In West Cumbria, we’re working with Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) to deliver social value commitments through its Integrated Design and Engineering Framework (IDEF). While the work is still at an early stage, the focus has been on setting strong foundations – shaping the plan collaboratively, targeting support where it can have the greatest impact and working closely with organisations across the programme.

Here, Tracy Badham, Social Responsibility Manager at NWS, and Nicola Gorrill, Social Value Lead at ArchTam, discuss how that approach is taking shape.

Tell us about how you came up with the social value plan.

How does having someone embedded locally strengthen the partnership?

How has collaboration shaped the way social value is delivered in practice?

Nicola, how has your experience on other programmes influenced your approach here?

How are you setting the social value plan up for success going forward?

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Social value in procurement is evolving. With the release of the latest National Procurement Policy Statement, and the accompanying Procurement Policy Notes (PPN001 & PPN002) introducing a new Social Value Model aligned to the UK Government Missions, the timing couldn’t be better to reassess how we approach social value in practice. While the legislative framework is strong, the challenge remains: how do we ensure maximum impact rather than just compliance?

At our recent seminar at the Government Property Conference, held in London, we used live polling to gauge government and private sector delegates on their social value journey. The results were telling — while most participants rated the quality of social value in their contracts as “average” (44 percent), over a third (34 percent) ranked it as poor or very poor, compared to just 24 percent who rated it positively.

A lack of resources was the most common challenge (21 percent) reinforcing that current structures and delivery approaches are not always equipped to achieve meaningful impact. However, culture (15 percent), bureaucracy (12 percent), and leadership buy-in (9 percent) emerged as key barriers to embedding social value, highlighting the need for stronger support from decision makers to focus on delivery.

The case for starting at the end

Too often, social value starts with the “how” — focusing on inputs, activities and outputs such as the number of apprenticeships offered or volunteer hours logged. Procurement frameworks frequently emphasise measurable commitments, making it tempting to focus on visible and easily quantifiable metrics rather than the bigger picture.

While these figures are a common starting point, social value planning should be guided by the end goal — the “what” and “why.” This means understanding key social value drivers and ensuring procurement strategies align with the broader end goal:

• What long-term outcomes are we aiming to achieve?
• How does this procurement contribute to broader social goals, such as reducing inequality or enhancing local economic resilience?
• Are we measuring success based on activities or on real, lasting change?

Using the new Social Value Model, buyers should seek to understand how suppliers will contribute to the Missions and Outcomes — the desired end objective — be it kickstarting economic growth or breaking down barriers to opportunity. By setting out their desired “what” and “why”, suppliers can then develop social value activity that contributes to the overall goal, whilst having the flexibility of delivery depending on contract type or location.

A simple example illustrates this shift. Consider two procurement bids:

• Supplier A offers 100 volunteer hours, 5 new local jobs and 2 apprenticeships.
• Supplier B offers 80 training hours, a degree apprenticeship, 4 local jobs (all at a living wage) and targeted upskilling.

At first glance, Supplier A appears stronger based on volume. However, if the goal is social mobility, Supplier B delivers more impact. Training and upskilling help workers move into higher-paying jobs. A degree apprenticeship creates long-term career progression, while guaranteeing the Real Living Wage ensures economic stability. By focusing on outcomes, rather than ticking off social value inputs, procurement decisions can better serve long-term community needs. These can then be developed into meaningful metrics as part of contract management.

The missing link in social value delivery

One of the strongest themes from our live poll was the importance of collaboration, both within organisations and across supply chains. When supply chain partners align around shared priorities, the impact of social value initiatives grows exponentially.

Traditional procurement models often involve disconnected suppliers, hundreds of clients, and fragmented frameworks with little strategic cohesion. This leads to inconsistent measurement, limited long-term impact, and missed opportunities for meaningful change. In contrast, an allianced delivery model brings suppliers together to tackle common challenges, use uniform metrics and drive joint delivery.

