APPAG

[BAJR Host]

have you replied to the APPAG submission

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[BAJR Host]

Help me here...... have just done a stream of conciousness

commnets... corrections... make sense of it... remove arrogance, dodgy bits, etc......

Since the production of the APPAG report in 2003, BAJR has worked with all major national organisations to provide the support required to move forward on pay and conditions. Support has taken the form of ensuring that advertising on BAJR must conform to minimum pay levels with additional conditions based on holiday entitlement, pension and sickness rights. In April 2006 and April 2007 a document was produced after consultation with all archaeological contractors to ensure that a structured understanding of responsibility, ability/skill, experience, qualifications and minimum pay levels was introduced across the entire contracting system. In conjunction with the IFA, PROSPECT and the DIGGERS FORUM, we have been able to implement the changes. It would have been useful if other organisations would have refrained from advertising jobs that fell below the accepted minima, however as BAJR has become the accepted heritage employment site, the affect of not being seen to advertise on BAJR has ensured that most contractors have accepted the concept of 10 grades

(Required Minimum) (BAJR Aspirational)

G1 Training Position) £13404 (£257.78pw) £13,655(£262.78pw)
G2 (ie Basic Site Assistant) £14270 (£274.42pw) £14,457 (£279.74pw)
G3 (ie Site Assistant 2 or Technical Worker 1 £15231 ( £292.90 pw) £15,526 ( £298.58pw)
G 3/4 NEW (ie Senior Site Assistant or Technical Worker 1 or Junior Supervisor ) £15923 (£306.21 pw) £16,232 (£312.15pw)
G4 (ie Technical Worker 2 or Supervisor )
£16621 (£319.64 pw) £16,944 (£325.84pw)
G 4/5 NEW (ie Senior Technical Worker 2 or Supervisor or Junior Project Officer )
£17873 (£343.70 pw) £18,220 (£350.38pw)
G 5 (ie Specialist 1, or Project Officer SMR Asst.)£19004 £19,373
G 5/6 NEW (ie Senior Specialist, SMR post and Project Officer or Junior/Trainee Manager) £21522 £21,940
G 6 (ie Specialist 2, Senior SMR Post or Project Manager) £23870 £24,334
G 7 (ie Directorial and Senior Management) £30755 £31,352

The following documents are also among a raft of guides to empower workers in the heritage industry and are available online.
· Pay and Conditions Consultation and Guidance 2007/08
(Consultation and Recommendations)
· BAJR Mission Statement
BAJR 2005
· Employed or Self-Employed in Archaeology
(Guidance notes for Employers and Casual Workers)
BAJR Guidance notes 2005
· Getting Paid
(Guidance for ensuring you get paid for freelance work)
Jon Welsh BSc MSc April 2007
Working on the Benchmarking committee has allowed access to my database of job adverts, contractors contact details and other statistics. BAJR is also working on a Skills passport (both a physical booklet and online databank) that can uses verified skills with posts (linked to National Occupational Standards) and the requirements for each post matching core skills to a job description. This allows both the employee to have a clear career progression pathway and the employer to be assured at the ability of the new staff member. We are also looking at rationalisation of curatorial standards and advertising archaeology with training videos, educational videos and promotional films that explain the process, beyond the often held perceptions of archaeology as being elitist/pointless/a hobby/interesting but irrelevant.

By strengthening the Curatorial process and ensuring consistency and transparency in standards, creating a secure and fixed career ladder with training and reward for skill progression and promoting archaeology as a real profession that provides sustainable and measurable benefits to the developer, the other professions (architects, geotechnical, tourism etc) and the community. BAJR supports and works on all of these aspects, as pay can only increase when the holistic view of what archaeology is, have been considered. The importance of community archaeology (including amateur groups and metal detectorists) cannot be underestimated, with support needed at local level.

Movement on all these aspects is happening and I am happy to be involved in all of them either in an official capacity or as an external contributor. Bold moves are needed, BAJR has shown time and again, that bold moves do work – when we all see the benefit of the end result.


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu