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Case Study

Cross Yarra Partnership Design & Construction Joint Venture

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Cross Yarra Partnership Design & Construction Joint Venture

Project Overview

Client
Cross Yarra Partnership Design & Construction Joint Venture
Melbourne

Key Achievements

  • SIMNA Award 2020: Outstanding Collaboration in Social Impact Measurement (Winner)
  • SIMNA Award 2020: Innovation in Social Impact Measurement (Runner-up)

Key Services
Theory of change | Outcomes framework | Evaluation | Social Return on Investment (SROI)

This work is considered to be world-first for a major infrastructure project commissioning both forecast Social Return on Investments (SROIs) to project the possible value of three of the project’s social sustainability initiatives (completed in 2019) and following with evaluative SROIs to measure the actual value created (to be completed in 2020 onwards).

The project to date has entailed three simultaneous SROI reports, involving over 250 stakeholders as part of Cross Yarra Partnership Design and Construction Joint Venture's (CYP D&C) work on the $11b Melbourne Metro Tunnel infrastructure project.


Each SROI was conducted to the highest standard, obtaining assurance from Social Value International and winning two national Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia’s Awards; first place for Outstanding Collaboration in Social Impact Measurement and second place for Innovation in Social Impact Measurement.

This project is providing an important opportunity to understand both the social and economic value that can be created through major infrastructure investments.

'We’re doing something bigger than just putting people into jobs, in some cases we literally turn people’s lives around' - Holmesglen team member

This project found that CYP D&C forecast to create significant social value across three major workforce initiatives:

1) Social procurement through project engagement of aboriginal businesses and social enterprises

2) Inclusive employment opportunities provided for Priority Jobseekers

3) Training and employment of Trainees and Cadets.

  • The ‘Social Procurement’ and ‘Priority Jobseeker’ initiatives are forecast to create the most social value. We forecast that they will create $4.02 and $4.76 of social value for every dollar invested respectively.
  • CYP D&C aims to communicate the value of its investment in social outcomes to a wide audience, demonstrating best practice for the planning and creation of social value that can be achieved through major infrastructure projects. This work can be used to inform governments and other businesses operating in the infrastructure sector both nationally and internationally on the ability to leverage infrastructure investment to enhance social value for communities and the environment.
  • Rebecca Cain, Think Impact’s accredited SROI practitioner and trainer, led the team to engage over 250 stakeholders, develop benefit pathways, rigorous theories of change and value modelling for this major infrastructure project.
  • This work was completed to the highest standard and assured by Social Value International, the peak body responsible for the stewardship of the internationally recognised SROI methodology.
  • Think Impact are proud to be continuing this important work with Cross Yarra Partnerships Design & Construction JV. An evaluative Social Return on Investment report for Social Procurement is currently underway, led by Think Impact’s accredited SROI practitioner, Natasha Rees.
'It’s about breaking the cycles of unemployment that people are often trapped in. It is the thing that excites me the most about what we are doing. We’re hearing feedback almost weekly now on the changes that young people or parents are experiencing now we’ve given them a chance' – CYP D&C Manager
'[Without CYP D&C] I would be stuck in limited, unreliable, employment – in a profession I never planned to work in. I would not be utilising my skills and past experience to anything close to my potential.' – Priority Jobseeker
'[Working with priority jobseekers has] changed the way we address things, the way we talk about people, changed the mindset about how people are different' – Supply chain representative
'Have we changed lives? Five years from now we need to know the answer to this question. This is the first time that a social impact assessment of this scale and magnitude has been done in the construction industry. Think Impact brought CYP D&C on a huge learning curve, and helped deliver our three SROIs with patience, technical proficiency and compassion. Think Impact made sure our people were at the centre of CYP D&C’s social impact assessment, and helped us understand the change we were creating so we could improve our outcomes over time and influence the industry'
CYP D&C Sustainability Practitioner, Kate Rowan

Our collaborators in impact