Background to Project

Background to Project

Community ArchaeologyBursaries Project

Invitation for Candidate Host Organisations

  1. Background to Project
  1. Purpose of Community Archaeology Training Bursaries
  2. Benefits of becoming a Host Organisation
  3. Contribution of Requirements from Candidate Host Organisation
  4. Management of Bursaries
  5. Timeframe
  6. BursaryTerms of Employment
  7. Monitoring
  8. Publicity
  9. Bursary Budget and Host Contributions

11. Application Process

  1. Selection Criteria
  2. Compiling an Application:
  3. Partnership options:

12. Submission

Appendix 1: Criteria for Selecting Community Archaeology Bursary Host Organisations and list of acceptable forms of evidence

  1. Background to Project

The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) Community Archaeology Bursaries Project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund through itsSkills for the Future programme( with additional support from English Heritage,Cadw and Historic Scotland. The project is enabling CBA to offer year-long workplace bursaries designed to equip would-be community archaeologists with the skills, experience and confidence to work with voluntary groups and communities. Executed in two rounds over a three-year period, the project is providing a total of 51 paid bursary placements. Round II has a specific focus on developing ‘youth-engagement’ and it is for the final cohort of 12 placements (commencing September 2013) for which host organisations are currently sought.

The CBA is now inviting archaeological and heritage organisations to apply for the opportunity to hostthese year-long learning bursaries. For a copy of the HLF-approvedTraining Plan, please email the CBA Community Archaeology Training Coordinator:

  1. Purpose of Community Archaeology Training Bursaries

Skills for the Future funding was made available to provide paid training opportunities in the heritage sector, in response to the impact of recent changes in the economic climate.CBA research ( has also identified gaps in community archaeology training and professional development which this project will help to fill.

The bursaries will help provide opportunities for individuals wanting to make a future career in community archaeology, and to learn the skills needed to work effectively with communities with a diverse demographic.

We envisage that the individuals who will apply for these bursaries will include:

  • Out of work professional archaeologists who have a lower chance of re-employment either because of lack of formal qualifications or because they have only been practising archaeologists for a short time.
  • New entrants to professional archaeology, specifically non-vocational archaeologists, who wish to undertake a career change but may feel that they lack professional experience or formal qualifications to secure archaeological employment.

Candidate Host Organisations (CHOs) are sought for Round II Year 2 placements that will run from September 2013 to September 2014 and have a particular focus on developing youth engagement.

  1. Benefits of becoming a Host Organisation

Hosting a bursary has many benefits for your organisation, aside from the intrinsic work of the post itself.

Applications to host a bursary will be assessed by the Community Archaeology Bursaries Project Board against a set of criteria. This will help establish and evidence a proven track record of effective, high quality community work. If selected, this provides an esteem indicator for hostsasrecognised centres of best practice for community archaeology and engagement skills.

Hosting a bursary will also provide an opportunity for your existing staff to experience continuing professional development (CPD) through the development of mentoring and supervisory skills in their interactions with the placement holder. As part of this process, staff at the host organisation will be offered training and mentoring to assist them with delivering this support to the placement holder.

If your organisation is unsuccessful, this may not be indicative that the organisation does not demonstrate good practice in community archaeology. A broad range of criteria are considered, including the range of activities carried out and also geographic location. The selection of bursary hosts is a completely objective process, and you are welcome to contact us for feedback regarding your application.

  1. Contribution of Requirements from Candidate Host Organisation

The CABP is a training scheme designed to provide high quality on-the-job training for its recipients, including assessment for an NVQ in Archaeological Practice at level 3. The focus should be on the learning experience of the placement holder, rather than the personnel needs of the organisation. Hence, CHOs need to demonstrate their suitability as a host organisation, through their compliance with the management requirements outlined below and via evidence provided through their application to become a Candidate Host Organisation.

  1. Management of Bursaries

CHOs are expected to provide the highest quality of management; including training, support for learning and constructive feedback. It is expected that there will be a line manager, a mentor and one or more supervisors, including specialists, made available to the placement holder. Organisations will need to demonstrate that full support and training will be provided in order to achieve the proposed learning goals. It is expected that the placement holder will have regular access to the specialist support required to gain the skills specified in the training plan. We recommend that the supervisor and mentor roles are adopted by different members of staff.

Additional support will be provided, both to the host organisation and the placement holder, by the CBA. This support will be provided primarily by aCommunity Archaeology Training Coordinator, employed at the CBA office in York. The Training Coordinatorwill guide both the host organisation and the placement holder in collating the necessary paperwork for the project. They will also co-ordinate project evaluation, coordinate arrangements for recruitment, assist with planning and delivery of events by the placement holder, and, if necessary, liaise in instances of dispute.

  1. Timeframe

Round I:

Year 1 – April2011 to March 2012

Year 2 – April2012 to March 2013

Year 3 – April 2013 to March 2014

Round II:

Year 1 – October2012 to October 2013

Year 2 – September 2013 to September 2014*

*Please note that all placements MUST be completed by 1st October 2014

Applications for CHOs for the final cohort of placements will open in November 2012 with a deadline of Thursday 31st January 2013 for receipt of all supporting material. Candidate host organisations will be informed of the outcome of their applications by the final week of March 2013.

