Creating long-term social value on major infrastructure projects: a case study

Abstract

Infrastructure projects have a duty and obligation to create social value that is broader than the core benefits achieved through construction of the asset. It has been recognised that in the procurement and construction of the asset, social value opportunities should be created that respond to the needs of the project location. However, measuring social value for large infrastructure projects is challenging because of the sheer number of changes in different areas of society as a result of the project. Many of these changes go unrecorded by the organisation in charge of the infrastructure project or anyone else in society. Furthermore, social value measurement studies are often commissioned when the project is already well underway or even completed, which can mean that mechanisms to collect properly the required input data to quantify and value social impact were not set up, and by that point, it is usually too late to do so. This paper outlines a best-practice methodology in creating a framework to achieve social value, using Tideway, the company delivering the Thames Tideway tunnel project in London, UK, as a case study to share lessons learnt from their approach to social value creation.