An example of this is the Crown Commercial Services (CSS) Construction Professional Services (CPS) Social Value Focus Group chaired by ArchTam on behalf of CCS, and convening a range of public sector authorities and suppliers. This group is actively working to embed this thinking, promoting ways that procurement frameworks can facilitate long-term, strategic collaboration rather than isolated, one-off buying initiatives.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) estate, which has used the CCS CPS framework to form a supplier alliance, structures its procurement strategy to align supplier objectives, enabling a more cohesive and measurable approach to social value. This model supports initiatives like Forests With Impact, an industry-led social enterprise we are proud to be a founding member of, which is delivering tangible environmental social benefits; creating jobs, enhancing biodiversity, and driving community-led sustainability efforts. Having the clarity of MoJ’s “what” and “why” on developing prisoners and prison leavers employability provides us with the clarity to deliver and support innovative solutions such as Forests with Impact.

When supply chain partners are aligned, procurement moves beyond transactional commitments to deliver legacy outcomes, for example, accessible and sustainable careers for local people, improved community wellbeing and integration, and a fair and equitable transition to net zero.

Unlocking impact through outcomes and collaboration

By taking an outcomes-first approach, we can shift the dial from “average” social value integration to truly transformative impact. Our live poll revealed a key insight: while the challenges were often similar — resource constraints, bureaucracy and leadership buy-in — the strengths were far more diverse. From local recruitment and SME contracting to wellbeing, community and legacy building, it is clear that organisations have a desire to create meaningful, lasting impact. To achieve this, an outcomes-led approach is transformative. One that recognises these unique strengths but actively brings them together through collaboration to maximise social value.

With the latest updates to the UK’s National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) and clearer guidelines on social value, the tools are in place. The real challenge now is how we use them.

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Ken Billups is the vice president of economic inclusion and social impact based in Los Angeles, California, where he is currently leading inclusion and community engagement for Intuit Dome. His strategic approach of actively engaging with the community to prioritize education, empower local businesses and foster transparent communication results in meaningful contributions to the city of Inglewood.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself – your role and career journey   

My journey began in my hometown of Los Angeles, where I was born and raised in a town called Inglewood. After completing my education, where I majored in business at Florida A&M University, a renowned historically black college and university, I returned to Los Angeles to embark on my career in the nonprofit sector. I started as a community organizer and leader, landing my first role overseeing the business inclusion and workforce development program for the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD).

Subsequently, I transitioned into the private sector, focusing on inclusion initiatives in the construction and infrastructure sector.  Around two and a half years ago, I joined ArchTam Hunt to lead inclusion and community engagement initiatives for the Intuit Dome in my hometown of Inglewood, California and now as Vice President of Economic Inclusion and Social Impact for the LA Metro and Southern California area.

2. Talk to us about your work in the City of Inglewood, how have some of these projects and initiatives responded to the challenges and issues faced by the local communities there?

For our work in the City of Inglewood to be impactful, we first had to deeply understand the challenges, barriers, and needs of the local community. This involved active listening and learning in order to be responsive in our development and deployment of a business inclusion and workforce development strategy and ensure we really engaged with key stakeholders and community members. We prioritized education and youth support, to make sure our projects had a positive impact on future generations.

Our approach was highly strategic and inclusive, particularly in the empowerment of minority and local businesses. We made deliberate efforts to prioritize local residents, offering opportunities in the building trades and careers in construction. Open and transparent communication with the nearby community was vital to minimize construction-related disruptions. We also got actively involved in the community by supporting local block clubs that we call the ‘Good Neighbor’ program, which incentivizes and supports local neighbors, developed the first ever pre-apprenticeship program for IUSD — providing a starting point for local residents to enter skilled construction jobs, and supported the Inglewood Unified School District, by actively participating in after-school programs focused on architecture, construction, and engineering.

Our approach, emphasizing inclusion and community impact, was well-received by the local community. We continue to do great work, both within the projects we undertake and within the broader community. These efforts are instrumental in shaping a positive work culture in the communities we serve, aligning seamlessly with our commitment to ESG.

3. Community and stakeholder engagement is a vital part of urban renewal and regeneration, can you share any specific examples of successful community engagement strategies and their impact?

Successful community and stakeholder engagement starts with active listening and learning. At Intuit Dome, we organized various formal and informal events to understand the surrounding communities and cultures better. This insight influenced our decisions, including design choices and construction schedules that pertain to the sensitivity of the project that’s in the middle of the urban community.

Additionally, we were dedicated to being responsive to the needs and commitments that we had to the community. This included commitments to minority and local businesses, as well as ensuring the active participation of women in the trades related to our project. Our responsiveness extended to collaborating closely with key stakeholders, including faith-based organizations, city leaders, local businesses, and neighborhood block clubs, all of which contribute to the success of the project.

4. Business inclusion, workforce development and leadership are 3 vital ingredients in improving social equity. What are some of the best examples of these that you’ve seen across the industry?

At ArchTam, we take pride in our approach to business inclusion, workforce development and leadership. We’ve found ways to minimize barriers and maximize opportunities. We go a step further by investing in the marketplace and building capacity. When it comes to workforce development, we’ve identified strategic partners to collaboratively build opportunities for careers in construction. We focus on exposing the youth to various career paths within our industry and developing the future workforce.  We’ve also been very strategic about how we engage key stakeholders to ensure that they’re part of the success of the project.  

5. In your experience, what are some of the key elements in establishing successful strategic partnerships to advance equity, diversity and inclusion within a community?

We always say equity is a verb, but it starts with our leadership. Effective leadership is not only a commitment but an action. At Intuit Dome, we have a great leadership team that has embraced these commitments and ensured that our trade partners also adhere to these principles. So, equity is very much a part of leadership commitment.

Secondly, strategic partnerships are crucial. Equity is a team sport — it cannot thrive in isolation. It’s about leveraging expertise and resources to be able to identify the right trade partners that can work on the project because in this space, innovation happens through collaboration. The key elements — strong and accountable leadership coupled with strategic partnerships — create a framework where social equity can advance, leaving a lasting impact on projects and communities alike.

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Alexis Plair leads our strategic consulting team in Los Angeles, California. With 10 years of experience, Alexis is highly skilled in design strategy and driving product and design strategy for leading, mission-driven organizations across infrastructure, technology, urban design, clean energy, and transportation sectors. Through her work with public agencies on sustainable infrastructure, she has been a champion for social and climate impact in the Los Angeles area.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself – your role and career journey   

I am the manager of the Los Angeles team for Strategy+, ArchTam’s design-led strategic consulting group. My team works to guide organizations through strategic planning, process improvement, and organizational transformation. We also focus on understanding people and communications dynamics within organizations and advancing equitable community outcomes.

As a participatory design strategist, I approach design by centering the people we’re designing for throughout the entire design process. I work to engage the people we’re designing for in every stage, from defining goals and methods, to brainstorming and iterating on different ideas, to implementation and monitoring results. My approach in design strategy comes from my background as a product manager where I managed products and customer experiences with a focus on people, ensuring their needs were central to the entire product design process.

2. Talk to us about a project that has impacted or been a major highlight of your career. How is it solving the challenges and issues our clients and communities are facing today?

One of the highlights of my career so far has been working with a local client on a move management strategy. My team led the design strategy and internal work planning through each stage of the project, from data collection and understanding, to solution ideation, to the development and delivery of the final study. We put the users of the facility at the center of the project from start to finish, by facilitating interviews, workshops, and feedback sessions with stakeholders to understand their required equipment, operations, and logistics needs to inform our recommendations.

3. The rise of AI and other emerging technologies are driving organizations to modernize and transform the way they work.  How does the work of Strategy+ help businesses to ensure their future success?

My career actually began at IBM, focusing on artificial intelligence technology in the form of text analytics and natural language processing. So now, nearly a decade later, it’s fascinating to witness the widespread adoption of AI across various sectors, including the public sector and our diverse client base.

Generally, when we think about technology, we perceive it as a facilitator for smoother processes, streamlined data gathering, and increased efficiency. The key, though, lies in understanding how people engage with and adopt these tools. Knowing where AI and technology generally provide the most value and how they can be optimally integrated into processes is more important than whether or not the technology is used. The tools by themselves are not valuable at all — the value is only realized when people use and adopt them effectively, maximizing their potential benefits.