Interviews for bursary holderswill be scheduled to take place in July2013. Typically interview panels will comprise one or more staff from the host organisation and one or more staff from the CBA, including the Training Coordinator. All bursary holders will be in place before 1st October 2013 to ensure completion by 1st October 2014.

  1. BursaryTerms of Employment

The bursary is a paid placement and the bursary holder will receive full payment as specified below. The host organisation will be the placement holder’s employer and the salary will be paid through the host organisation, with reimbursement claimed quarterly and retrospectively from the CBA.

Placement holders may be asked to undergo a Disclosure check[*] with the relevant Disclosure body and this will be made clear in all materials relating to the appointment of bursary holders. Host organisations will be asked to cover the cost of the Disclosure check as in-kind support (see Section 10). The Training Coordinatorwill be able to offer advice on obtaining Disclosures through a third party umbrella body for any organisations that are not able to submit Disclosures as a registered body in their own right.

  1. Monitoring

Identified supporting staff within the host organisation will be expected to monitor the progress of the placement holder and complete at least two formal reviews during the placement. The CBA should be kept informed of these reviews and copies of the relevant documentation should be made available. In addition, the TrainingCoordinator will carry out formal evaluation of the placement through collation of feedback from both the host organisation and the placement holder.

  1. Publicity

Formal opportunities for publicising the Community Archaeology Bursaries Project will be identified by the host organisation and the CBA in advance of, and during, the placement. Opportunities for publishing material arising from the placement should be sought wherever possible. The support of the CBA, the HLF, and English Heritage or Cadw (as appropriate) should be acknowledged in any publications or promotional material arising from the placement. The CBA can supply copies of logos on request. Please note that the HLF require to see any publicity material ahead of its release, and communication of this should be directed via the CBA.

The administration of the recruitment process for placement holders, including; promotion, advertising, collation and short-listing will be led by the CBA with input from the host organisations. In cases where host organisations feel they need to take a stronger role (for example if there are specific requirements) this must be agreed in advance with the CBA.

  1. Bursary Budget and Host Contributions

The bursary holder will receive a salary of £16,944in 2013/14, in line with IfA guidelines. This will be paid by the host organisation together with employers’ national insurance contributions and an employers’ pension contribution equating to 6% of the bursary holder’s salary, totalling a maximum of £1440 and £1017, respectively. The CBA will reimburse 90% of these employment costs on a quarterly basis with a 10% contribution required of the host organisation. This amount will either be deducted from claims presented to the CBA or paid directly to the CBA’s bank account. Where need is greatest, the CBA have the discretion to waiver this 10% contribution.

In addition, the host organisation will be expected to provideproof of a minimum ‘in-kind’ contribution to each bursary. This can be in which ever form is appropriate to the host organisation and can take the form of staff supervision and line management time, Disclosure check (if needed), desk space, allocation of appropriate equipment (including a computer), stationery, and any other general overheads.In terms of costing, this in-kind contribution would be expected to equate to c.3% of the total placement cost as detailed above (£19,401 in 2013/14). The host organisation will be required to provide proof of the monetary value of this in-kind contribution, either by way of receipts, e.g. for out of pocket, non-reclaimed costs, or, for staff time, by way of a signed, validated outline of staff daily rates and time spent on the project.

In addition a small budget is available to cover trainee travel and subsistence, equipment and out of pocket expenses; a sum of £400 is allocated to each trainee and can be claimed by host organisations from the CBA by prior agreement. Proof of expenditure for the full amount spent, in the form of receipts, must be submitted to the CBA during the placement year. Any money not spent will be retained by the CBA. A networking budget is also provided for the project to be used, as deemed appropriate by the CBA, for bursary holders to attend appropriate conferences, training and off-site meetings; this budget will be managed bythe Training Coordinator.

Bursary holders will be expected to undertake an NVQ level 3 via the IfA throughout their placement time andthis will be paid for by the CBA. In addition, the CBA hold a small annual budget for the purposes of recruiting trainees and for publicising the project. The CBA will co-ordinate effective use of these budgets in collaboration with host organisations.

  1. Application Process

Please read all parts of this section very carefully.

  1. Selection Criteria

Appendix 1 lists the selection criteria and the documentation that should be provided to support the criteria. Please study these carefully and consider the evidence that you can provide in your application.

The criteria considered ‘Essential’ must take precedence in the selection procedure, but any ‘Desirable’ criteria that can be met will of course strengthen your case. If you consider that you have a strong case for hosting a bursary but you cannot meet all of the ‘Essential’ criteria you should provide alternative information as to why your organisation should be considered, including reasons why the criteria cannot be met.

