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Welcome, Council User! 🏛️

This guide helps you use RippleCore as a Local Authority managing supplier social value contracts. Track compliance with the UK Social Value Act, review evidence submissions, and measure supplier contributions using the National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, Measures) framework.
Meet Sarah: Council procurement officer managing 40+ suppliers across multiple contracts. Needs to track social value commitments, review evidence, and demonstrate compliance with the Social Value Act and UN SDGs.

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Getting Started

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What is the Council Portal?

The Council portal is a specialized RippleCore application designed for local authorities to:
  • Manage supplier relationships under social value contracts
  • Review evidence submissions from supplier organizations
  • Track TOMs framework compliance using standardized UK metrics
  • Calculate social value delivered across all suppliers
  • Generate compliance reports for audits and transparency
The Council portal integrates with the main RippleCore platform where your suppliers collect and submit social value evidence (kindness, volunteering, donations, wellbeing).

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Dashboard Overview

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Council Dashboard

Dashboard shows your supplier management overview:

Active Suppliers

Current supplier count:
  • Organizations with active contracts
  • Total suppliers registered
  • Pending invitations

Social Value Tracked

Total social value delivered:
  • Calculated using TOMs framework
  • Aggregated across all suppliers
  • Real-time updates from evidence

Pending Reviews

Evidence awaiting review:
  • Submitted by suppliers
  • Requiring council approval
  • Prioritized by submission date

Avg Compliance Rate

Supplier performance:
  • % of commitments met
  • Tracked against contracts
  • Portfolio-wide average

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Quick Actions

From the dashboard, you can:
  1. View Evidence Queue → Review pending supplier submissions
  2. Browse Suppliers → Manage supplier organizations
  3. Social Value Analytics → TOMs framework analysis
  4. Council Branding → Customize portal appearance

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Supplier Management

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Invite a Supplier Organization

Suppliers → Invite Supplier
1

Open Invite Form

Click the Invite Supplier button on the Suppliers page
2

Enter Supplier Details

Provide the following information:
  • Organization ID: Unique identifier for the supplier
  • Contract Value: Total contract value (£)
  • Social Value Commitment: Expected social value (£ or %)
  • Social Value Framework: Select framework (TOMs, UN SDGs, etc.)
  • Contract Start Date: When the contract begins
3

Send Invitation

Click Send Invitation to invite the supplier organization
  • Supplier receives email invitation
  • Can accept and set up their RippleCore account
  • Evidence collection begins once accepted
Suppliers must have a RippleCore account to accept invitations. They can sign up at the main RippleCore platform before accepting the invitation.

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View Supplier List

Suppliers shows all your supplier organizations:
  • Active Suppliers
  • Pending Invitations
Organizations with Active Contracts:
  • Organization Name: Supplier company name
  • Contract Value: Total contract amount
  • Social Value Commitment: Expected social value delivery
  • Compliance Rate: % of commitments met
  • Social Value Delivered: Actual value delivered to date
Click any supplier to view detailed performance metrics.

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Supplier Performance Metrics

Click a supplier organization to view:
  • Contract details: Value, framework, dates
  • Evidence submissions: Kindness, volunteering, donations, wellbeing
  • TOMs breakdown: Social value by category
  • Compliance tracking: Committed vs. delivered
  • Audit history: Review decisions and timestamps

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Evidence Review Queue

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Review Supplier Evidence

Evidence Queue → Select submission to review The Evidence Review Queue is the core value-add feature of the Council portal. This is where you review and approve supplier social value evidence submissions.
1

View Pending Evidence

Navigate to Evidence to see all pending submissions:
  • Supplier Name: Which organization submitted
  • Evidence Type: Kindness, volunteer, donation, or wellbeing
  • TOMs Category: Which social value category (jobs, volunteering, etc.)
  • Calculated Value: Estimated social value in £
  • Submission Date: When evidence was submitted
2

Review Evidence Details

Click Review on any submission to see:
  • Full evidence data: Description, metrics, media attachments
  • Verification level: Self-reported, manager-approved, photo evidence, etc.
  • TOMs calculation: How social value was calculated
  • Supplier context: Contract commitments and compliance rate
3

Make Review Decision

Choose one of three actions:
  • Approve: Accept evidence and add to social value totals
  • Reject: Decline evidence with reason (optional notes)
  • Request More Info: Ask supplier for additional details
All decisions are logged in the audit trail.
Use the verification level as a guide:
  • Tier 1 (System verified): 100% audit weight - typically safe to approve
  • Tier 2 (Manager approved): 90% weight - review manager details
  • Tier 3 (Peer confirmed): 70% weight - check peer information
  • Tier 4 (Photo evidence): 50% weight - review photos carefully
  • Tier 5 (Self-reported): 30% weight - may need additional verification

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Evidence Review Status

Track your review queue with summary metrics:

Pending Reviews

Evidence awaiting your review decision

Approved

Evidence accepted and counted toward social value

Total Evidence

All evidence submissions from all suppliers

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Social Value Dashboard

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TOMs Framework Analysis

Social Value shows social value metrics calculated from approved evidence:
The National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, Measures) framework is the UK standard for measuring social value in public procurement. RippleCore automatically calculates TOMs values from supplier evidence.

Total Social Value

£2,438,000Aggregate social value delivered by all suppliers

Total Suppliers

40 organizationsActive suppliers with contracts

Avg Compliance

87%Average compliance rate across portfolio

Top Category

Jobs: £850,000Highest-performing TOMs category

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TOMs Framework Breakdown

The TOMs Breakdown Chart shows social value by category:
  • TOMs Categories
  • Example Calculation
UK National TOMs Categories:
  • Jobs Created: Local employment and apprenticeships
  • Volunteering: Employee volunteering hours
  • Local Spend: Supporting local businesses
  • Apprenticeships: Training and skills development
  • Environmental Impact: Sustainability initiatives
Each category has a proxy value (£ per unit) defined by the National TOMs framework.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The UN SDG Mapping section shows how TOMs categories contribute to global sustainability goals:
Jobs Created: £850,000 in local employment and wages
Volunteering: £425,000 in community support through employee volunteering
Apprenticeships: £312,000 in training and skills development
Jobs + Apprenticeships: £1,162,000 in employment and training opportunities
Local Spend: £485,000 supporting local businesses and community resilience
Environmental Impact: £266,000 in sustainability and carbon reduction initiatives
The SDG mapping helps you report social value contributions in internationally recognized sustainability frameworks, useful for transparency reports and council sustainability strategies.

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Council Branding

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Customize Portal Appearance

Branding → Customize your council’s portal:
1

Upload Council Logo

  • Click Upload Logo to add your council logo
  • Recommended size: 200×80px
  • Formats: PNG, SVG (with transparency)
  • Appears in portal header and reports
2

Set Primary Color

  • Choose your council’s primary brand color
  • Used for buttons, links, and highlights
  • Must meet WCAG AA contrast requirements
3

Configure Theme

  • Select light or dark mode preference
  • Preview changes before saving
  • Applies to all council users
4

Save Branding

Click Save Branding to apply changes across the portal
Branding changes apply to the Council portal only. Supplier organizations see their own branding in the main RippleCore platform.

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Reporting & Compliance

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Generate Compliance Reports

Social Value → Export Report
1

Select Framework

Choose the compliance framework for your report:
  • National TOMs: UK Social Value Act compliance
  • UN SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals alignment
  • Custom Report: Select specific metrics and categories
2

Set Report Period

Define the time range:
  • Last month, quarter, or year
  • Financial year (April-March)
  • Custom date range
3

Choose Format

Select output format:
  • PDF: Executive summary with charts
  • Excel: Detailed data tables
  • CSV: Raw data for analysis
4

Generate and Download

Click Generate Report to create the compliance package
  • Includes all approved evidence
  • Shows TOMs breakdown by category
  • Lists supplier contributions
  • Provides audit trail

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Audit Trail

All evidence reviews are logged for transparency:
  • Reviewer: Council user who made the decision
  • Decision: Approved, rejected, or more info requested
  • Timestamp: Date and time of review
  • Notes: Optional reviewer comments
  • Evidence Details: Full submission data
Audit trails are immutable and cannot be deleted. All review decisions are permanent for compliance purposes.

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Best Practices

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Effective Supplier Management

  • Define social value commitments in contracts
  • Communicate TOMs categories and proxy values
  • Provide RippleCore training for supplier staff
  • Schedule regular review cadences (monthly/quarterly)
  • Review evidence weekly to avoid backlogs
  • Prioritize by submission date (first in, first out)
  • Request clarification when needed (don’t guess)
  • Approve genuine contributions promptly
  • Verify high-value evidence carefully
  • Check verification levels (Tier 1-5)
  • Request photo evidence for physical activities
  • Use “Request More Info” when uncertain
  • Track compliance rates monthly
  • Identify underperforming suppliers early
  • Recognize high-performing suppliers
  • Adjust commitments if needed (contract variations)

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Evidence Review Tips

Red Flags to Watch For:
  • Self-reported evidence with unusually high values
  • Round numbers that seem estimated (e.g., exactly 1000 hours)
  • Missing verification details (no manager, no photo)
  • Evidence that doesn’t align with supplier’s business
  • Duplicate submissions (same evidence submitted twice)
When in doubt, request more information before approving.

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

Problem: Supplier organization says they can’t find the invitation.Solutions:
  • Check if supplier has a RippleCore account (they must sign up first)
  • Verify invitation was sent to correct organization ID
  • Resend invitation from Suppliers page
  • Contact RippleCore support if issue persists
Problem: Supplier says they submitted evidence, but you don’t see it.Solutions:
  • Ask supplier to verify submission was successful
  • Check if evidence was already reviewed (Approved tab)
  • Ensure supplier selected correct council in their submission
  • Check audit logs for evidence record
Problem: Calculated social value doesn’t match expected amounts.Solutions:
  • Verify TOMs proxy values are configured correctly
  • Check which TOMs version is being used (framework setting)
  • Review evidence calculation logic (e.g., hours × £15/hour)
  • Contact RippleCore support to adjust proxy values if needed
Problem: Updated branding doesn’t appear after saving.Solutions:
  • Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
  • Check if changes were saved successfully (confirmation message)
  • Try logging out and back in
  • Verify image URLs are publicly accessible (for logo)

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Getting Help

Need additional support?

Support

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What’s Next?

1

Invite Your First Supplier

Start by inviting 1-2 pilot suppliers to test the system
2

Configure TOMs Values

Review and customize TOMs proxy values for your council
3

Set Up Review Cadence

Schedule regular evidence review sessions (weekly recommended)
4

Train Your Team

Share this guide with procurement and contract management staff
5

Generate First Report

After 1 month, generate your first social value compliance report

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Additional Resources

Social Value Act Guidance

UK Government guidance

National TOMs Framework

National TOMs documentation

RippleCore API

API Reference
Questions about the Council portal? Contact our team at council@ripplecore.co.uk for specialized local authority support.