How social value can drive place-based investment

Projects across the private, public and NGO sectors are increasingly focusing on long-term societal value and ensuring positive outcomes for communities. The challenge for decision-makers is to quantify this value, in monetary terms, to strengthen investment decisions and fine-tune project planning. By merging data analysis with insights from community engagement, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of potential societal and community benefits that aren’t purely financial, and how this can be applied to create thriving places and spaces.

In this Accredited Technical Masterclass, our experts will combine theoretical knowledge with practical examples, equipping you with the tools you need to increase the positive social impact, and meaningful community outcomes of your projects.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Understanding social value: Dive into the concept of social value and discover its pivotal role in decision-making.
   
• Measuring data through social value: Understand how to merge theoretical approaches with case studies to gather behavioural data and draw out meaningful insights to use it effectively.
   
• Involving the community in decision-making: Find out why it’s crucial to involve the community and how to successfully implement qualitative engagement techniques. 

Southern Hemisphere event

Duration: 1 hour
Location: ON24 virtual event

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Northern Hemisphere event

Duration: 1 hour

Location: ON24 virtual event

Speakers

Simon brings over 24 years’ experience leading consultancy teams around the world, including in the United Kingdom, Middle East, Southeast Asia and China. Simon leads the Movement Strategies team at GHD which joined GHD in early 2020. Simon has led the development of a range of first of a kind products that leverage big data, including mobility and spend, extracting insight to help clients understand the performance of places, the behaviour of the visitors in these locations and the impact of investment or interventions. Simon’s technical skills, knowledge, and experience include transport infrastructure space planning, demand forecasting, project sponsorship, transport scheme appraisal and strategic transport policy development.

Hugh, an advisor within GHD Advisory’s Strategic Consulting Team, brings his expertise in planning, public policy and strategic development to governmental clients in the UK, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. He has conducted feasibility studies, assessments and strategic planning that form the backbone of critical investment decisions. As a qualified urban planner, Hugh has a wealth of experience in preparing planning permits and advising on approval pathways across various sectors, including transport, energy and water. In 2020 he returned to GHD after further honing his skills through postgraduate studies at the University of Cambridge as a Sir John Monash Scholar. His research focused on the development of business cases and public appraisal of infrastructure projects in the UK.

Facilitator

Melissa has spent 17 years in the planning and development industry and has been the technical lead of various projects across both private and public sectors throughout Australia and internationally. As the Global Program Manager for Future Communities at GHD, Melissa is at the forefront of developing and implementing global strategies. She leads a diverse, multi-disciplinary team, managing multiple value streams within a dynamic, innovative, global programme. Her broad expertise includes strategic planning, policy development, legislative review and development assessment.