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18th August 2011, 09:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 18th August 2011, 05:12 PM by Kel.)
The IT industry has standards for various aspects of the jobs involved (e.g. ITIL). These are voluntary and unpoliced. They're followed because they're industry-standard best practice and self-evidently the best way of doing something. Having the relevant certification or staff qualifications from a standard's governing body, is a selling point for companies trying to win business.
Plenty of companies operate without using the standards, but they take the gamble as to whether this is actually a competitive situation for their particular corner of the market.
However, getting certified and getting qualified, costs. That's how the governing bodies are funded. Not sure the archaeological industry could stand the strain, so you're probably looking at a voluntary model without an organisation to oversee it.
And that's if you can get any two archaeologists to agree on what constitutes a "standard" in the first place. From what I've seen, trying to extract agreement from a group of archaeologists on any subject, is like trying to find a purr in a barrel of cats.
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18th August 2011, 05:30 PM
Quote:the mounties should have been at the least project officers with at least 5 years under the belt
What an AS Project Officer or some other Project Officer!!??
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18th August 2011, 08:21 PM
P Prentice Wrote:we cant rely on St Dinosaur or good conscience in this commercial quagmire
I don't seem to be alone, was approached by my workforce at 4.50 this afternoon just as I was starting to pack up, asking if they could work an extra half hour for free (!) so they could finish what they were doing! Come 5.30 I still had to practically drag them out of the trench....amazing! :face-approve:
....sadly the client had gone home at 4.30
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18th August 2011, 08:33 PM
Jack Wrote:Yes what a silly comment...........care to elucidate?
What consultants?
Consultants enforcing well BELOW bare minimums at the expense of the archaeology................... and accepting hefty backhanders from clients..... this DOES happen !!!!! .there .....not so silly .........
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18th August 2011, 09:58 PM
monty Wrote:Consultants enforcing well BELOW bare minimums at the expense of the archaeology................... and accepting hefty backhanders from clients..... this DOES happen !!!!! .there .....not so silly .........
Why on earth would a client (i.e. developer) want to give a backhander to his consultant? That makes absolutley no sense.
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18th August 2011, 10:43 PM
Ditto Tom. It makes no sense and to be honest does not happen. This teeters over teh AUP as it makes a claim that is not verified - it is hearsay and rumour. I know several consultants - and they actually ensure best value for client, but not archaeology - I myself have been a consultant for some schemes - and I never compromised. I may have seen where money could be saved and was an honest advisor and overseer ...
Hefty back handers...
in all my time I have only been offered a back-hander. Did not take it. It was an extra 5k not to find archaeology - we actually found no archaeology anyway ... damn... so only cost a day on site and a short report.!
A dishonest consultant would not last long.
pps Mr P - be nice to Dino. he is not as bad as he looks
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19th August 2011, 09:16 AM
I agree, I've met a few consultants over the years and while some of them our more concerned with getting the job done quickly, others are willing to copnvince their clients to take the time and effort to allow units to record some really important archaeology. I think consultants have to walk a fine line between the two. And anyway, they aren't the ones enforcing the standards, surely that should fall within the remit of the county archaeologists and any organisations that units which to align themselves with.
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19th August 2011, 09:20 AM
Aye... and remember... the consultant may say to you, machine out that neolithic house... and you would be the one to say aye aye sir! just obeying orders..
So lets keep the consultant slagging to a minimum, the phrase let he who is without sin comes to mind as well.
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19th August 2011, 12:21 PM
monty Wrote:Consultants enforcing well BELOW bare minimums at the expense of the archaeology................... and accepting hefty backhanders from clients..... this DOES happen !!!!! .there .....not so silly .........
Hmmm. Not sure of the particular instance your are obvious referring to.......and due to AUP's you can't say. But how can 'consultants' (assuming you mean archaeological consultants?) enforce anything, they are after all only consulted, provide advice and are never in a position to dictate policy.
Maybe your fume should be vented towards the construction industry who do actually dictate and enforce, or the county archaeological teams who are meant to (grin):face-stir:
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19th August 2011, 07:23 PM
tom wilson Wrote:Why on earth would a client (i.e. developer) want to give a backhander to his consultant? That makes absolutley no sense.
This DOES HAPPEN........ there are many instances of Consultancies taking backsheesh to pretend there are no archaeological implications and forcing poor standards and bare minima............ County Archaeologists cannot and do not monitor ALL projects............it's a cruel world out there !!! .well known practices but never brought to light and have increased over the last few years with the state of the economy........come on we all know IT DOES HAPPEN !!!!!
