1st November 2006, 07:04 PM
Quite. Point 1 relates somewhat to the discussion on minimum versus exemplary standards on another thread. To barely meet a standard is to meet it. The team you actually get is the luck of the draw, basically. But in selecting the tender list you will have arrived at contractors with a good track record, but I know from experience that a good firm might have one lousy site manager- probably new to the firm. Conversely a particularly good site manager can give a misleadingly good impression of a not so good firm. It's a tough life.
Point 2 - indeed, as I say you don't know the exact personnel. You may not know (in construction anyway) at the time of tender assessment. A firm may have tendered for several contracts and not know how many, if any, they will win and cannot always commit to naming individuals at that stage. It's a very tough life.
But my overall point is that a firm will tend to not be invited to tender if they are known to have a low standard of personnel, hence, in theory, will want to retain staff. I recognise of course that in archaeology this simplistic picture is distorted by the mobility described by others i.e it's harder to switch jobs if it means relocating, which is a lesser problem in other industries.
We owe the dead nothing but the truth.
Point 2 - indeed, as I say you don't know the exact personnel. You may not know (in construction anyway) at the time of tender assessment. A firm may have tendered for several contracts and not know how many, if any, they will win and cannot always commit to naming individuals at that stage. It's a very tough life.
But my overall point is that a firm will tend to not be invited to tender if they are known to have a low standard of personnel, hence, in theory, will want to retain staff. I recognise of course that in archaeology this simplistic picture is distorted by the mobility described by others i.e it's harder to switch jobs if it means relocating, which is a lesser problem in other industries.
We owe the dead nothing but the truth.