The scale problem
A single contracting authority can be running hundreds or thousands of community-benefit commitments at the same time. Each has its own supplier, its own delivery date, its own evidence and its own quality check. Many cascade down through subcontractors, with social public works clauses to monitor at each level. It is not one thing to manage — it is a constantly moving portfolio.
Why spreadsheets and email collapse
Past a certain volume, the manual approach quietly breaks down:
- Version chaos. Multiple copies of the tracker, none of them definitively current.
- No automated reminders. Deadlines slip because nothing chases them.
- No audit trail. No reliable record of who committed to what, when, and what changed.
- Endless chasing. Dozens of supplier and subcontractor contacts, all emailed by hand.
- No reliable proof. No consistent way to evidence that a commitment was genuinely delivered, not just claimed.
And now there is more to produce, not less. Under the 2023 Act, prescribed contracting authorities must publish an annual socially responsible procurement report and maintain a contract register, with oversight and challenge risk attached.
The blunt truth
You cannot track thousands of community-benefit commitments, monitor the clauses, and produce an audit-ready annual report by hand. Past a certain volume, an automated system is the only way it works.
What good delivery looks like
Granular trackingEvery commitment recorded individually, with owner, date and status.
Automated evidence chasingThe system reminds and collects, so people don’t have to.
Approve / reject with quality scoringEvidence is checked for quality, not just presence.
Live status & audit-ready reportingOne current view, and a report you can stand behind.
From the team behind this site
This is exactly what Cenefits does
Cenefits is the platform built for this job: granular tracking, automated evidence chasing, approve/reject with quality scoring, live status and audit-ready reporting. It is proven across Scotland’s public sector — councils and regional bodies use it to run and report their community benefits — and it is built to do the same job under the new Welsh duties.
