The buildings where our public and community services are delivered (our social infrastructure) strongly influence the places they serve, the wider economy and the quality of people’s lives. But the demands upon our social infrastructure are changing, as reflected in the Public Service Reform Strategy.
The industry that delivers these buildings is changing too. We need to think about how we approach and deliver the social infrastructure of the future.
Scottish Government in partnership with Scottish Futures Trust have started to explore the potential for a new approach to Scotland’s new and refurbished social infrastructure.
We believe there is an opportunity to improve how these buildings are planned, funded, procured and delivered through a more joined-up use of public resources, data and expertise. We now want to progress this opportunity and develop the right approach for the future with the input of partners across the public and private sector.
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.
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