Social Value
PwC co-designed a cross-government Commercial and Procurement Community of Practice to provide practical learning, mentoring and networking opportunities for junior civil servants, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Delivered through PwC’s Social Value Fund at no cost to departments, the initiative is strengthening capability, confidence and cross-department collaboration while creating a scalable model for inclusive professional development across government.
The UK’s Social Mobility Commission highlights that regional disparities and educational inequality continue to create significant socio-economic barriers to accessing professional and managerial roles. While the public sector strives to address these barriers, time pressures, budget constraints and departmental silos restrict opportunities for skills development, confidence building and professional networking, particularly for junior civil servants from underrepresented or lower socio-economic backgrounds. This weakens the long-term resilience of public sector functions, including commercial teams, and ultimately the frontline services citizens rely on, from prisons and schools to essential digital services.
PwC responded by partnering with commercial leaders across government to establish a cross-government Commercial and Procurement Community of Practice (CoP). The aim was to create an inclusive, low-cost model that would strengthen capability, confidence and connectedness among early-career professionals. Co-designed with DSIT, with input from other departments including MoJ and FCDO, the CoP provides regular learning and networking sessions tailored for junior staff across the UK.
PwC assembled a multidisciplinary team, funded by PwC’s Social Value Fund, enabling the CoP to operate at no cost to participating departments. This reduced financial barriers and widened access to development for staff who might otherwise have been excluded. The team reflected a wide range of experience, modelling the inclusive culture the programme sought to build, and grounding sessions in real delivery challenges.
Each session followed a consistent, practitionerled format: informal networking, core theory, practical case studies and structured group work. This created a trusted, neutral space where participants could learn from peers, share challenges and build confidence in applying new skills. As the CoP matured, departments increasingly nominated participants through wordofmouth, reflecting the value of the model and the sense of community it created.
The CoP has delivered measurable social value across individuals, organisations and the wider public sector. In its first year, it reached more than 90 participants from 12 departments and arm’slength bodies, with strong repeat attendance and consistently high satisfaction scores. Participants reported increased confidence, improved technical and interpersonal skills, and greater ability to apply learning in daytoday procurements. Apprentices and earlycareer staff described the CoP as particularly valuable for progression, with several requesting more practical courses of this kind.
The programme has also delivered significant value for money. By providing a free, crossgovernment model, the CoP enabled departments to avoid training costs. The model has since inspired parallel communities in the private sector, and demonstrated its transferability to other specialisms such as finance and technology.
What’s more, the CoP has established a blueprint for inclusive capability-building across government. It has strengthened crossdepartmental collaboration, widened access to professional networks and created a sustainable model that supports longterm social mobility. By enabling junior staff from diverse backgrounds to build confidence, skills and connections, the CoP contributes to a more resilient, representative and effective public sector workforce – delivering lasting social value for the communities that rely on it.
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