23rd February 2014, 03:14 AM
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?
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?
