Accredited Technical Masterclass 18

Heightened public scrutiny, polarised views and social opposition are making infrastructure projects harder to deliver than ever across energy, water, transport and emerging industries. Technical excellence alone is no longer enough to secure community confidence and project success, positioning trust as a key delivery driver instead of a nice to have.

This 60-minute masterclass explores trust as a critical element of successful project delivery rather than a communication challenge. Drawing on behavioural science, social licence experience and lessons from real infrastructure projects, participants will gain practical insights into how trust influences project outcomes and how organisations can respond when confidence begins to erode.

What you'll gain
By attending this masterclass, you will be able to:

Explain the behavioural and social drivers that influence community trust, opposition, and acceptance of infrastructure projects.
Recognise early indicators that trust is strengthening, stagnating, or deteriorating, and explain how project decisions influence stakeholder confidence.
Identify practical actions that project teams and leaders can take to build trust and maintain social licence throughout the project lifecycle.

Who it's for
Designed for project owners, project directors, senior managers, asset owners, government leaders, risk managers and decision-makers responsible for delivering infrastructure projects. This session provides practical guidance for building trust, maintaining social licence, and navigating stakeholder complexity.

Don't forget to complete the short quiz at the end of the class for the opportunity to earn 0.1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU).

Continue your education. Secure your spot today.

Meet your speakers

Meha Bola - Senior Advisor – Engagement, GHD

Meha Bola is a management consultant who helps organisations tackle the people side of complex infrastructure and asset challenges. She draws on her background in civil engineering and organisational and social psychology, giving her a behavioural lens on why people respond to change the way they do, and on what it takes to shift their attitudes.

Meha has directed and worked on projects in organisational assessment and design, strategic communications, facilitation and engagement, change management, and business process improvement. Her work covers the full asset lifecycle, from planning and delivering capital programs through to asset management, maintenance and operations.

Romina Cavallo - Business Group Leader – Engagement, Communication and Change, GHD

Romina Cavallo leads a national team of more than 50 practitioners who help organisations build trust, navigate complexity and deliver better outcomes with communities and stakeholders. She has supported major transport, aviation, energy and infrastructure projects across Australia, with a focus on building trust and navigating complex issues.

Romina is passionate about the role engagement plays in better project outcomes and stronger communities, and enjoys exploring the intersection of data, insights and engagement to inform better decisions. She also convenes a community engagement course for undergraduate town planning students at the University of NSW.

Lauren Harding - Executive Advisor – Social Sustainability GHD

Lauren Harding leads a national team of social sustainability practitioners. She has more than 18 years' experience in social impact assessment, stakeholder and community engagement, and Indigenous engagement. Her work helps clients understand how their projects affect communities and build the trust and social licence they need to deliver them.

Lauren has worked across the energy, resources, water, transport and urban development sectors, often on large, complex and contested projects. She regularly leads social impact assessments, social investment and social risk assessment work, helping clients to deliver meaningful benefits and a positive legacy for communities.

Andrew Porter - Global Pursuits and Business Development, GHD

Andrew Porter has 25 years of consulting, leadership and commercial experience across a diverse range of market sectors, including defence, environment and water. In his role as Global Pursuits and Business Development, he uses his deep experience as a strategist, influencer and collaborator to position teams to create holistic, sustainable solutions.

Andrew works with leaders and multidisciplinary teams to navigate stakeholder complexity, align diverse interests and shape strategies that respond to environmental and social expectations. Known for building early and enduring relationships across industry, he combines his commercial insight with a strong understanding of community priorities.

GHD is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognised internationally as a standard development organisation and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.