9th November 2012, 10:19 AM
Quote:based on enough value being placed on archaeology and heritage
That is it... really... and we do this how? Often by writing reports that no-one reads, or by stories in a local press ... read by people who were interested anyway...
Time Team did more than anything raise the profile and we ( myself included) snarked at them... WE promote ourselves as _________________ to ___________ by means of _________________ fill in blanks.
I think that many ROs will want no increase... and so negotiation and compromise may have to be considered - however.... with assurances. as you say the never never is a favourite... I sat on that 2008 panel that agreed on teh way ahead... and a timescale. ... hmmm... nothing happened.
( it was a decent excuse with the financial crisis which affected us all ) But rather than taking the time to reorganise and discuss and create a stronger profession we seem to have done lots of talking ( Southport anyone?) and remained exactly the same if perhaps a little more vicious / undercutting / commercially non viable. Profit margins are next to nothing... to the point where if the archaeology is secondary and the profit is marginal... what is the point?
Trowels model is a working one... and there is a few ways to crack this nut. but it involves a seismic shift in attitude and a bit of collaboration between what bizzarely seems to be competing sectors.