Outcomes for whom?

Social Policy Bonds are intended to subordinate all policy to the achievement of social and environmental outcomes that are meaningful to real people. The qualification is important: in the absence of any explicit targeted outcomes, policies and programmes will inevitably favour activities or existing institutions. Which institutions? Government bodies themselves or private corporations. In such a political environment it is hardly surprising that in Germany, as recently revealed:

...top companies admitted that they have been topping up the salaries of hundreds of local and national politicians.

Would 'top' companies want to fund politicians whose goals were clear and meaningful to natural persons, as distinct from corporations? Probably not...but the important point is that it wouldn't really matter. Explicit, meaningful outcomes can be decided in full consultation with the public. But when there are no clear goals, only vague statements of intent, institutions with separate agendas and a proliferation of meaningless micro-targets, then it is no surprise that corporations try to influence policy and find it worthwhile to put policymakers on their payroll.