16th August 2006, 10:23 PM
This is the calmer response.
If a field team is performing below par accussing them of wrong doing is a serious matter. I do not know why everybody thinks the IFA are the people to sort this out.
In the first instance the correct person to complain to is the local planning authourity not neccessarily the curator. They have the power to investigate and do something. They will respect confidentiality. The buck does not stops at the Curatorial system - it stops with LPA.
I think that everybody should remember we do not live in a perfect world and people are not perfect.
The BAJR hotline does act in effect as an "anonamous complaints proceedure" why is more needed.
I actually see the situation in archaeology as been too over regulated with too many standards too many documents that it is impossible for any field team to conform to all of them more than 50% of the time. The fact that new guidelines standard and what ever are produced so often it is virtually impossible to keep track of what the exact situation is.
For example for a IFA desk top regulation 3.1.11 states
3.1.11 However it arises, an archaeologist should only
undertake desk-based assessment which are governed by
a written specification or project design (see Appendices
2 and 3), agreed by all relevant parties as this is the tool
against which performance, fitness for purpose and
hence achievement of standards, can be measured.
I would ask all curators on BAJR to state how many briefs that have issued and specs they have read and all the consultants to say how many they have written for an assessment? (Excepting desk top studies covered by EIA.)
Peter
If a field team is performing below par accussing them of wrong doing is a serious matter. I do not know why everybody thinks the IFA are the people to sort this out.
In the first instance the correct person to complain to is the local planning authourity not neccessarily the curator. They have the power to investigate and do something. They will respect confidentiality. The buck does not stops at the Curatorial system - it stops with LPA.
I think that everybody should remember we do not live in a perfect world and people are not perfect.
The BAJR hotline does act in effect as an "anonamous complaints proceedure" why is more needed.
I actually see the situation in archaeology as been too over regulated with too many standards too many documents that it is impossible for any field team to conform to all of them more than 50% of the time. The fact that new guidelines standard and what ever are produced so often it is virtually impossible to keep track of what the exact situation is.
For example for a IFA desk top regulation 3.1.11 states
3.1.11 However it arises, an archaeologist should only
undertake desk-based assessment which are governed by
a written specification or project design (see Appendices
2 and 3), agreed by all relevant parties as this is the tool
against which performance, fitness for purpose and
hence achievement of standards, can be measured.
I would ask all curators on BAJR to state how many briefs that have issued and specs they have read and all the consultants to say how many they have written for an assessment? (Excepting desk top studies covered by EIA.)
Peter