Understanding your role in public engagement with archaeology
Understanding what meaningful public engagement is and why it is important are two important parts of the puzzle. It is easy to say that all professional archaeologists have a role to play in embedding public engagement within archaeology, but it is sometimes tricky to see how.
The process involved in the delivery of a development-led archaeological project is reasonably predictable, with the same sequence of events involving similar team members and stakeholders. Every role involved in delivery – whether that is commissioning, planning, design, delivery or monitoring of the archaeology – can contribute to public engagement, and it’s important to understand early in the project who can help those conversations move from ideas to plans.
- Applicant/developer: the lead applicant or developer will involve a team of people designing and managing the development where this is proportionate to the project. This could include a specific community liaison role shaping how the project communicates and works within the local people and stakeholders. The developer may manage all contracts, issuing tenders and procuring archaeological services directly.
- define and design: may define social value outcomes and audience targets
- procurement: as the client, may directly manage contracts and performance with archaeological team and therefore procure public engagement
- Planning archaeologist: identifies the scope of the project, makes decisions about the specific requirements of the archaeological project, agrees the project brief and the WSI, and monitors on behalf of the planning authority and/or project stakeholders.
- commission: defining proportionate requirements for archaeology and public benefit, agrees the project brief and WSI, and facilitates how public engagement is delivered
- monitor: signs off project stages
- Consultant: a mediator working on behalf of the client in a contracted project, usually a heritage professional and archaeological consultant. The consultant will manage the tenders and procurement process and monitor quality throughout delivery.
- procurement: defining public benefit requirements within tenders for the archaeological project based on planning and developer-led outcomes
- design: acting for the client to manage contracts and performance with archaeological team and providing input into the design process
- monitor: signs off project stages
- Project team: the delivery team may be provided by a single commercial archaeological organisation or be managed by one organisation with input from contracting specialists – or indeed by multiple organisations depending on the size of a project. For smaller projects, the project team may manage the contract directly with the developer, where a project consultant is not in place. One individual or many may also perform multiple roles within a project, which could include
- project design and planning: contracts or business manager, project manager, engagement team, evaluation team
- project delivery: project manager, archaeologists, community officer, education specialist, videographer, engagement team, evaluation team, archaeological specialists
- project dissemination: project manager, archaeologists, community officer, education specialist, organisational archive manager/officer
- Collections curators and managers: museums, archives and HERs have different roles to play in the archaeological project but a common engagement role in acting as a hub for knowledge storage and/or dissemination. Museums can also play a vital role in the delivery of engagement activities, often acting as a partner, providing support in audience engagement or acting as a key venue.
- project delivery: collections manager, curator, engagement officer
- project dissemination: the curator of the archaeological archive at either/all of the receiving museum (museum curator), the Trusted Digital Repository (digital repository curator) and the regional HER (HER officer)
Currently, embedding meaningful public engagement within development-led archaeology projects seems like a big step, which the profession needs to make. However, looking at current planning frameworks and legislation, as well as ethical and professional standards, will help align public engagement in archaeological projects to the existing ecosystem we work within (see 2.1 - Making public engagement happen and Infosheet 2 - Planning frameworks, ethics and public benefit). Within our roles, if we can help encourage small shifts in practice, cumulatively, things can start to change. This change is essential in order to be ethical and help the public raise the value of their archaeological heritage. Where might you be able to effect change and is there anything you can do? Our infographic, ‘public engagement in the archaeological process’, illustrates how, when and where thinking about public engagement and challenging the norm could have a real impact.
