Trisha's Blog ISG 19 (May 2026) reflections: Progress, challenges and the road ahead

This meeting brought together a wide range of topics, reflecting the breadth of challenges facing NGET as it transitions into RIIO-T3 - from delivery and engagement through to safety, stakeholder strategy, performance and regulatory alignment.

The Strategic Infrastructure discussion reinforced the sheer scale and complexity of activity, particularly where multiple projects converge. While engagement approaches are well developed, and the NGET team is clearly working hard to engage with communities across England and Wales, there remains a need to continue to think about how to improve transparency and clarity further; especially in sharing with stakeholders how decisions are made. 

In social value, the conversation moved decisively beyond metrics. There is now a clear expectation to demonstrate tangible impact and longer-term legacy, alongside stronger alignment to the wider business narrative.

The safety session reflected the importance of always being vigilant around safety; with pace, workforce dynamics and external factors reshaping risk. A more anticipatory, system-led approach will be essential.

Performance discussions highlighted improving outcomes in some areas, but also limited visibility of underlying trends and drivers. The ISG was clear that its focus is on insight, not just headline metrics. Reporting based on isolated points in time, without sufficient context, makes it difficult to interpret performance or assess trajectory. There would be value in providing more context behind the numbers - particularly in relation to connections - to support a clearer understanding of performance.

There was also a session on stakeholder strategy that highlighted the progress made, but also the importance of maintaining momentum - particularly in embedding engagement consistently across the organisation and ensuring insight is used transparently and credibly. The balance between communication and genuine engagement remains a key area of focus.

 Finally, stakeholder strategy and the Cotswolds VIP discussion both highlighted the importance of alignment - particularly in how stakeholders, NGET and the regulator work through priorities constructively.