Community Engagement in Archaeology: CIfA Toolkit Project
building capacity and skills across the archaeology sector
The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists received funding from Historic England for a project to develop guidance presented as a CIfA Toolkit to support the promotion and delivery of community engagement in archaeology. The main target audience for the guidance are those who commission community archaeology and/or engagement activities, primarily in development-led archaeology.
DigVentures was commissioned in Setpember 2022 to undertake this project in partnership with CIfA and through consultation with a Project Advisory Board, peers and colleagues.
This project began with the recognition that our sector must do better to support stakeholders working across developer-led archaeology in commissioning, designing, delivering and evaluating meaningful public engagement and the delivery of public benefit.
Key activities of the project are outlined below.
Sector consultation and survey to inform toolkit content
Scoping content plan and creating web-based toolkit
Providing recommendations for new CIfA engagement and impact Standards
Develop evaluation framework and methodology for project and sector
Planning for promotion, dissemination and action in future stages
Project communications, documentation and archive
Why now?
Archaeology is more than a sector and profession; it is a vector for the delivery of many frontline community outcomes essential for civic life. Development projects, such as infrastructure, home building, and other large-scale mitigation works have a meaningful impact on people’s everyday lives, and archaeology – as the first stage of these works – has the ability and opportunity to make a huge contribution within these works.
From CIfA’s own work in promoting the importance of public benefit through to extensive research initiatives such as Dr Sadie Watson’s UKRI Fellowship, academic research including DV’s own Dr Brendon Wilkins, and networks of practice such as the Archaeology Audience Network, there is a growing urgency to embed public engagement and the realisation of social value in archaeology that happens via the planning process.
Faced with the steep challenges of the current economic climate, it is clearer than ever that this huge untapped potential value is the greatest asset the archaeology sector can mobilise to thrive into the future. Our processes need rapid updating, and our professionals need a clear set of tools and guidance, in order to meet this challenge.
A ‘fuller understanding of the past provided by archaeology is part of society’s common heritage and it should be available to everyone’ (CIfA Code of conduct). 'Delivering and participating in community archaeology can bring with it social, communal and wellbeing benefits as well as a better understanding of place and empowerment of local communities to care for and promote their local historic environment. The results of these projects also have a research value, leading to a greater understanding of the past and better management of the historic environment. Community engagement through development led archaeological investigations is one of the areas that contributes to supporting the delivery of public benefit.’
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Code of conduct and 2022 ITT documents
What did we do?
Our work on the CIfA toolkit project commenced in September 2022. The first and most crucial step was to assemble a Project Advisory Board drawn from key stakeholder including statutory bodies, curatorial and planning archaeologists, project managers, consultants, third sector, non-departmental public bodies, academia and independent practioners. The project was delivered in three key stages:
- Stage 1 delivered a scoping document informed by sector-wide consultation and desk-based research, outlining proposals for the guidance contents;
- Stage 2 developed web-based guidance using a similar format to existing CIfA toolkits, incorporating additional resources such as video content, useable tools and downloadable content;
- Stage 3 fully considered options for future stages of the project, recommendations for promotion and dissemination, and sector activities to support implementation.
Following completion, the toolkit and resources were published on the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists website.
The Toolkit
The toolkit is now availble on CIfA’s website and can be utilised by both commissioners and practitioners in the archaeology sector who are interested in delivering better public engagement, and in creating more opportunities to do so.
