How to commission public engagement with archaeology
A key question for those commissioning archaeological works is ‘how can public engagement be achieved within this development?’
Ideally, opportunities to enable meaningful public engagement with archaeology should be built into projects at an early stage. To maximise the contribution archaeology can make to social value outcomes and the delivery of public benefit, public engagement must be considered at the design stage. Required archaeological works can then include public engagement activities aligned with the aspirations of the development, feeding into and enhancing social value considerations.
The local authority (LA) archaeologist and/or project consultant should consider
- what would be a proportionate and reasonable scale of engagement to require within a particular development
- how engagement with archaeology meets the overarching development targets for public benefit and social value
- how tender structure can support positive outcomes through weighting of quality and cost measures
Where applicable, the project brief provided by the local authority archaeologist can, and should, require proportionate, evidenced public engagement activities and public benefit outcomes as part of works needed to mitigate impacts on heritage assets. This is consistent with the view that planning policy and ethical frameworks actively enable wider public benefit from archaeological projects.
You can find examples in the design section of this toolkit (3.1 - What does engagement look like?), but in summary these requirements might
- be intrinsic products of the archaeological works, such as contributing new knowledge to the HER, dissemination of the report and deposition of the archaeological archive
- provide greater access to intrinsic products, such as including wider dissemination of results through publicly accessible articles or products.
- provide meaningful public engagement opportunities, like structured site tours, engaging volunteers in active participation, or developing resources for schools to aid learning from site archive materials
In addition, the delivery of archaeological works can incorporate activities or processes which meet social value outcomes. These may not be a requirement of consent (eg as outlined in the project brief), but could form part of the contract issued directly by the developer and/or the heritage consultant. This might include activities that
- support greater equality, diversity and inclusion via a skills training programme for young people and volunteers from more diverse backgrounds
- tackle health through active travel by creation of heritage trails or heritage walks in urban areas
- raise awareness of the development and embed community input through a public engagement and consultation programme
Fundamental to commissioning any public engagement or social value work is understanding that impact: measurement, and evaluation, is what makes this activity meaningful. By considering evaluation as a key deliverable for activities achieving public benefit and/or social value, archaeologists can routinely demonstrate the value of their work (see 2.4 - Planning for public engagement).
To achieve this, a public engagement plan which maximises the opportunity provided and is proportionate to the nature of the impact must be part of project planning from the start. For example, engagement opportunities for a small watching brief might be limited, and a pragmatic and proportionate approach will be best; on the other hand, archaeological engagement on large-scale developments has the potential to create wider opportunities for public benefit and thus should be proportionally included. More information about how a public engagement plan can help articulate this can be found in Infosheet 4 - Creating a public engagement plan.
What are the project commissioning considerations?
For the developer
- how does archaeology help meet the development’s social value outcomes?
- in what ways can public engagement with archaeology help the project liaise more effectively with local people?
- do we have defined audiences that the archaeological works can help us connect with?
- what archaeological information could inform the design of the development and contribute to placemaking?
- who is best placed to deliver public engagement as part of the archaeological project?
For the local planning archaeologist
- within my role, what can I do to embed meaningful public engagement with archaeology as part of this project?
- what kind of public engagement is proportionate within this development?
- how can archaeological work contribute to public benefit, and how will that be measured and included in the project methodology?
- if direct participation is limited by health and safety considerations, or commercial confidentiality, what other public benefit opportunities could enable public engagement with archaeology impacted by the development?
- how can I monitor success for public benefits which are required?
For the archaeological consultant
- within my role, what can I do to embed meaningful engagement with archaeology as part of this project?
- how will meaningful public engagement activities benefit the development?
- how can the archaeological project contribute to social value outcomes identified by the development team?
- what type and scale of activities will meet the requirement for public benefit as defined by the local planning archaeologist?
- how can I design the procurement process to ensure the delivery team are able to deliver the public benefit and social outcomes required?
- how can I monitor success for public benefit and social outcomes?
Refers to the administrative body responsible for governing and making decisions at the local level within a specific geographic area or district. In development-led archaeology, local authorities play a significant role in granting planning permissions, managing heritage assets, agreeing the scope of works and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and policies. Local Authorities also host the Historic Environment Record for the region.
The active engagement of the general public or targeted audience groups in the planning, decision-making, or execution of a project. In archaeology, public engagement refers to activities and initiatives designed to involve and educate the public about archaeological discoveries, research, or heritage.
There is no single definition of social value and exact descriptions may differ according to context. Most centre social value around the importance of social, environmental, and economic impacts on the community and the people living in these communities. In procurement, social value could include a commitment to employing local people, offering a number of apprenticeships, protecting or conserving the environment, or supporting health and wellbeing initiatives. Where there is an ambition to achieve social value, the means to do so must be considered from the beginning of a project so that it can be dealt with comprehensively.
