A good unit

[Gilraen]

Hi All,

All units vary, but some are better to work for than others. However, here is a list of things that I think make a good unit (following on from eggbasket's original post which we all know the outcome of):

Good management - a good project manager of an excavation or post-excavation project who is good at communication makes life so much easier for all levels of archaeologist. So they actually tell you why you are digging? make the methiod statement available to all?

Free Training - does the unit offer training? Do they have a dedicated HR person? (Yes, some units, like mine, do). If there is the opportunity for personal development then it's a good one to stick with.

Good excavations? OK, so this one is a little more tricky to achieve depending on where the unit is, etc, but a wide variety of work offers new challenges and keeps your mind working.

Good pay - this has been covered elsewhere, but believe me, better pay attracts those from other units (even when they have worked for those other untits for donkeys years).

A sense of feeling part of the unit - yes, a girlie one, but if you actual feel like an employee of a unit rather than a 'digger' you have do start getting a sense of loyalty (don't you?). Again, this is a 'good management' point. That's good people management as well as being able to run projects!

I'm sure there are many more.

Don't really want to have ANY discussions on what makes a bad unit - just a good one please.

If you are happy with your unit, what is the overall reason?

Gilraen

[Oxbeast]

Being in an area where you get some good archaeology/development. Some areas of the country have really good stuff, but because there is so little development, you'll hardly ever get to dig it. Like wales, or parts of Scotland

So, ideally, a unit in an area that has a balance of plenty of development, but houses/rents are still low enough for a decent quality of life...

[troll]

Greetings all.As you say,experience of the quality of a given unit can vary dependent upon a range of variables-Competent/useless curatorial elements, overpowering consultancies, complacent LPAs etc.For me, a good unit can be spotted a mile off cos....
1. They work strictly to standards and guidelines
2. operate internal/external quality assurance systems
3. are competative on the basis of professionalism, integrety and competence
3. employ senior staff willing to confront curators and consultants on key issues
4. treat Human remains with the dignity they deserve
5. treat their staff as assets

This is always a good start.Should be universal as a minimum but we all know tiz not the case.Yet



..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[BAJR Host]

troll could not have put it better... in a way it ain't about money its about the atmosphere and 'not so easy to quantify' elements that makes a good Unit...

A good team is just that... a team that knows it can talk and comunicate without fear and is willing to listen (and ehar) in both directions... from Digger to Director or visa versa.



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

[drpeterwardle]

I would like to take issue with Trolls comment

"confront curators and consultants".

A key message of PPG 16 is cooperation not confrontation. This is its strength

Peter

[Gilraen]

I agree with Dr Peter - having a good relationship with curators is essential for a good unit.

[tom wilson]

quote:Originally posted by drpeterwardle

I would like to take issue with Trolls comment

"confront curators and consultants".

A key message of PPG 16 is cooperation not confrontation. This is its strength

I spoke to a consultant mate of mine yesterday, who expressed frustration that (in his cases) he can only comment on the scheme of works the contractor suggests. The situation is a bit like the salesman in Monty Python and the Holy Grail:
"Come on, now you say '20 evaluation trenches for that, you must be mad'..."


My own contribution to the debate is: a good unit has a bit of vision about sites' potentials for real archaeological output.

[beamo]

Tom

Your mate should be writing the scheme of works, agreeing it with the curator, and then putting it out to the contractors to get costs. That is what consultants do.


Beamo

[tom wilson]

quote:Originally posted by beamo

Tom

Your mate should be writing the scheme of works, agreeing it with the curator, and then putting it out to the contractors to get costs. That is what consultants do.


Beamo

Note: '..in his cases..'

Consultants do lots of things Beamo, and no project or contract is ever quite the same.

[historic building]

When working for a previous employer of mine, as a consultant, we used to get the contracting unit to write the spec because we were working all over the country and tended to use region-based units who could produce and agree the specification quicker than we could and, frankly, they had a good knowledge of their local archaeology.