Championing Archaeological Businesses

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Author: Doug Rocks-Macqueen

  • FAME AGM, Thursday 23rd June York

    The Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers Limited will be held at Barley Hall,  2 Coffee Yard,  York, YO1 8AR on Thursday 23rd June 2015 commencing at 5pm.

    The meeting will be followed by a reception, with food and drink, from 6.00 -7.30pm.

    The Agenda includes:

    • Report from the Chair
    • Treasurer’s Report
    • Chief Executive’s Report
    • Election of Officers and members of the Committee
    • Proposals for change to subscriptions
    • Update on CSCS cards
    • Update on FAME strategy

    A full Agenda can be seen here, and the proposals for change to subscriptions here.

    The meeting is open to all members although only FULL MEMBERS (not Affiliates) are entitled to vote.

    Members can book their free place at the AGM on Eventbrite. Don’t delay, places are limited.

  • FAME respond to UK media reports that Britain is running out of archaeologists

    FAME respond to UK media reports that Britain is running out of archaeologists

    The Times, Radio 4 and The Daily Mail report that Britain has a serious shortage of archaeologists to handle the expected wealth of artefacts uncovered during the HS2 project. Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson said that the project could be delayed unless hundreds of archaeologists are trained to deal with this unprecedented opportunity to explore the countryside, adding that Crossrail 2 would also contribute to further prospects. He noted that excavations ‘through the planning system’ would take time and hold up the ‘development of infrastructure’.

    Wilson’s warning comes on the back of research carried out by Historic England that shows a need to grow the sector by up to 25% over the next six years.

    Nick Shepherd, chief executive of the Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers, said: ‘The delivery of new UK housing and infrastructure depends not only on engineers and bricklayers, but also on archaeologists.
    ‘Archaeological investigation is now a core part of the development process’. And commenting on a report to be published by Historic England this Monday, ‘This report makes clear that the government infrastructure plans over the next decade present a challenge to ensure sufficient archaeological capacity is in place to support construction of the new roads, rail and energy projects vital to economic growth.’

    FAME will be working with HE and other partners to identify and action responses to this challenge. The results of the report and initial discussions will be presented at this years FAME Forum in York (June 24th) together with a review of market opportunities across the UK and Ireland.

    To read the report produced by HE in consultation with FAME and others click here.

  • Provisional Running order and advance details for the FAME Forum 2016

    Challenges in UK Archaeological Capacity: Opportunities for sustainable growth

    Friday 24th June, Merchant Adventurers Hall York

    The recovery in the construction market together with plans for large scale investment in infrastructure present the archaeology sector with opportunities for growth over the next 5 to 10 years. The challenge is to how to grow capacity and capability in ways that are sustainable, both in terms of the quality of research output and business performance.

    This years FAME Forum takes a broad view across England, Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland to take the temperature of the individual markets, and better understand what the prospects are for commercial archaeology within the context of government policy and development plans.

    Speakers will also look at different ways of managing capacity issues; a client perspective on a single large project, a business consultant looking at how individual suppliers can respond, and the CIfA will provide the latest update on options for recruitment, training and staff development.

    This year’s FAME Forum will bring together senior practitioners to ask 

    • What is the scale and nature of the capacity challenge facing the sector?
    • How are changes in demand likely to differ regionally across the UK and Ireland.?
    • How will changes to legislation and within national heritage agencies in Wales and Scotland effect commercial archaeology?
    • What lessons can be learned form earlier phases of major infrastructure investment in Ireland?
    • How big is HS2 and what are the detailed plans for delivering archaeology?
    • How can individual organisations build sustainable business models that deliver on both archaeological quality and healthy returns?
    • Have we finally learned to love staff development?

     

    • Admission is free to FAME members and £85 to non-members, including lunch, morning coffee and afternoon tea.
    • Tickets must be booked in advance on the attached booking form.
    • If you apply to join FAME, you will be entitled to free admission – an immediate saving of up to £170.
    • The Forum is supported by York Archaeological Trust, and admission to the Forum provides free entry to the Trust’s many visitor attractions including DIG, Barley Hall, the Richard III experience at Monk Bar, and the Henry VII experience at Micklegate, throughout the weekend.
    • Also note: the AGM (for FAME members only) will be held at 5pm on Thursday 23rd June, at Barley Hall, followed by a wine reception from 6-8pm.

    Provisional Programme 

    9.30 Coffee

    9.45 Welcome and introduction 

    Nick Shepherd, Chief Executive, FAME
    Terry Suthers, MBE Chairman,York Archaeological Trust

    10.00 Development, skills and capacity; the view from Historic England
    Bob Hook, Historic Environment Analyst, Historic England

    10.30 Managing major infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland
    Ronan Swann, Head of Archaeology and Heritage, Transport Infrastructure Ireland

    11.00 Coffee 

    11.30 Wales –new structures and opportunities
    Neil Maylin, Senior Heritage Environment Planning Officer CADW

    12.00 Scotland –new structures and opportunities

    Rebecca Jones, Head of Archaeology, Historic Environment Scotland

    12.30 Questions and discussion

    13.00 Buffet lunch 

    14.00 HS2: planning for delivery

    Helen Glass, Historic Environment Lead, HS2

    14.30 Growing pains: strategies to enhance quality and the bottom line

    Christopher Dore, Chief Executive, Heritage Business International

    15.00 Time to get serious about staff development

    Kate Geary, Standards Development Manager, CIfA

    15.30 Questions and discussion 15.45 Tea and close

    The Booking Form for this event will be up and running within the next week and will be posted to all members.

  • Selling the benefits of archaeology: integrating with geotechnical works

    We routinely piggy back aspects of early stage geoarchaeological survey on geotechnical test-pitting and coring, saving money and time in the process. However, it’s also possible to see archaeological investigation as a great opportunity to give the geotechnical team enhanced access to the site, with better opportunities for more cost effective and accurate sampling. Not only has this the potential to provide better engineering data, but also to save the client money.

    A good recent example of this, albeit on a very large scale, is the Convoys Wharf project in Deptford, London where FAME members MoLA and CgMs investigated the Royal dockyards founded by Henry VIII. You can read about the archaeology of the project here, but a recent presentation at the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists, given by Hugh Mallet, Technical Director of BurroHappold Engineering outlined some of the advantages to his specialism of integrating archaeological works including;

    • obtaining enhanced definition of the ground model,
    • getting good quality lab data at no extra cost, and
    • having access to large areas to ground truth spot data.

    BurroHappold worked closely with the archaeological team to ensure they got good access to the site (establishing a hot line for emergency call out) with access to the excavation records to enhance the geotechnical model.

    The full presentation can be seen here, although if you are short of time scroll down to slides 33 to 36.

    A win win for the archaeologists, geotech team, and the client.

     

     

  • FAME Forum 2016, 24th June, York: Challenges in UK Archaeological Capacity –Opportunities for Growth

    This years FAME Forum will once again be held in York, supported by the York Archaeological Trust,  at the historic Merchant Adventurers Hall in Fossgate.

    This year’s theme addresses one of the key challenges facing our sector; how to respond to the pressures of a growing market, both at an Industry and organizational level. How can organisations build capacity, continue to innovate, improve quality and productivity, and secure improved returns? It’s a tall order.

    Speakers already confirmed include Ronan Swan (Head of Archaeology and Heritage at Transport Infrastructure Ireland), Christopher Dore (a past President of the American Cultural Resources Association and past Director of the Society for American Archaeology) who will provide some useful comparative examples of good (and bad) practice in the Republic of Ireland and the US.

    HS2 will also be on hand to update on the progress of the procurement, but also the management systems that will be in place to promote quality and delivery. Other speakers will cover infrastructure and market projections, partnership working and skills recruitment/retention. Updates will be available on the Trailblazer Apprenticeships scheme and CSCS cards.

    Most importantly the Forum provides a rare opportunity for Senior Managers within our sector to meet and share ideas and experience.

    More details will follow together with information on how to confirm attendance. Remember, FAME members get two free places and Affiliates one free place. Additional places for members and non members are available at £75 per head.

    Make a date in your diary now for 24th June (and note that FAME’s AGM is also in York on the previous evening, with a social afterwards).

     

  • Revealed: HS2 Tier 1 suppliers appoint design partners

    The Architects Journal reports that FAME member Aecom has become the latest engineering heavyweight to sign up to the design partner role on one of the joint ventures bidding for HS2 civils work. The firm has been chosen as partner for Morgan Sindall, Bam Nuttall and Ferrovial’s Fusion JV, as Construction News reveals a number of other leading consultants have been picked by consortia competing for £11.8bn of civils packages and £900m of enabling works.

    Six of the seven teams shortlisted for enabling works on Phase One of the £56bn project now have a design partner in place, and it is possible that these teams will include archaeologists. Arcadis has been selected by the Carillion/Kier/Eiffage JV, with the Balfour Beatty/Vinci JV opting for Mott MacDonald. Arup is expected to partner with the Costain/Stabag/Skanska team, according to a source close to the project, while Bouygues/Volker/Sir Robert McAlpine’s Align JV has selected French firm Ingérop. The Align JV is also understood to be in discussions with another UK-based consultant to join its team.

    Momentum Infrastructure, a JV made up of Galliford Try, Hochtief and Dragados, will work with Spanish firm INECO, the in-house designer for Spain’s national rail operator. FCC Construcción/Murphy/Laing O’Rourke has yet to reveal whether it had selected a design partner yet.

    The news comes as the HS2 JVs begin to mobilise their teams ahead of the immenent release of tenders for the enabling works.

    The shortlist for the eight civils packages is expected in April ahead of preferred bidders being revealed in early 2017.

