Measuring Social Value in Construction Programs and Projects

Latest Trends and Developments

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It has been my pleasure to lead on social value on large scale construction programs. It has been my pleasure and my passion. If you “get it right” it can be transformational. But it is much more than a tick box exercise. It is about championing and measuring activities that can have a lasting impact.

The construction industry, encompassing infrastructure, urban, and rural development, is undergoing a transformative shift toward prioritizing social value alongside traditional financial and environmental metrics. Social value refers to the broader positive impacts that projects deliver to communities, such as improved well-being, economic opportunities, and social cohesion.

Measuring social value has become a critical tool for stakeholders to justify investments, enhance project outcomes, and align with global sustainability goals. In this article I’ll explore the latest trends and developments in measuring social value within construction programs and projects, focusing on innovative frameworks, technologies, and examples. It is a companion article to a number we have written on aspects of this topic.

This article is a good place to start exploring the subject before digging deeper through our archive. The links and references will be helpful too in crafting or reviewing your social value strategy.

1. The Growing Importance of Social Value in Construction

Construction projects shape the physical and social fabric of communities, from urban skyscrapers to rural infrastructure. Governments, developers, and contractors face growing pressure to deliver measurable social benefits, driven by:

• Policy Mandates: Legislation like the UK’s Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public sector projects to evaluate social outcomes (Social Value UK, 2023). Similar policies, such as Australia’s Social Procurement Frameworks and Canada’s Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), are gaining traction globally (Infrastructure Canada, 2024).