6th December 2005, 06:16 PM
Speaking as a long-time Dark Lord, I would advise as follows:
Procurement essentially involves the following:
- identify the scope of work required
- write a Specification and Contract
- send it out to units to get tenders
- assess the tenders and recommend whom to appoint
- oversee the work during implementation to make sure it is done in accordance with the Spec
When writing the Spec/Contract, you need to be aware of different ways in which archaeological works can be priced, and choose/design a method that is appropriate to the type of work being done and will enable you to ensure that only work that actually gets done is paid for and that work only gets done if it is needed and authorised.
Concepts:
Scope - what kind of investigation (geophysical? trial trenching?) and how much (e.g. 5% sample?). Usually identified by reference to existing reports (your own?) and consultation/negotiation with the curator.
Specification - a technical document that sets out the archaeological requirements and methods to be applied
Contract - a legal agreement between two parties under which one of them, subject to a number of conditions, will provide goods or services to the other for a consideration (usually money). In most industries there are a choice of standard published contracts; for archaeology there is the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Conditions of Contract for Archaeological Investigation. The Conditions of a contract are there to ensure fair play and fair risk sharing. SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
Parties - the parties to a contract are usually the Employer and the Contractor. Often there is a middle-man (the 'engineer' or 'consultant') who is not a party, but manages the contract for the employer. You may find yourself in the role of Employer, Consultant or both.
Your role as a consultant can be awkward. You need to negotiate a scope of works with the curator that meets the archaeological needs (in the light of all the relevant guidelines etc), but at the same time doesn't compromise your client's interests by agreeing to work that goes beyond what they can reasonably be expected to pay for.
When you have agreed a scope with the curator and appointed a contractor, you need to oversee the works. Your job there is to ensure that the works are done in accordance with the spec. You have opposing tensions there - the contractor will often try to miss out bits of work or do them to a lower standard, so as to save money/increase profit; while some curators will push for extra work and higher standards than are in the spec that they agreed to.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
Procurement essentially involves the following:
- identify the scope of work required
- write a Specification and Contract
- send it out to units to get tenders
- assess the tenders and recommend whom to appoint
- oversee the work during implementation to make sure it is done in accordance with the Spec
When writing the Spec/Contract, you need to be aware of different ways in which archaeological works can be priced, and choose/design a method that is appropriate to the type of work being done and will enable you to ensure that only work that actually gets done is paid for and that work only gets done if it is needed and authorised.
Concepts:
Scope - what kind of investigation (geophysical? trial trenching?) and how much (e.g. 5% sample?). Usually identified by reference to existing reports (your own?) and consultation/negotiation with the curator.
Specification - a technical document that sets out the archaeological requirements and methods to be applied
Contract - a legal agreement between two parties under which one of them, subject to a number of conditions, will provide goods or services to the other for a consideration (usually money). In most industries there are a choice of standard published contracts; for archaeology there is the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Conditions of Contract for Archaeological Investigation. The Conditions of a contract are there to ensure fair play and fair risk sharing. SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
Parties - the parties to a contract are usually the Employer and the Contractor. Often there is a middle-man (the 'engineer' or 'consultant') who is not a party, but manages the contract for the employer. You may find yourself in the role of Employer, Consultant or both.
Your role as a consultant can be awkward. You need to negotiate a scope of works with the curator that meets the archaeological needs (in the light of all the relevant guidelines etc), but at the same time doesn't compromise your client's interests by agreeing to work that goes beyond what they can reasonably be expected to pay for.
When you have agreed a scope with the curator and appointed a contractor, you need to oversee the works. Your job there is to ensure that the works are done in accordance with the spec. You have opposing tensions there - the contractor will often try to miss out bits of work or do them to a lower standard, so as to save money/increase profit; while some curators will push for extra work and higher standards than are in the spec that they agreed to.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished