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+--- Thread: Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality (/showthread.php?tid=5225)
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - troll - 23rd February 2014
Chartered status could be seen as a major milestone. Arguably, the profession is now formally taken seriously. In that sense, surely that`s reason enough to celebrate. There are lots of subscribers predicting some fairly serious stuff here including "closed shops" and what is tantamount to funny handshakes. I think that if the IfA had all that on their agenda they wouldn`t have waited for Chartered status before implementing them. My biggest gripe before finally joining the IfA was that I wasn`t taken seriously as an archaeologist simply because I wasn`t a member. As it turned out, this was a circular argument. I`m all for peer review, professional standards and vigorous oversight. As it happens-so are clients and increasingly they choose to commission professionals who subscribe to all of those facets. The Institute (Chartered or otherwise) stands as a professional face of the industry and whether we agree with them or not, they are the only current body out there to be accepted as such by an increasing margin of client groups. Is it such a bad thing that professionals should sign up to standards? Is it such a bad thing to see client groups prefer service providers that have signed up to standards? If we rented a giant site hut for a day and stuffed it full to brimming.....I wager that the consensus would be that we all agreed with the standards themselves. It is the maintenance of those standards that divide us methinks.
With our collectively owned heritage as the focus, I believe that a professional Institute is the way forwards. In short, it`s up to us all to determine just how professional we want our industry to be and individual responsibility is key. The vast majority of us will say that we take responsibility every day in what we do but in the commercial world, is that enough for clients? Membership in my view demonstrates (to the client and potential employers) that I take formal responsibility within determined frames of reference and if and when I step outside of them, a client (or employer) has recourse to formal resolution. It`s that simple to me at least. Chartered status in my view has finally given us a seat at the top table already enjoyed by other professions. It`s up to us what we do with that seat. If, like me, you have had a gut-full of pantomime and charades where the incompetent hide behind ill-deserved pay grades.......stand up and sign up to standards......take part in enforcing them.....submit yourself to peer review. Better to be inside the tent p***ing out than outside pi***ing in?
Bottom line; The commercial world prefers formally recognised and accountable professionals. Chartered status confers that. In or not?
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - Wax - 23rd February 2014
troll Wrote:Bottom line; The commercial world prefers formally recognised and accountable professionals. Chartered status confers that. In or not?
Unfotunately that is the bottom line whether I like it or not and much as I have to grit my teeth saying it I am going to have to join.
I am all for standards and do follow them but the IFA are not the only ones out there developing standards and involved in consultations (lets not forget the CBA and EH both organisations have worked hard behind the scenes and perhaps dont shout so loudly about what they do).
I wonder how the IFA will develop when it gets an influx of people joining who hate its current structure and its lack of upholding of its own standards. Could be interesting, the inside of the tent could get very wet:face-huh:
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - mendipgeoarch - 24th February 2014
Hear, Hear! Well put Troll - my sentiments exactly!
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - BAJR - 24th February 2014
Mr Troll. he speaketh the truth!
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - Dinosaur - 24th February 2014
And yet, as has pointed out regularly on here, IfA may talk the talk there's no evidence that they've ever walked the walk - fancy talk about standards is meaningless if they have no intention of ever being bothered to enforce them, and its not clear how chartered status will improve that. All that will happen is that they'll continue to condone the s**te outfits who happen to be ROs (or now 'chartered') whilst penalising ok outfits that aren't
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - kevin wooldridge - 24th February 2014
Dinosaur Wrote:. All that will happen is that they'll continue to condone the s**te outfits who happen to be ROs (or now 'chartered') whilst penalising ok outfits that aren'tIfA have no remit to penalise 'outfits' that aren't members or ROs. As far as I am aware they have never done so. Perhaps you could be specific...
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - P Prentice - 24th February 2014
Dinosaur Wrote:And yet, as has pointed out regularly on here, IfA may talk the talk there's no evidence that they've ever walked the walk - fancy talk about standards is meaningless if they have no intention of ever being bothered to enforce them, and its not clear how chartered status will improve that. All that will happen is that they'll continue to condone the s**te outfits who happen to be ROs (or now 'chartered') whilst penalising ok outfits that aren'tas far as i am aware they investigate every allegation. strange thing is that there are very much fewer than your rants would suggest. put up or shut up please (and by that i mean produce some evidence and submit it through the appropriate chanels which are freely available on the ifa wes site)
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - Dinosaur - 24th February 2014
P Prentice Wrote:as far as i am aware they investigate every allegation. strange thing is that there are very much fewer than your rants would suggest. put up or shut up please (and by that i mean produce some evidence and submit it through the appropriate chanels which are freely available on the ifa wes site)
Ah, but that would mean actually recognising them as a body legitimately representing the profession as a whole. If you want to see s***e work by ROs, just look on any planning website, which these days seem to conveniently publish a lot of grey lit reports (I'd guess more 'current' ones are available that way these days than on ADS)
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - Dinosaur - 24th February 2014
kevin wooldridge Wrote:IfA have no remit to penalise 'outfits' that aren't members or ROs. As far as I am aware they have never done so. Perhaps you could be specific...
So what's the point of the Charter stuff if not to penalise non-Chartered individuals/organisations? 'We're better than you' seems to spring to mind as a loose translation?
Chartered Archaeologists are to be a reality - P Prentice - 24th February 2014
Dinosaur Wrote:Ah, but that would mean actually recognising them as a body legitimately representing the profession as a whole. If you want to see s***e work by ROs, just look on any planning website, which these days seem to conveniently publish a lot of grey lit reports (I'd guess more 'current' ones are available that way these days than on ADS)but this surely is a matter for the planning authorities and their agents the curators as they have the power of veto over any report and the fieldwork that produced it?