  • Archaeological Apprenticeships

    Archaeological Apprenticeships

    Last year a group of employers and organisations,  including FAME members, was successful in securing Trailblazer status under a Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) scheme to establish apprenticeships in Historic Environment Practice.

    The proposal is to establish an overarching qualification – “Historic Environment Practitioner” -which will provide the basis for a number of defined specialist pathways:

    Historic Environment Practitioner (Advice) – provides advice on all aspects of the historic environment from conservation areas to archaeological sites and collections.
    Historic Environment Practitioner (Investigation) – undertakes investigation, analysis and interpretation of historic environment assets from historic buildings through historic landscapes to the excavation of archaeological sites and collections.

    Historic Environment Practitioner (Management) –undertakes the management of historic environment assets, whether historic buildings, historic landscapes or archaeological sites and collections, ensuring that their use is sustainable and consistent with their conservation needs.

    The Steering Group for the project has representatives from Arup, Atkins, Mott MacDonald, AB Heritage, Wessex Archaeology, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cotswold Archaeology, Oxford Archaeology, The Council for British Archaeology, MOLA, York Archaeological Trust, National Parks UK, the National Trust, and Archaeology South East. Educational providers involved include Oxford Brookes University, Winchester University, UCL and Universities Archaeology UK. Among professional institutes both the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and the Institute of Conservation (Icon) are members, with FAME a very interested observer.

    The Historic Environment Practitioner is intended to offer apprenticeships covering levels 3 to 7, which equate to academic qualifications from A–level to Postgraduate level, providing career pathways along an accredited, non-academic route to qualifications in the sector. It will proactively address the issue of expanding career opportunities in the sector and will help address diversity issues. It has the potential to provide structured career pathways which equip apprentices with the skills that are critical to the sector. It has been designed to address employment and skills issues of existing career pathways in archaeology. It is anticipated that the standards will be completed in time to start awarding apprenticeships later this year.

    Your comments and observations on the draft Overarching Apprenticeship Standards at Levels 3 and 5 are now welcomed. These have been produced by a working group drawn from employers in the sector and we now wish to validate this draft by opening it to scrutiny and input from the wider sector. See below for links to both levels together with supporting documents which show how these relate to work functions and a short Q&A document setting out some more detail about apprenticeships overall.

    Apprenticeship Standard for Historic Environment Practitioners L3

    Apprenticeship Standard for Historic Environment Practitioners L5
    Explanatory Levels Table v3
    Historic Environment Practice Trailblazer Apprenticeships FAQs
    Standards Overview Diagram

    If you have any comments or suggestions then please send them to Bob Hook by 24th March 2016 by email to bob.hook@historicengland.org.uk or contact him directly on 07831 523363. Alternatively write to:

    Bob Hook
    Intelligence Analyst: Professional Infrastructure and Skills,
    Strategic Planning and Management Department,
    Research Group,
    Historic England, The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2EH

  • New Members

    FAME continues to attract new members and this month we are delighted to welcome the following organisations:

    • Heritage Business International: based in the US, but operating across Canada, Australia and in the UK HBI offer research and training services together with business consulting aimed at heritage organisations. If you want to improve your business performance, get in touch.
    • Archaeological Project Services: working mainly in the east of England, APS are the contracting arm of Heritage Lincolnshire and have been operating since 1993.
    • LP Archaeology: independent since 1999, LP are a worker co-ownership, operating out of London, Chester, Bury St Edmunds and Shrewsbury.
    • Orion Heritage: recently established, Orion provide heritage consulting and project management from offices in Brighton and Manchester.

    FAME is only as strong as its membership. Join now and help us to better protect and promote the interests of managers, employers and the commercial archaeology and heritage sector. Contact CEO Nick Shepherd or Membership Secretary Frank Meddens.

  • FAME comments: National Infrastructure Development and Historic Environment Skills and Capacity 2015-30: An Assessment

    FAME comments: National Infrastructure Development and Historic Environment Skills and Capacity 2015-30: An Assessment

    FAME has responded to the draft Historic England publication -National Infrastructure Development and Historic Environment Skills and Capacity 2015-30: An Assessment:

    FAME-comments-HE-capacity-reportDownload

  • 2015 Archaeology Market Survey

    Hot on the heels of the 2014 market survey comes that for 2015. This important piece of work undertaken by Landward Research, jointly for FAME and CIfA, describes the commercial archaeology sector as of the end of March this year. You will want to look at the detail to compare your organisation’s position with others in the industry, but the headlines are:

    -Employment in the ‘applied archaeology sector’ up by over 20%
    -Turnover up 15%, with margins up slightly to 2.5%
    -Business confidence at an all time high
    -Commercial residential development still dominates
    -Skills gaps still a concern, but the response has been increased training
    -Heightened concern over threats to local government archaeology

    The survey comes at a time when many organisation are expanding and with the prospect of enhanced government spending on infrastructure. The survey makes a vital contribution to understanding the state of the sector and will help to focus efforts on improvement at an organisational and industry level. Members can download a copy of the report by following this link.