All Together Now? Making the guidance work in practice

Adrian Tindall, Chief Executive

Engaging with…

Government’s 2010 Vision “that the value of the historic environment is recognised by all who have the power to shape it; that Government gives it proper recognition and that it is managed intelligently and in a way that fully realises its contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of the nation.”

Today’s public – participation in decision-making and the archaeological process, access to growing HERs, archaeological resource centres

Research agendas – regional frameworks, grey literature, HERs, ‘expert’ panels

Skills development through higher education and CPD

Beyond PPG16…

PPS5 is not just ‘PPG16 Plus’

Less mechanistic, more targeted, more challenging, more holistic, potentially more rewarding

Not about process, not about outputs, but about outcomes

Public service cuts - less micromanagement, more strategic oversight?

More collaboration, less fragmentation

More carrot, less stick – greater recognition of those who fund archaeological discovery

Beyond PPG16…

Greater consistency, transparency and proportionality in archaeological requirements

IfA Standards and Guidance for local government HE services – and consultants

Robust justification for Significance, Proportionality, Setting…

…and for pre-determination work and escalation

The burden of proof?

The state of the market

Roving/multiple contractors – what price local knowledge?

Better procurement models - quality and fitness over cost? Design competition over competitive tendering?

Organisational scrutiny – raise barriers to entry through accreditation or licensing built on RAO Scheme?

More rigorous compliance with updated IfA Standards?

What is the scale, health and profitability of the archaeological market?

Can a free market successfully deliver government heritage policy? Would a more regulated market deliver greater benefits to the sector and public?

Rethinking archaeological practice…

“PPS5 presents an opportunity to move from mitigating damage to increasing understanding, from a fragmented to a collaborative approach, from recording fabric to understanding and enhancing cultural significance, from preservation by record to future-building by understanding and from data collection to participative knowledge creation”

- Taryn Nixon A New Jerusalem, 2010 IfA Southport Conference PPS5: a new era for commercial archaeology?

‘The Southport Commission’

Convened June 2010

Membership drawn from across heritage and development sector: Dave Barrett, Karen Bewick, Duncan Brown, Stewart Bryant, Chris Gosden, Mike Heyworth, Peter Hinton (secretariat), Taryn Nixon (chair), Adrian Olivier, Liz Peace, Adrian Tindall, Roger M Thomas

To think creatively and radically, and use its links to invite ideas from across the sector about improving archaeological practice under PPS5

To present a draft report to 2011 IfA Conference, and a final report by July 2011

Get involved!

PPS5 offers the most significant opportunity for a generation to rethink archaeological practice…

…while public service cuts present the greatest urgency to do so

The commission invites you to contribute to this process - don’t let it pass you by!