Request
Please could you provide the following information in relation to the stakeholder sentiment analysis that the NLWA’s contractor AECOM conducted on it’s behalf in early 2021 (or broadly around that time). Under this exercise AECOM interviewed many Authority Members and Borough officers engaged with the NLWA individually and in small groups with a view to gathering a picture of these individual’s perspectives around the NLWA.
- Any brief or instructions provided to AECOM in any format and any iterations thereof.
- The budgeted and actual costs of the exercise as itemised in any financial records/plans, purchase orders and/or invoices. If not specifically itemised please provide estimated figures and indicate whether any figures are from itemised or estimated costs.
- Any outputs (redacted as necessary) of any nature at any time in the process (including interim updates and iterations) in any format including (but not confined to) emails, minutes or notes from meetings, PowerPoint or similar presentation aids and/or reports.
- In the event that any such outputs, including any draft outputs that were produced or developed but were not progressed to final versions, are withheld on the grounds that they are exempt from disclosure please list these and your reasons for withholding them.
- Please provide any and all digital and other correspondence (redacted as necessary) through whatever medium in addition to minutes or notes of meetings, both internal and involving external parties, that make reference to this exercise including its planning and any consideration of the outputs outside of the period that the exercise itself was undertaken. Please exclude any basic correspondence that would realistically offer no insight such as those limited to organisation of the the timings of the interviews.
Response
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your request for information, dated 03 June 2026. which has been allocated the reference number 2026-278 and is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. You have requested information regarding the stakeholder focus groups qualitative research carried out in 2021 by AECOM on behalf of North London Waste Authority.
You have asked NLWA to provide:
- Any brief or instructions provided to AECOM in any format and any iterations thereof.
- The budgeted and actual costs of the exercise as itemised in any financial records/plans, purchase orders and/or invoices. If not specifically itemised please provide estimated figures and indicate whether any figures are from itemised or estimated costs.
- Any outputs (redacted as necessary) of any nature at any time in the process (including interim updates and iterations) in any format including (but not confined to) emails, minutes or notes from meetings, PowerPoint or similar presentation aids and/or reports.
- In the event that any such outputs, including any draft outputs that were produced or developed but were not progressed to final versions, are withheld on the grounds that they are exempt from disclosure please list these and your reasons for withholding them.
- Please provide any and all digital and other correspondence (redacted as necessary) through whatever medium in addition to minutes or notes of meetings, both internal and involving external parties, that make reference to this exercise including its planning and any consideration of the outputs outside of the period that the exercise itself was undertaken. Please exclude any basic correspondence that would realistically offer no insight such as those limited to organisation of the timings of the interviews.
Our response is below:
We can confirm we hold the information you have requested.
AECOM acts as an adviser on the North London Heat and Power Project to provide advice and support in stakeholder management, communications and social value.
In March 2021 AECOM was commissioned to carry out qualitative research to understand how NLWA is viewed and inform the Authority's approach to communication with residents and wider stakeholders.
Personal information has been redacted from documents where necessary.
The brief for this research is:
Focus Group NLHPP NLWA Brief as seen attached
The following report sets out the method and results of this research:
AECOM NLWA Qualitative Research Report June 2021_Redacted
The invoices for this research are:
AECOM Invoice 28466680_Redacted
AECOM Invoice 28474252_Redacted
Following the research NLWA officers identified actions to take which are recorded here:
Focus Group Report Actions Identified 27.9.21_Redacted
In October 2021, AECOM carried out further focus groups with residents.
The results of the research are detailed in this report in November 2021:
AECOM NLWA Residents Awareness Research Report November 2021_Redacted
And was summarised in a report to Members in January 2022:
Programme Committee report to Members January 2022
The invoice for this research are:
AECOM Invoice 28481730_Redacted
NLWA went through a LGA Corporate Peer Challenge in 2023. This recognised improvements in communications and stakeholder engagement had been made in the years since the 2021 research and recommended further areas to strengthen. The progress review in January 2024 noted further progress had been made in these areas.
Supporting information
A number of supporting documents and correspondence are included below:
(list the docs that are not already mentioned above)
NLHPP - NLWA Focus Group Inception Minutes 2021-02-24_Redacted.pdf
NLHPP resident focus groups email 14 July 2021_Redacted.pdf
Focus Groups - Report email 17 Sept. 2021_Redacted.pdf
Focus Groups - summary email 01.11.2021_Redacted.pdf
Focus Groups email 22.11.2021_Redacted.pdf
Resident Focus Groups summary messages 22.11.21 (attachment).pdf
Information withheld –
NLHPP NLWA Focus Group AECOM Proposal 09.02.2021
NLWA Resident Focus Groups AECOM Proposal 5 Oct 2021
The above-mentioned information is being withheld under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (commercial interests).
Disclosure of details contained within the contractor’s proposal would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the contractor, as it includes commercially sensitive information such as pricing structures, methodologies, and/or strategic approaches. Releasing this information could disadvantage the contractor in future competitive tendering exercises by revealing aspects of their bid to competitors.
In addition, disclosure would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of the authority, as it could undermine its ability to secure best value in future procurements by weakening fair competition and discouraging contractors from sharing detailed or innovative proposals
Section 43(2) is a qualified exemption, and we have therefore considered the public interest test.
Public interest test
We recognise there is a public interest in transparency around procurement and the use of public funds. However, there is a stronger public interest in protecting commercially sensitive information, maintaining fair competition, and ensuring that the authority can continue to obtain best value through effective procurement processes. On balance, the public interest favours maintaining the exemption.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you may ask for an internal review, which should be submitted within two months of when you received our response to either informationrequests@nlwa.gov.uk or enquiry form quoting the above reference.
If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you may complain to the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, or via their online portal. The Information Commissioner will not usually accept complaints before a review has been completed.
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Kind regards,
North London Waste Authority