So, this is where our Strategy+ team comes in, guiding the people side of technological advancement. We help clients understand the tools available to them. We draw expertise from digital specialists and help our clients to connect the dots — clarifying the objectives behind using specific technologies, identifying potential risks and disruptions to the business, and guiding clients in considering these factors as they plan their digital transformation strategies. We empower our clients to proactively embrace change, harnessing the potential of these innovations, and enabling them to thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

4. Are there specific strategies or frameworks you utilize to assess and enhance the social value of infrastructure projects in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is home to a diverse population, and it’s crucial that we prioritize communities that may have been overlooked historically and adversely affected by past investments as we design the future of infrastructure in LA. This shift aligns with the broader commitments of the City of LA and LA County to integrate equity into every infrastructure initiative.

At Strategy+, we embed this equity focus into our strategic planning process. When defining program success, we include equity as a fundamental aspect of our discussions. We approach equitable outcomes and social impact with the same rigor as we do business outcomes, ensuring they are integral to our project objectives. We’re actively partnering with our clients to drive tangible social change in Los Angeles. We establish equity-based objectives, make sure we center the right people and track the right data. This holistic approach is testament to our dedication in fostering meaningful social impact in the Los Angeles area.

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Ana is a social anthropologist with over 15 years of experience in social consulting in Mexico and Latin America, specializing in social and sustainable development. She is currently a candidate for a master’s degree in Sustainable Development. Additionally, she collaborates with the environmental team on due diligence and compliance evaluations with the Equator Principles, the International Finance Corporation, and the World Bank. She is also certified as a Social Audit in SA8000.

Tell us about a project that has been a major highlight of your career.

I’m currently completing a social impact assessment and managing social and sustainability actions for a client from the oil and gas industry. Through this project, we’re evaluating and mitigating the social and environmental impacts of the client’s operations. We’re also implementing social and sustainability actions to benefit local communities. These include job creation, support for education, and delivering projects that will boost the sustainable growth of the communities. My team and I are working closely with the communities and client to ensure that these positive impacts extend beyond the project’s life and into the future.

What was a key challenge you faced while working on this project? How did you solve it?

Our client has previously completed environmental impact and risk assessments, but this was its first social impact assessment. Government regulations require remedial actions for both the environment and communities impacted by the oil and gas industry, so the challenge was to develop innovative solutions to real-life problems in the region.

The social impact assessment requires a deep understanding of what the communities need and want. We’ve used our understanding to direct and guide the client’s actions in sustainable investments in ways that align with the communities’ needs. We’ve reviewed and monitored the client’s suppliers, both from civil society and universities, to assess their capabilities in relation to the proposals derived from the social impact assessment.

Our biggest challenge has been identifying which investment actions are most appropriate for the community and most sustainable while aligning our strategy with our client’s corporate and ESG objectives. We’ve identified ESG projects geared towards environmental education, protection of biodiversity and productive development. To establish the framework for development of the project and to address direct and indirect effects, as well as cumulative impacts, we followed standards that our client holds in high regard. ArchTam’s ESG and social value strategies, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, and the European ESG investment criteria all informed our approach. By helping our client focus on the community’s needs and its assets and strengths, we were able to choose the best investments. For example, sustainable development of fisheries strengthens the competitiveness of fisheries’ areas. So far, they’ve planned to incorporate most of our recommendations, and we’re confident these projects will have a positive long-term impact.

How has this experience shaped your approach to future work?

The opportunity to work on such a relevant and significant project for the community and the environment has been truly rewarding for me. Collaboration with other experts and the strong commitment of the team I work with have been key. Throughout the life of the project, we’ve looked for opportunities to collaborate with other professionals and organizations, and always remained willing to learn and adapt as new challenges arise. Staying current on the latest trends and practices in the field has helped us to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions.

We’ve developed long-term social and sustainability management strategies that I will carry to all future projects. By leveraging the knowledge gained from this project, we can develop tailored strategies and solutions that address the specific needs and concerns of clients within the same industry or outside of the oil and gas sector who are facing similar social and environmental remediation issues. Our approach to social and environmental management includes implementing programs and measures to mitigate the social and environmental impacts resulting from operations. These social investment programs contribute to community development and improvement of the local environment. By transferring best practices and lessons learned, we can assist our clients in addressing similar challenges across different sectors of the industry, promoting a sustainable and responsible approach to managing their social and environmental impacts.

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