The Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust are exploring a new approach to planning, funding, procuring and delivering schools, health facilities, museums, courts and other social infrastructure.
The aim is to make better use of public resources, data and expertise through a more joined-up approach. From late 2026, we will work with public and private sector partners to explore the opportunities and help shape and implement this approach.
Why social infrastructure matters
Social infrastructure – from schools, health centres and social housing to courts, museums and other public buildings – plays a vital role in the lives of communities and in the strength of Scotland’s economy and public services.
Scotland has a strong track record of using investment in social infrastructure to deliver wider benefits. Programmes such as the Hub Programme, NHS Scotland Assure and the Learning Estate Investment Programme show what can be achieved when the public sector and industry work together around shared ambitions.
But the challenges facing Scotland are changing. Public services need to adapt to demographic change, financial pressures, ageing assets and the need for faster reform. At the same time, social infrastructure is becoming more complex to design, deliver and operate, making it harder to align ambition, affordability and delivery.
We believe there is an opportunity to build on what has worked, bring greater collective insight and capacity to investment decisions, and fundamentally rethink how Scotland plans and delivers social infrastructure.
In 2025, we started to consider the options for a New Delivery Model for Social Infrastructure. We considered this in the context of wider policy goals: economic growth, high-quality and sustainable public services, climate action and the eradication of child poverty.
Our initial work suggests that the time is right to develop a fresh approach, tailored to the needs and opportunities of the future. We believe that this can support the public sector to get better outcomes across the complete project journey, from asset and place-based decision making, concept, and procurement through to use.
A new approach could make the best of data, technology, and innovation to drive continuous improvement. It could also contribute to an inclusive, thriving, and sustainable design and construction sector.
To test our understanding of the challenge and opportunity, and to inform the development of the model we will need the knowledge, experience, and insights of a very wide range of stakeholders.
A phased stakeholder engagement programme will run from autumn 2026 through spring 2027. In the first stages, we want to listen carefully to stakeholders to understand the case for change, their current planning and delivery journey experience and the opportunities and potential benefits a new approach could address.
Before that engagement, we would welcome your perceptions of current social infrastructure delivery and where there may be opportunities for change in our short poll. This snapshot will help us structure the engagement. Please complete the five-question poll, which takes around two minutes.
We would also be pleased to hear from you at ndm@scottishfuturestrust.org.uk
Rachel Todd
Associate Director
Rachel is a strategic, outcome-driven leader with over 15 years’ experience shaping and delivering complex capital development programmes across housing, health, education, and life sciences.
She has held senior roles within the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish Prison Service, leading high-value infrastructure projects and advising on governance, procurement, and long-term estate strategies.
With professional memberships in RICS and the Association for Project Management, Rachel is recognised for mentoring future talent and embedding innovative approaches into public sector delivery.
Contact Rachel
Craig Fraser
Associate Director
Craig has been a Chartered Quantity Surveyor since 2005, with extensive technical expertise across construction processes, a range of contract forms, and procurement methods. He brings over 25 years of industry experience, having worked in client, developer, and contractor roles as a Quantity Surveyor, Commercial Manager, and Project Manager across the UK, USA, and the Caribbean.
He has successfully delivered a diverse portfolio of projects spanning healthcare PFI, education, office, leisure, residential, retail, and industrial sectors, with project values of up to £500 million.
Craig combines deep construction knowledge with a collaborative, trust-based approach, applying strong commercial and project management skills to consistently deliver value for clients and successful project outcomes.
Contact Craig
