Frequently Asked Questions

Where does FAME operate?

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

FAME is a trade association. What is a trade association?

There is no legal definition of a trade association or trade body in the Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom. Generally, these have been defined as an organisation that acts to promote the interests of, and in same cases, to set standards within, a sector or industry, by pooling resources among organisations and/or individuals in a sector. They may offer services, such as running conferences, offering classes or other educational materials.

What does FAME do as a trade association?

While some trade associations might set enforceable standards, we do not. We represent and promote our members, rather than police them.

To deliver our vision (read about our vision here), FAME undertakes the following types of activities:

• provide business advice on a range of subjects, from HR to Taxes to Health & Safety;
• respond to consultations – issued by governments and other organisations;
• provide template documents that individuals will need in operating a business, such as, contracts, HR policies and operating procedures;
• lobby governments and other organisations to ensure rules and laws are just and fair to our members;
• produce best practice(s) documents. We have a strong focus on Health and Safety in archaeology;
• develop projects to help improve the working practices in the sector, such as our current Archaeological Standard Method of Measurement Project;
• provide an annual conference with informative presentations and a chance for business networking;
• signpost resources and opportunities that will be valuable to our members;
• provide training, such as through our webinar series;
• coordinate with other organisations on many of the above activities e.g. training, signposting, lobbying, etc;
• provide support to other initiatives that improve the sector, for example supporting the Seeing Red Programme which provides period packs to archaeologists;
• collect statistics on the industry, such as wages, staffing levels, turnover and health and safety.

What if I want FAME to do something not on that list?

We are a democratic membership organisation that is responsive to our members’ needs; if a member should raise a matter it will be considered by the secretariat and/or Board.

What if I want FAME to do something not on that list and I am not a member?

If you are not a FAME member you can still contact us to ask if your initiative is something we can get involved in or support.

We will consider requests from non-members on their merits and relevance to FAME’s objectives. It is very unlikely that we will get involved in any of the following sorts of initiatives:

1. those that do not have a connection to development-led archaeology and/or running businesses in the industry.
2. matters that are outside the UK and Ireland;
3. those were there are other organisations with better expertise than us to lead on e.g. heritage sites under threat;
4. those areas that are within the remit of another organisation that we work with e.g. CIfA sets and enforces professional standards for archaeologists;

Even if your initiative is relevant, we may still decline to get involved.

Can anyone join FAME?

The requirements are simple. Any organisation operating in development-led archaeology can apply to join FAME. This includes Sole Traders. You must also pay your annual subscription fees. The FAME Board has discretion to reject applications for whatever reason, but this is very rarely invoked.

We focus on those that operate contracting and consultation services, those that only provide public oversight are best to join an organisation like ALGAO. Organisations with mixed operations i.e. operate contracting and consultation services & public oversight, are welcomed at FAME.

Can X type of organisation join?

There is no rule about the constitutions of members – Sole Traders, Partnerships, Charities, Private Limited Companies, Public Limited Companies etc. are all welcome to join, provided you meet the above criteria.

How is FAME constituted?

FAME is a company limited by guaranteed, registered in England and Wales. The Board members serve as the company’s directors.

How does FAME make decisions?

FAME is a representative democracy. The membership elects a Board to make strategic decisions on their behalf. The Board then engages a secretariat to operationally deliver that strategy on behalf of the membership.

Can FAME negotiate X on behalf of its members?

Currently, the membership has not empowered FAME to negotiate bidding contracts, on any topic, on their behalf. FAME can negotiate special offers with service providers but only if members are not required to take up such offers.

Does FAME regulate its members?

No, FAME does not set rules of behaviour or conduct that our members have to abide by, and so there is no scope for investigation or disciplinary actions to regulate members’ actions.

How can I contact FAME?

By writing to us either by email or post. Our contact details are here.

Will FAME set or recommend wages for the sector?

No. FAME has sought legal advice on this matter and a summary of those discussions and why FAME does not set wages can be found here: https://famearchaeology.co.uk/fame-statement-on-setting-sector-wages-and-withdrawal-from-the-iwg/