On Wednesday 29th January, the Constructing Excellence Conference 2025, ‘Delivering Excellence’, took place. Four panel discussions took place throughout the event focusing on key topics in construction right now.
The third panel of the day focused on ‘Better for Society’ and explored the need for a built environment that is fit for the society it serves. How can we deliver a society that serves all? How do we understand, design for and deliver projects that support the needs of the world we live in? Where are the best practice examples that we can look towards to help guide us on our journey to a better industry?
We were delighted to be joined by a range of industry professionals who shared their own experiences and insights into the theme. The session was Chaired by Phil Wilbraham and panellists included Kaie Small-Warner, Mark Beirne, Lydia McGuinness and Alex Lubbock.
During the session, attendees were polled to explore the dedication organisations demonstrate to delivering better and the actions we can all take within our day to day jobs to improve our impact upon society.
Empowering Employees
To retain and develop talent, it is essential that we nurture employees through continuous development programs and provide opportunities for progression. The industry offers a wide range of roles and skills that are often misunderstood, and it is crucial to educate and engage both senior leadership and managers to ensure alignment, especially in fostering an environment for young workers. Empowering employees by involving site teams in decision-making and offering them a voice in their work is key to creating a positive culture. Trust, transparency, and flatter hierarchies help build stronger relationships, while also emphasising the importance of ESG initiatives to attract a dynamic, younger workforce who seek practical, visible examples rather than abstract strategies. A culture of caring, recognition, and social value is vital.
Education & Opportunities
The construction industry faces a significant skills shortage, which poses a challenge in properly delivering social outcomes. To address this, it is crucial to attract and retain talented individuals, providing clear pathways to high-value, well-paid jobs. While many opportunities do exist, the routes to these are often unclear. Programmes, such as Cara EPS’ apprenticeship scheme which is supporting individuals from deprived communities, demonstrate the potential to help people progress and build successful careers. Additionally, initiatives such as the Generation4Change Mentoring scheme play a vital role in guiding and supporting the next generation, helping bridge the gap and create career pathways in the industry.
Value Vs Cost
Delivering value goes beyond focusing solely on short-term profits and instead involves a broader perspective of what constitutes good practice. Shifting from a price-based tender evaluation model to one that emphasises quality, such as an 80:20 approach, is possible and can lead to better long-term outcomes. Client-side intervention, particularly in the public sector, can play a vital role in driving this shift. This approach doesn’t need to be costly or intimidating to the market; small steps can lead to significant improvements. Ultimately, the emphasis should be on collaboration, care, and making a meaningful impact, rather than just numbers.
Caring for the Community
The industry needs to focus on caring for communities and addressing their unique needs to deliver value to society. This requires removing barriers for certain demographics. We won’t always get it right, but we should focus on tangible impacts and share stories of how projects have positively changed lives. Poor housing, which costs vulnerable households billions, is a critical issue, with an estimated £135.5billion impact- we need to ensure we address human health issues, such as air quality, ventilation, and potential hazards, when delivering projects. To better understand and address these challenges, hyper-local needs analysis is available through ONS.
What Next
To deliver social value we need to stay strong and stand firm in our beliefs and actively challenge toxic views. It’s essential that we recognise the barriers many people face and acknowledge our own privileges, using that awareness to support those who lack such advantages. While significant progress has been made, there is still much work to do, and we must continue to push forward at an even faster pace.
The Value Toolkit will be a useful tool in driving better social outcomes, offering a structured approach to delivering value. By fostering collaboration and ensuring that all stakeholders have a voice, Constructing Excellence plays a key role in creating partnerships that work towards shared goals. This inclusive approach will help to address the diverse needs and interests of different communities, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and impactful outcomes.
Join us in our mission to deliver a better built environment, find out more about membership or explore our groups’ activities.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
Read the outputs from the other sessions from the 2025 Constructing Excellence Conference:
Better for the Bottom Line