  1. Compiling an Application:

An application must be compiled and submitted by all organisations wishing to be considered as a CHO. The application must be submitted electronically or as a paper portfolio, and must comprise the following components:

  • Covering letter
  • Checklist of documents (see Appendix 1):a pro forma provided to applicants to assist with checking that all relevant documents are enclosed/attached with the application. Cross-referencing documents with the selection criteria helps with identifying which documents act as evidence for which criterion. Documents may be used to cross-reference with more than one of the criteria if appropriate.
  • Statement of why your organisation wishes to be involved in the Community Archaeology Bursaries Project: This should not exceed one side of A4, and should summarise briefly the key benefits and experiences that your organisation can offer to a bursary, as well as the particular benefits and experiences that your organisation would gain from hosting a placement.
  • Supporting Material to demonstrate meeting of selection criteria as described in the checklist (see list in Appendix 1)
  1. Partnership options:

If you are aware of another organisation in your region that is also interested in contributing to the placement experience, you are welcome to submit a joint application. For this, you will need to include an additional document specifying how the placement would be split in terms of timescale, location of placement holder and management and mentoring arrangements. You would also need to specify how financial arrangements would be made and dealt with – for example, if a lot more travel would be involved due to the partnership we are unable to increase the placement holder’s travel budget. If you wish to discuss potential partnership hosting, or would like to find out if there are any organisations in your region that may be in a position to partner with your organisation, please contact the CBA via the details below to discuss this further.

  1. Submission

All applicationsshould be submitted byThursday 31st January 2013. Please send the required documentsFAOTara-Jane Sutcliffe, Community Archaeology Bursaries Project, Council for British Archaeology, St Mary’s House, 66 Bootham, York YO30 6DD, or email to .

Decisions will be made and successful hosts notified by the final week of March2013. The Community Archaeology Bursaries Project Board’s decision is final. If you have a query regarding the selections made, you are welcome to contact us for feedback regarding the decision made in relation to your organisation.

To discuss the application process or to raise any other queries, please contact Tara-Jane Sutcliffe via email or telephoneon 01904 521243.

Appendix 1: Criteria for Selecting Community Archaeology Bursary Host Organisations and list of acceptable forms of evidence

ESSENTIAL
A Demonstrated commitment to appropriate archaeological standards in work and dissemination, such as the IfA Standards and Guidance.
B Experience of running fieldwork and/or research projects with an active volunteer input, e.g. regular inclusion of volunteers on excavations, programme of outreach projects encouraging voluntary action.
Evidence may include supporting material such as volunteer policy documents, volunteer recruitment strategy documents, specific staff with a responsibility for volunteer management.
C Track record as facilitators for community archaeology projects (e.g. brought in as advisor to funded community-led project).
Evidence may include archaeological reports from community-led projects demonstrating input from organisation, or interaction between groups and an organisation’s facilities if relevant, such as the HER, PAS Finds database.
D Experience of leading training for the voluntary sector.
Evidence may relate to the running of workshops, development of ‘toolkits’ and/or reference material, or voluntary participation opportunities which may, for example, be promoted through local press, websites, or other media.
E Ability to provide sufficient and appropriate equipment, supervision and mentoring of bursary holder.
Evidence should include the job/role description of proposed placement supervisor(s), management structure of organisation, assurance of availability of suitable equipment and work space for bursary holder, assurance of ability of CHO management team to devote sufficient time and attention to bursary holders’ needs, health and safety material, relevant risk assessments, and equal opportunities policy.
F Engagement with young people.
Evidence may include documentation showing evidence of session provision or active involvement with a YAC Branch, existing education programmes and projects engaging young people and documents showing awareness of best practice requirements when working with young people such as safe recruitment practices (including Disclosure checks), risk assessments, youth work policies, permission forms, specific insurance documents, use of Generic Learning/Social Outcomes and/or frameworks such as Every Child Matters, Curriculum for Excellence if in Scotland, and Learning Outside the Classroom, and exemplar activity/session plans.
DESIRABLE
GProximity to area believed to have less extensive community archaeology support and/or demonstrated community archaeology needs.
[NB some data will provided internally from the CBA’s research; as well as evidence provided by CHO themselves]
HProven record of positive relationships with existing local archaeological and related voluntary groups.
Evidence may include projects involving local groups and/or testimonials from groups themselves
IIndication of previous community consultation before, during and after delivery of any projects, and that sustainability and legacy issues have been considered as part of the project planning and delivery.
J Work with ‘hard to reach’ groups, currently experiencing limited or no engagement with archaeological heritage e.g. young people at risk of social exclusion, homeless people, minority groups, social C2, D and E grades, individuals and groups with disabilities.
Evidence may include specific projects engaging ‘hard to reach’ communities, and presence of extended projects such as the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
K Past, or planned future, involvement with the Festival of British Archaeology through the organisation of appropriate events during the Festival period. For more information see: If organisation is based in Scotland, evidence of participation with Scottish Archaeology Month would also be desirable.

Acceptable forms of evidence for the Criteria Host Organisation Selection Application (CHOSA) that may be submitted may include:

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