Social Value & Equity Solutions
Powering change to deliver greater value to the communities our clients serve
We provide social value and equity delivery strategies and services to clients globally. We work collaboratively to drive positive impacts and transformative outcomes – socially, environmentally and economically – by putting people and society at the heart of decision making.
We use digital and smart technology to enable data-driven solutions, which helps us identify better ways of approaching projects and programs, unlock efficiencies and optimize the value created for society.
At ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥, we strive to leave things better than we found them.
What is social value?
Social value represents the overall impact that society experiences from a policy, project or investment. By understanding this impact and recognizing the value people assign to it, we can enhance our strategies in investment, design and operations. This allows us to maximize the benefits delivered to society and achieve greater value from our investments and operations.
What we do
We work with public, non-governmental, private and nonprofit clients spanning different sectors and industries to help them realize social value and equity opportunities through their projects, programs and services. We do this by embedding social, economic and environmental benefit generation into delivery to provide positive and transformative outcomes.
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Articulate
We support clients and projects in understanding social value and equity, defining what this means to them. We establish processes and develop systems to best embed social value and equity principles – whether it’s in policy development or throughout the lifecycle of a program or project.
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Generate
We support clients and project teams in taking a strategic approach to social value and equity to maximize positive and transformative outcomes including social, economic and environmental factors.
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Measure
We provide clients and project teams with the right tools to robustly measure the impact and understand the value which organizations and supply chains are delivering.
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Evidence and improve
We develop logical reporting mechanisms and governance structures that provide clients and projects with confidence in telling the full story of the value they create for society.
Featured projects
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Thames Tideway Tunnel
With the project almost 90% complete in May 2023, socio-economic benefits were achieved, building the local economy and leaving a legacy beyond the program.
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The Elizabeth Line
The project acted as a catalyst for regeneration across London and delivered more than just a railway. The improved transport links are transforming the areas through which it runs – driving development, attracting investment and jobs.
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Transpennine Route Upgrade
The project will achieve far more than improving railway assets — it will enhance lives in a legacy of moving more essential goods by rail, attracting more people to use the train, helping communities prosper, creating jobs for local people and applying decarbonization principles.
Listen now: A Blueprint for Social Value
How Businesses Can Shape a Better Future
Driving more social value for people, communities and investors is not a corporate tick box exercise; it’s a vital element for organizations that must increasingly demonstrate their purpose beyond profit, generating greater value for stakeholders and shareholders.
The two guests on this episode are celebrated for getting this mix right globally: Dr Mary-Kathryn Adams (known as MK), Chief Executive Officer of Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥, and Toyin Ogunfolaju, Director Social Value Americas at ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥.
Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥
Social value is a fast-evolving field and its successful delivery requires a wide range of specialities in unique areas. Through our partnership, Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥, we're a global leader in social value, well-being research and impact evaluation.
Working with clients to optimize and inform even the most complex decisions, Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ deploys evidenced approaches combined with innovative and bespoke solutions designed to provide assurance and withstand scrutiny. Shaping policies that can change lives, Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ has contributed to internationally endorsed methods set out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and government-produced guidelines, including the U.K. Government’s HM Treasury Green Book.
Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ has an established track record of helping clients understand, measure and evidence the impact of their work in the real world. Through research and advisory, we've transformed how clients measure what matters most and how they use these insights to improve outcomes for individuals, for communities and for businesses and organizations.
Meet some of our social value and equity team
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Sarah Rial FICRS
Senior Associate Director, Social Outcomes, Equity and Health
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Toyin Ogunfolaju
Director, Social Value Americas
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Mala Alahmadi
Social Values Advisory Lead, Strategic Consulting Middle East
From our newsroom
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ShowcaseFast-Tracking Social Value with the Transpennine Route Upgrade
The Transpennine Route Upgrade will transform journeys and communities across the North of England by creating jobs and connecting cities with a cleaner and more efficient railway and a pioneering social value program.
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NewsHow to Drive Greater Returns in Social Value: A Q&A With Alfie Gilbert
Social value is no longer just a corporate tickbox — it’s a blueprint for social, environmental and economic success. However, getting it right is a complex task requiring inspirational leadership, cross-sector skills and innovation within technology and processes. Alfie Gilbert is helping to pioneer the right mixture of all three.
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News÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ Advances Pioneering Technology to Reduce Battery Waste
Did you know ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ partners with small and diverse-owned businesses every day to deliver more connected, sustainable solutions around the world? In this article, read about our work with HaiLa Technologies Inc to reduce power consumption for a more sustainable tomorrow.
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NewsNew Report from Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ and the London School of Economics and Political Science on UK Wellbeing During COVID-19
Today ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥' subsidiary Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) published a report looking at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of people in the U.K. The report found "substantially worse" levels of wellbeing and psychological distress across the U.K. in April 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Levels of all measures of wellbeing are at the lowest in the U.K. since records began in 2011 and many parts of the population are over the threshold for psychiatric morbidity. The costs of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures on mental health and wellbeing were calculated to have an indicative monetary value to the U.K. of £2.25 billion ($2.8bn) per day, equivalent to £43 ($53) per adult each day1. This is the net cost as both the positive and negative effects of COVID-19 and social distancing were included in the analysis.
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NewsSimetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ Contributes to New Guidance on Wellbeing Analysis
Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥â€™ research is incorporated in the U.K. Government’s new Green Book supplementary guidance for the economic appraisal of wellbeing.
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NewsHow Edinburgh is Putting People at The Heart of its City Design
With growing demands being placed on them, cities can’t stand still: they need to change and adapt to respond to the needs of their citizens and be economically competitive. Edinburgh is joining a growing movement of cities around the world – including New York, Oslo, Copenhagen, Madrid and Cape Town – that are progressively introducing measures to transform their centers. What if we showed you how, as the city embarks on this transformation journey, ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ is helping Edinburgh ensure it puts people ahead of design and firmly projects its world heritage reputation into the future?
Our insights
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Beyond the Baseline
In this thought leadership series, we explore how infrastructure projects can leverage the once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver transformative outcomes at scale.
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Before & Beyond the Build
÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ and Simetrica-÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ release a thought leadership paper which asks the question: What if infrastructure could be planned, delivered/built and operated to generate enduring social value and positive community outcomes?
Featured articles
New Civil Engineer:
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