Over the past five weeks, the team has been on the road across Scotland, visiting Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen. Here are the key takeaways.
1. Social value is now central, not supplementary
Across every region, social value was not a side conversation. It was front and centre. Organisations are increasingly focused on tangible local outcomes, from skills and employability to community investment and measurable benefits. As part of Places for People Group, all surplus generated through our activity is reinvested back into communities through our Giving Back strategy and it was encouraging to see how strongly this resonates with partners and clients alike.
2. The biggest tension remains pace versus governance
A consistent theme was the pressure to move quickly while maintaining robust procurement processes. Many teams are managing constrained internal resource alongside growing delivery expectations. Collaborative approaches, early engagement and clear governance pathways are becoming increasingly important in helping clients balance speed with compliance.
3. Transparency expectations continue to rise
There is a growing emphasis on clarity around pricing, risk allocation and reporting. Open dialogue around cost certainty, particularly across complex programmes, is increasingly valued. Across discussions, there was strong appetite for approaches that support better visibility and stronger assurance throughout delivery.
4. Regional priorities differ more than ever
While many challenges are shared nationally, priorities vary significantly by region. Some regions remains highly active with diverse pipelines, while conversations in others often centred on capacity, supply chain resilience and long-term estate strategy. Understanding these regional differences across Scotland is essential to delivering effectively.
5. Early engagement consistently leads to better outcomes
One of the clearest messages from the tour was the value of early conversations. Whether around feasibility, programme planning or market engagement, earlier involvement consistently supports stronger delivery outcomes and more efficient procurement routes.
6. Looking Ahead
The tour reinforced the importance of being present, listening closely and continuing to work collaboratively with organisations delivering projects on the ground across Scotland. If you would like to discuss any of the themes above or explore how our procurement solutions, including MPF2 with Robertson Group, are supporting delivery in practice, feel free to get in touch.