACF’s objectives and drivers, the scoring is entered into the toolkit

This process also allows a custom measurement process to ensure projects and programmes are tested against their ability to achieve outcomes, facilitating intelligent decision making during a defined life cycle, including during options appraisals and value management

The Value Toolkit has proved to be a valuable multi-level management tool linking strategic aims with operational decision making within the NACF.

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