IfA - A Chartered Institute

[P Prentice]

As I said in my earlier post, I suspect that OTHER organisations may use 'Chartered' status as a means of pre-qualifying for tenders/contracts etc. The IfA may also encourage other bodies to go down that line, but they will have no powers to CONTROL this

Lawyers may be a closed shop when it comes to representation in certain situations in certain courts and through certain forms of contract, BUT my understanding is that anyone can stand in court and represent themself or others, can offer advice on legal matters (Citizens Advice Bureaus etc) and even undertake some legal processes (conveyancing for example), providing they do not misrepresent themself as a qualified lawyer or solicitor. Archaeologists would be in precisely the same position.

Chartered status will involve more than 'headings on notepaper'. The professional standards that the IfA represent and the training and career development of archaeologists will receive formal recognition. The ultimate aim of many Chartered Institutes is to formalise professional training through tailored qualification. So a Chartered Archaeologist should be such through dint of formal examination and/or assessment of professional aptitude and acheivement. This is the route that I believe the IfA should follow. I understand that some critics of the IfA might like its Chartered form to be inactive, but I doubt it. There is also no instance that I can find where a Chartered body having achieved such status does 'nothing'....

I don't believe that the IfA will attain some kind of 'super-powers' through Chartered status, but I do think their work is important and Chartered status will recognize this. And as I said earlier no-one is forced to join, but negative criticism from the outside, lacking the power or incentive to change the system, is pissing in the wind....

i agree with kevin's analysis and i also think that it will be taken on board by the majority of planning authorities as a way of easily distinguishing bonafide commercial operators. it wont make the tendering any more equitable or life any better for the average digger - unless they happen to work for a chartered organisation. if they do work for a chartered organisation they will have certain training, cpd and employment benefits and a right to complain process backed by the chartering body. eventually levels of pay will rise, but so will expectations and performance. it must surely be a good thing