Welcome to the ANU Institute for Infrastructure in Society’s Next Generation Engagement Program – home to world-leading research, advice and education on engagement and infrastructure delivery.

The global infrastructure sector is booming with more than $292 billion committed to projects in Australia alone. But as the pace and scale of delivery increases – so too does the pressure on communities.

This has contributed to the cancellation, delay or mothballing of more than $30 billion in Australian infrastructure projects over the past decade with similar pressures being seen globally.

Despite the apparent costs of getting the community piece wrong, little data exists to help us understand the role and value of engagement or to inform decision making. That’s where the Next Generation Engagement Program comes in.

As the flagship research program of the Australian National University Institute for Infrastructure in Society (I2S),  we’ve worked with more than 100 leading organisations to define a research agenda to address industry’s most pressing knowledge gaps related to community engagement, social risk management and social licence to operate.

We deliver the only longitudinal study of the Australian infrastructure sector’s experiences of community engagement and social practice, the State of Infrastructure and Engagement. Our Australian Perspectives on Infrastructure project has so far surveyed over 6,000 Australian community members to hear how the Big Build is affecting their lives and has enabled I2S to model the drivers of project acceptance and community resilience. We lead groundbreaking social risk management research, with the support of the Australian Research Council and our Linkage Program Industry Partners.

Our ambitious international research program has the potential to transform the relationship between major projects and communities. Find out more about our current research projects.

Find out more about how your organisation can get involved in this exciting work.