In 2015 the Major Projects Association launched a Gender Balance Initiative to understand why there were fewer women than men working in our industries and seeking co-created answers to this lack of diversity. The Initiative came at the right time and struck a chord with senior leaders. We held seminars, produced reports and undertook research and due to hard work by many people the proportion of women at all levels and particularly in senior roles increased dramatically. Ten years on and the personnel landscape of major projects initiation and delivery is very different to what we saw in 2015.
The Association subsequently turned its attention to wider issues around equality, diversity and inclusion. One of the central tenets of this work has been the Inclusion Moment – a few minutes at the beginning of our events where someone raises awareness of a key element about inclusion. 2024 was the first year in which we held an inclusion moment at the start of our core events. During the year we were privileged to hear from a wide range of speakers on topics as varied as bias in AI and the importance of allyship.
The purpose of the “Inclusion Moment” is multifaceted. In the first instance it’s about setting an intent to consider inclusion in everything we do, a reminder that inclusion is not a separate exercise but integrated into our everyday.
The “inclusion moment” was introduced as a provocation for quiet reflection, a grounding statement to ensure that the rest of the days event was considerate to inclusion.
The Chairs recognise that the Inclusion Hub usually attracts people to which inclusion is particularly important. Maybe they themselves are part of a minority group, or, as an ally, they feel strongly that a minority group should be understood and more properly supported. These people will readily engage in and be considerate of inclusion in their activities.
By taking the inclusion moment to every main MPA event, inclusion is now being presented to those who don’t usually have the imperative to think about it, for whatever reason. We as Chairs were keen to bring the conversation to a broader audience in a simple but impactful way.
We are so pleased to see that during 2024, all main MPA events had an inclusion moment. And they have by far exceeded our expectations. With the sharing of impactful stories and insightful discussions, we wish for the inclusion moments to continue in 2025 bringing quality discussions, new ideas and insights and more action.
Jeanette Pope
Katrina McGee
Joint Chairs of the Inclusion Hub
What makes a powerful Inclusion Moment?
We have reviewed all of the Inclusion Moments to date and have learned some key elements which make them powerful messages about how important it is to consider these issues when delivering major projects:
1. Make it relevant – when Rob Kelly from Anglian Water spoke at our seminar on managing a project during a major incident, he talked about the impact of emergency relief on the wellbeing of himself and his team.
2. Tell a story – At our annual conference in 2023 Katharina Ferguson from Lower Thames Crossing told us the story of Dr James Barry a well-regarded army doctor in the late 18th century who was in fact a woman. The only way she could access medical training and a career was to pretend to be a man. A feat she pulled off until her post-mortem revealed her female anatomy.
3. Make it personal – Al Simmonite talked about the importance of allyship and told the seminar delegates how he had learned the importance of this in his role as a parent of neurodivergent children.
4. Include a call to action – Emma Howard Boyd (our ex Chair) invited delegates at the 2024 Prestige Event to walk through the Institution of Civil Engineers and try to spot all the portraits of historic Presidents of the Institution who were not white and male.
We believe these are the key elements of a successful Inclusion Moment to help others to spread these ideas far and wide.
Featured Inclusion Moments
Looking beyond what we can see by Stuart Cullay, Customer & Social Value Lead, Aureos, on 18 September 2026.
Planning and consents: Making all voices heard by Pippa Macaulay, Senior Engagement Consultant, Ardent Management Limited, on 16 June 2026.
The power of micro actions by Alexander Herridge, Senior Carbon Reduction Manager, Anglian Water, on 21 April 2026.
Challenging microaggressions by Philip Heathcote, PhD Candidate, UCL & Associate, UK Rail Advisory Ltd, on 18 March 2026.
Small changes to drive inclusive conversation by Francesca Fozard, Associate, Gardiner & Theobald LLP, on 10 February 2026.
All accents welcome by Professor Christine Unterhitzenberger, University of Leeds, on 9 March 2026.
Collaboration and mindset by Siobhan Mulcahy, NATS, on 5 November 2025.
Considering neurodiversity during project closure by Hannah Wight, Jacobs, on 16 September 2025.
Mental health matters by Bradley Moore, Associate Consultant, Gardiner & Theobald LLP, on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
Inclusion and connectedness by Catherine Barnett-Jaafar, Director, EY, on Tuesday 7 October 2025 at our Annual Conference.
Can you be an Inclusion Moment speaker?
The Inclusion Hub are seeking volunteers to contribute Inclusion Moments at our upcoming events. These moments offer you the chance to highlight a personal insight, initiative, or reflection that supports inclusion across major projects. If you can can volunteer, suggest a speaker or would like to discuss an idea, please email Ellie Gregory via mpa@majorprojects.org.
Past Inclusion Moments
Read the transcripts of past presentations so that you can reflect and share the lessons contained within them, as well as using them for inspiration for your own Inclusion Moments.
Explore our digests: