No Halo News · Sourced development
Urban Institute case study says Workers Defense Project’s Better Builder model offers transferable lessons on construction job quality
An Urban Institute case study published September 15 documented Workers Defense Project’s Better Builder program, which establishes wage, benefit, safety and training standards for participating construction projects. Researchers identified worker participation, independent compliance monitoring, worker education and systematic data collection as important parts of the model. The study was based on existing literature and interviews with Workers Defense Project staff and partners rather than a causal outcome evaluation.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
The report provides independent documentation of an innovative, worker-led approach to improving construction job quality and enforcing safety commitments. Its monitoring and accountability lessons may be useful to governments, funders and worker organizations in other places.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
The findings and conclusions were reported by Urban Institute researchers Julia Payne and Hailey D’Elia.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not independently measured worker wage, safety, benefit or employment outcomes. The study does not establish causal impact and relied partly on interviews with Workers Defense Project personnel and partners.
Right of reply
Organization response
Workers Defense Project staff and partners participated in the researchers’ interviews. No separate written response to the published case study was located in the consulted material.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Independent Impact Evidence. Current state: Reported. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published September 15, 2026 · Last verified September 17, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.