A new review from the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) says Scotland's construction sector has been instrumental in delivering social value through public sector projects over the past ten years, and sets out how that impact can be expanded and better measured.

In Delivering Social Impact from Scottish Public Sector Construction Projects – a review of practice 2015 – 2025, SFT notes that with the public sector investing billions of pounds each year in social infrastructure, construction activity is generating wide-ranging benefits for communities, the economy and the environment.

Since 2016, regulated construction contracts have contained social impact requirements to support sustainable procurement duties. Earlier guidance, including SFT's 2015 Community Benefit Toolkit for Construction, helped public bodies and contractors define, procure and deliver measurable social value.

Reflecting on a decade of practice, the review identifies lessons across the project lifecycle. In pre-procurement, earlier planning and engagement — including place-based approaches — can improve outcomes and reach priority or hard-to-reach groups. Public bodies are encouraged to set clear social impact plans aligned to corporate and local priorities, and to appoint a social impact champion to connect project delivery with wider strategies.

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At procurement, clear and proportionate requirements encourage innovation and better results, with targets calibrated to supply chain capacity and processes that invite suppliers to propose creative, high-impact initiatives.

For monitoring and evaluation, the growing use of digital platforms and social impact portals is strengthening tracking, reporting and validation. Robust management and oversight remain essential, alongside knowledge-sharing across the public sector to maximise impact.

Steve Whitton, associate director at the Scottish Futures Trust, and author of the Report, explained: "The construction sector has made significant strides over the past decade, particularly in improving the quality and relevance of social impact initiatives delivered on projects.

"Looking ahead, new legislation and policies, such as the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill, will place even greater emphasis on embedding social value in capital investment programmes."

The review concludes that public sector clients can realise further benefits by developing focused, proportionate social impact plans that align activity with local and national priorities, emphasise high‑quality requirements at project level, demonstrate the value created, and adopt standardised metrics for consistent reporting at scale.

Stuart Calderwood, Community Benefits & Sustainable Procurement Manager (Commercial & Procurement Shared Service – Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and The Highland Council) stated: "SFT's Social Impact Report provides clear, practical guidance for embedding social value in construction projects.

"By highlighting measurable outcomes, proportionate planning, and innovative approaches, it helps public bodies and contractors maximise impact, align with local and national priorities, and deliver tangible benefits to communities, the economy, and the environment."

SFT says that by continuing to harness Scotland's substantial public sector construction investment and prioritising high‑impact social value requirements, the industry can deliver lasting gains for communities, workers and the wider economy.