The future for RAE's

[Comarch]

Err...yep. I don't think that many commercial archaeology units will be willing to invest in CA as part of their contracts with developers. Some are trying to incorporate some element of public inclusion in their dealings with the building industry (where most work is to be had) but not any I can think of outside of the large units - MoLA, Oxford, Wessex. Even then it tends to be just one or two weeks per year given over to 'good works' and smacks of charity, rather than archaeology taking public involvement seriously, with dedicated CA professionals within 'the job' full or part time. Please. please avoid any mention of trying to do this with volunteers, either paid staff in their spare time or retired field archaeologists. Working with the public is too important and CAs must be paid as CAs and be tied into archaeology just as field staff are. How to insentivise units to do this work? Ideas anyone? Perhaps units should bring in CAs as an when they are doing Com. Arch. projects rather than give it to already overworked diggers (this happens all the time). They must budget for the projects they are already doing... so pay a trained CA.
The IfA must give this area support, by making CA an important part of their grading structure (people running large projects to be AIFA & MIFA grade for example). Funding - Jeez, I have no definitive answer to that. How about a mix of self-employed CAs and employed, where posts can be created (full or part-time).
As regards research - we do not have the time. This work needs to be done now so that the public continue to support heritage projects and see it as relevant to their lives.