The key steps in any social value process

Step 1 Who could benefit from the programme?

Understand the stage of the project, what benefits have been identified in the business case, how do these benefits align with the strategic drivers for the project, identify any gaps, and establish scope.

Step 2 Local stakeholder research

Build on insights from digital research and carry out further engagement with local stakeholders, both digitally and face to face. The goal is to capture the authentic voice of stakeholders and use digital systems to visualise that voice in both quantitative and qualitative terms.

Step 3 Develop outcomes and identify data

Co-design outcomes with the client, aligning them with strategic drivers and carry out a prioritisation exercise. For each outcome, define the input, output and impact metrics and data that will need to be captured.

Case Study: Social value at Sellafield

Costain (as part of the Nexus Decommissioning Alliance) has been supporting Sellafield on its Decommissioning Delivery Partnership (DDP) since it commenced in 2016. The Framework is a long term 10-year contract enabling accelerated risk and hazard reduction, providing capacity and capability to deliver decommissioning tasks and projects.

The DDP social impact plan has been developed in alignment with Sellafield’s social impact objectives: Resilient Economies, Thriving Communities, Social Value Chains, Sustainable Incomes, Collective Impact, and Improve Performance, as well as SiX, Sellafield’s new social impact programme.

The themes were underpinned by several objectives created to ensure social value commitments were met and in turn each objective is measured twice a year through the TOMS framework.

With a focus across West Cumbria, monthly working group meetings ensure coordination and collaboration by all partners with the aim to prioritise the activities that are most effective. At the end 2023, a collective agreement will be achieved on which programmes and initiatives should be focused on, based on being the most beneficial to the community residents and young people.

Andrea Noblett, Sellafield Social Impact

Lead and Nexus Social Impact Representative, conducted a Gap Analysis to ensure that our understanding of how we can maximise support for communities in West Cumbria is aligned with the Sellafield SiX principles and the ‘Aligning the Social Pillar’ strategy. The insights gathered will pave the way for a strengthened Nexus social impact approach.

Step 4 Develop strategy and delivery plan

Identify appropriate local third sector partners and finalise the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each outcome, aiming for a range from minimum compliance to aspirational targets. Input resources and budgets are defined and agreed.

Step 5 Implement and Deliver

Work with the client team to implement and deliver the strategy and plan including using our expertise in delivery methodologies, developing a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with key partners and planning to increase the capacity and capability of these partners beyond the project.

Step 6 Establishing impact

Capture the appropriate date to evaluate impact. This data is obtained directly from the stakeholders and beneficiaries of the activities and supported by client and market information. We work with the Client to select transparent and auditable monetisation options that capture the impact on wellbeing, and we support the benchmarking of the impact.

Step 7 Evaluate and improve

The final step in our process is to evaluate, learn lessons and improve for the next project. We work with stakeholders and beneficiaries to verify the authenticity of the outcomes and their impact. We provide an audit function for clients or for their supply chain to ensure the veracity of the data and reporting process. We evaluate the efficiency of delivery through our impact focus and where appropriate we use our accredited Social Return On Investment (SROI) methodology to evaluate factors such as attribution and duration of impact and to calculate an SROI ratio. Finally, we celebrate success by communicating impact internally and externally, share best practice, and where appropriate publish research.

By using a structured methodology and engaging all stakeholders, social value becomes part of the project or programme and not a side distraction. It actually enhances project outcomes and ensures that considerations are made at all stages to the wider economic, social and environmental impact.

If you’d like to speak to one of our experts to understand how you can maximise the social value on your project, please contact jeremy.galpin@costain.coms.

Jacobs to design maintenance systems for world’s largest fusion experiment

Jacobs was selected to design and engineer remotely-operated tools for ITER, the world’s largest fusion power project.

A four-year framework with a possible two-year extension, the contract covers work on up to 25 diagnostic ports and systems that are critical for operating and sustaining the ITER experimental machine now being built in Provence, France.

The project will capitalize on extensive remotehandling experience and knowledge of the diagnostics and port cell areas gained from previous work.

“Our support of the maintenance of these diagnostics systems not only delivers on Jacobs’ commitment to climate response but also our purpose of creating a more connected, sustainable world,” said Jacobs Energy, Security and Technology Senior Vice President Karen Wiemelt. “Through our team in Aix-en-Provence, combined with the full strength of Jacobs’ global capability, we will work with ITER to channel our technology-enabled knowledge and experience toward benefitting people and the planet.”

ITER, which is supported by more than 30 nations, aims to create the conditions for a self-sustaining fusion reaction, which is a crucial steppingstone toward developing fusion power stations and creating a new source of emission-free, almost unlimited energy for the world.