About Beacon case studies

Beacon Projects highlight examples of good practice in the construction sector that others can learn from and adopt. Beacons are elements of projects or business practices that demonstrate the Construction Sector Accord (the 'Accord') principles in action and are used to promote and share good practice and lessons learned across the sector. Sharing more good practice and lessons learned will support the Accord's vision of 'Creating a thriving, fair and sustainable construction sector for a better Aotearoa New Zealand'

Throughout the year, the Accord selects and profiles projects and companies in a series of Beacon case studies. These case studies will be entered into the annual Beacons Awards.

The case studies that have been shared throughout the year will be acknowledged through the Beacons Awards, with an expert judging panel selecting an overall winner.

Identifying Beacons

Any activity relevant to construction could be a Beacon case study. It might be an entire construction project, an innovative collaboration or people development model, a successful procurement method, a new approach to environmental sustainability, or a unique and innovative business process or tool. It could be a project that is just beginning, or one that has been completed. The project must meet a set criteria and and present a learning opportunity for the construction sector.

To ensure that everyone can learn from Beacons, we are looking for exemplars from projects of different types, sizes and locations that come from across industry and the public sector.

Potential Beacon case studies will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Alignment with the Accord's principles
• Contribution to the Accord's goals and outcomes
• Potential to support innovation
• Replicability across the sector
• Ability to support sector-wide transformation

Potential Beacon case studies can be self-nominated, or identified by Accord partners or others in the sector. The Beacons Awards judging panel will identify the most transformative and impactful projects and businesses in the sector to be celebrated at the annual Beacons Awards. However, all Beacons case studies have an important role to play in demonstrating approaches of different types, and support a culture of sharing and transparency in the industry.

Capacity for producing Beacons case studies in 2023 has reached its maximum, the Accord is currently planning the way Beacons are delivered in 2024 and beyond, if you would like to express your interest in showcasing good practice in your business or organisation, email the Accord Transformation Unit - accord@mbie.govt.nz

Being a Beacon

Being profiled as a Beacon case study gives companies, agencies and organisations the opportunity to be a leader in sector transformation, and to take advantage of the Accord Network to support their initiative. Participants need to be willing to operate their project in line with relevant Accord principles, to share details of their activities, and to report the things that worked well and what could be improved.

This information will be shared with Accord members and the wider sector in a number of ways, including the Accord newsletter and website, in some instances being interviewed for a case study video, and possibly at in-person and virtual events. In this way, entities can help others to improve their practices, which will lead to a better performing sector.

See prior Beacons Case Study Projects