'What has IFA ever done for us...?'

[Comarch]

My main objection to chartered status for the IFA would be removed if the IFA were to accompany such plans with root and branch reform of the terms and conditions of archaeological employment, a staged plan to significantly improve salaries and a vision of how to effectively regulate what is pretty much at present an unregulated market.

The 'franchising of archaeology' idea was not mine. It was one of the recommendations of the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology Grooup a few years back. Price fixing may be illegal if it involves collusion between 'competitors'; that however is not the same as a set fee for a product or service. Franchisees (McDonalds, KFC, Quik-Fit Fitters spring to mind) can have set rates for goods and services that apply nationally.....I will admit to being 'anti-competititon' as regards archaeology. I would prefer it if archaeologists co-operated rather than competed....I would like to see closer links between field and academic archaeology and would be happy to see an arrangement where all franchisees had to provide evidence of a close and effective link to an academic body (university, museum, or learned society...)

First of all we must admit to ourselves that Archaeology, as a job, is still not a profession. It will never be a profession until it has the basic structure of one. Training and recognized qualifications are the basis of any profession. CPD then adds to the skills and knowledge of the people working in the profession that is seen by peers as a standard across the board. Archaeology has come out of an academic and amateur background and is still carrying this past. The IfA looks to see how standards are being maintained by units but workers are left to the whims of managers and of course they are unwilling (mostly) to invest in a transient workforce, here to day gone tomorrow. Diggers know this and thus see no relevance to them as so called professionals. This is the market, which you support or not. I am old enough to remember units based with county councils and they were a heritage service. Kevin and I, I believe, would like to see something similar return, in an ideal world. Job structure and status guaranteed, as much as it ever can be. As it is we need to speak of how we can make archaeology a profession and the rest will follow. I must state that I have never had a days training in 20 years, despite asking until I gave up. Personally I would like to see the IfA tax all units by means test and run training themselves and then diggers would see the relevance of an institute for all archaeologists of all skill levels.
Anyone going to mention the public in all this? After all your digging what is it for? Again, as a freelance community archaeologist I would love to have training and be monitored by the IfA to make sure I am doing a good job. That is why it is the Institute for Archaeologists and the Field was taken out, I hope.