I'll vote for that! Duty of the New IFA.

[RedEarth]

Regarding joining the IfA, getting on the council and making a difference, one thing I always wondered was whether they paid expenses. I doubt many of the lower paid less senior, digger level types could even attend committee meetings if they wanted to on acount of the massive expense of doing so. Not to mention the difficulty of finding the time to do so, especially if you are staying away somewhere. I also assume, perhaps wrongly, that such meetings are held largely in the south of England, again adding to the cost and difficulty for many people. I would love to be on the committee of the IfA but I can't see how I would possibly have time, I'm too busy trying to earn a living. A cynic might suggest that the majority of people who are able to be on the committee are inevitably from management level positions because they don't suffer quite so much from such difficulties...

Could someone please correct me.

[Unitof1]

by special code you mean

http://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/environment/...itions.pdf

several flavours in fact, none use the word watching brief in them and each costs the client an extra 25 and 65 smackers to discharge. Another example of pen pushers making dosh out of the diggers....

Has everyone else got these discharge charges?

[Hal Dalwood]

Taliesin wrote:

'I will consider joining the IfA when I see the new membership procedures.'

The new membership procedure is on the IFA website here: http://www.archaeologists.net/modules/ic...hp?page=31

I don't know if potential new members find this better or not than earlier application procedures.

Hal Dalwood

[Unitof1]

Redearth-

Application Fees TO BE SENT IN WITH APPLICATION
Affiliate........................................................................................... £5
Student……………………………………………………………..........nil
Practitioner......................................................................................£10
Associate.........................................................................................£15
Member……………………………………………………………..........£25
Transfer Fees TO BE SENT IN WITH APPLICATION
From Affiliate to Student or Student to Affiliate….………….…….....nil
From Affiliate or Student to Practitioner...........................................£5
From Affiliate, Student or Practitioner to Associate .........................£15
From Affiliate, Student, Practitioner or Associate to Member...........£25

quote:Because members of the Validation Committee are volunteers, application fees contribute towards their travel expenses to attend meetings.

could be the further you travel the more you get. Obviuosly if you are working for the civil services you will also keep your pay and holiday rights as well as get your fees paid. Not sure whats in it for the chairperson of the validation committee....who has published what for how much

[Talisien]

The form as not been updated from the previous version. This is, essentially, a minor point, but illustrates the frustration felt with the IfA - it fails to inspire confidence and thus, that it will represent the individual as well as the profession - it's a bit amateurish. Take the list of benefits:

# invaluable free weekly Jobs Information Service bulletin - these are available free from other sources, but useful nonetheless for those looking.

# free publications:

1. our topical magazine, The Archaeologist (four times a year) - not very topical if four times a year

2. Yearbook and directory of members, an incomparable reference book and contact list of archaeologists - potentially useful if you are a commercial unit, but nothing more than a paper form of ArchaeoGoogle.

3. papers on specialist professional topics - Conferences and also journals fulfil this criteria in spades (sic)

4. standards and guidance leaflets - guidance is useful, e.g. planning etc, standard - yes - to be achieved and to aim for, but what are the sanctions?

# free fortnightly e-newsletter, the Heritage Link Update - hmmm, interesting when there is already the CBA material and several other useful free sites that do the same

# discounted entry to our Annual Conference, the premier archaeological conference in the UK, and other events - is it really? This is an arrogance and smacks of 'if you're not in our club - you are not worth bothering about'. OK, a bit extreme, but this is a sentiment that I have some sympathy with, and also expressed elsewhere here on this forum.

# opportunities to participate on Council and committees - see above comments

# free membership of area and special interest groups - overlap with CBA

# discounts on insurance, legal advice and health care - this is useful and more of the same please.

# an arbitration service - ditto

# discounts with some publishers - which? Lack of information - a general problem overall

# use of the Society of Antiquarians of London library - how many people will and actually make use of this facility?

# a membership card and certificate - this is a no-brainer; the IfA needs to mature. Might as well have the Airfix club certificate and card.

This will be seen as a rant, some of it is, but sincerely meant (I have 'discussed these issue several times with an IfA representative). The IfA continues to demonstrate a lack of transparency, relevance to the majority and value for money. Until it can act, even if only at a lower level of intensity in the early stages of development like other professional bodies, it will not flourish. In 10 years time, another name change will be mooted to make everyone feel included and to 'increase' its relevance and profile. Lets stop re-arranging the deck-chairs as the ship goes down and lets see some decisive action.

[vulpes]

Unit of 1: Yes the new planning charges are national and should have come in in April. They probably are intended as a disincentive to developers with rather sketchy proposals and put the onus back on them. I'm not sure that the paltry sums involved necessarily result in Planning Authortities raking it in, once admin costs are taken into account. Also developers can save money by discharging 'batches' for a flat fee of £?? or something. Arealted issue is that archaeological officers, conservation officers etc at unitaries or districts are now legally responsible for the discharge of their respective conditions rather than 'recommending' discharge to the planners. The key phrase here is on the first page of the doc:

quote:In order to avoid conditions being added to your decision, please submit ALL necessary
information with the initial application

Lets take that to include archaeology too, shall we?

However, this has nothing at all to do with the topic so :face-topic:

Taliesin... Won't be seeing you in Torquay then?

[gorilla]

:face-topic:

Sigh... and yawn. We are trying to debate the values (good, indifferent or otherwise) of the IfA in this thread... not trying to fathom out just exactly who has yanked your (Unitof1) chain this week (day/hour/minute).

But, in a weird way, it sorts of backs up my point about accreditation/registration. Because we have no base-line, just about anyone can call themselves a 'professional archaeologist' and get away with it.

[BAJR Host]

discounts on insurance .... er... not according to Towergate. the same deal is open to everyone.. and we will be offereing the same to people here, but with added explanations and such.. (and no.. BAJR will not be taking a cut .. it's just a service) thought I better say....

AND yes... On topic is wat we need... thanks vulpes and gorilla.. this is not a kick the IfA or Unit thread, it is however an opportunity for the IfA to see what the perceptions are, the issues for people not joining, and be able to adress them. A positive thread.. ( all I say.. is thank goodness I have not set up something like this... )



"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[Talisien]

quote:Originally posted by vulpes

Taliesin... Won't be seeing you in Torquay then?

What this all illustrates is that the IfA needs to clearly define its role and status. Maybe it should seriously consider how other professional bodies are organised and structured; a couple of field-trips? The two cited was because they clearly appeal to the professional, student and those with an 'interest'. A look around the various other professional bodies, RIBA, RICS, Royal colleges etc shows what is possible. Significantly, they all have elements of accredited continuing professional development that complies to assessed standards and all that they entail.

Torquay? Not this time...

[oldgirl]

IFA is moving towards CPD against assessed standards, both generally and within the Validation Process. There is a bit of a cleft stick situation here. If they announce that something is being developed they get critisism that nothing happens straight away. If they get on with things in the background until it's ready to go, they get critisised for not taking topics seriously.

On the committee expenses, yes committe members get paid travel expenses by IFA, if they claim them (and the chair of validation doesn't get any more than any other member of that committee). They do not, however, get paid for their time, which is where the possible imbalance might come in. Some people get paid time from work to attend such meetings, others have to take it as leave or undertake their duties in their 'spare' time. I have every respect for people who sit on the committees and who, to be honest, get little thanks for their time and efforts.

edited due to missing out a word!