# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 .OTES FROM THE CHAIR PERSONAL DISCOMFORT ABOUT THE WORD @PROFESSIONAL WITH ITS CONNOTATION OF A CHOSEN FEW ARE BOTH SUPPLIERS OF A SERVICE AND CLIENTS OF THE SERVICES OF OTHERS $EVELOPMENT CONTROL PLANNERS FOR EXAMPLE ARE THE PUBLIC INTEREST CLIENTS OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS AND PROJECT MANAGERS WHO THEMSELVES MAY BE CLIENTS OF OTHER PROFESSIONALS SUCH AS ARCHAEOLOGISTS BUILDING HISTORIANS AND ECOLOGISTS AS WELL AS ENGINEERS AND OTHER PLANNERS 4HESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE USUALLY DEFINED FINANCIALLY AND LEGALLY ONLY ON BIGGER PROJECTS /N SMALLER PROJECTS PEOPLE JUST GET BY WHICH IS INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS IN THE CRUEL WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY 7HEN CONSERVATION OFFICERS GIVE ADVICE ON DETAIL AND SPECIFICATION ARE THEY ACTING AS INFORMED CLIENTS OR AS PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISORS 7HEN AN ARCHITECT OR SURVEYOR SENDS THE OFFICE JUNIOR TO THE LOCAL RECORD OFFICE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS IS THAT A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 9ES ) HATE THE BLAME CULTURE TOO BUT THERE S MUCH MORE AT STAKE THAN A FEW SPATS ABOUT INSURANCE 7E OWE IT TO THE WIDER WORLD AND TO PEOPLE NOW AND TO COME TO DEVELOP AND USE OUR SKILLS 3O WE NEED TO CLARIFY WHAT SERVICES WE ARE PROVIDING AND AT WHAT LEVELS )N A MULTI DISCIPLINARY PROFESSIONAL BODY HOW DO WE DEFINE AND DEVELOP THOSE SKILLS )T SEEMS TO ME AT PRESENT THAT THERE ARE THREE BROAD GROUPS OF SKILLS INVOLVED IN CONSERVING THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT 7E CAN CALL THE FIRST SKILL GROUP UNDERSTANDING 4HIS INVOLVES THE STUDY AND INTERPRETATION OF HISTORIC PLACES AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL 0RACTITIONERS INCLUDE ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND HISTORIANS OF ALL KINDS 4HE SECOND SKILL GROUP WE CAN CALL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT 4HIS DOES WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN AND IS TYPICALLY PRACTISED BY PLANNERS AND OTHERS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS TOGETHER WITH PROJECT MANAGERS GRANT MAKERS AND THE OPERATORS OF HISTORIC PLACES 4HE THIRD SKILL GROUP IS IMPLEMENTATION WHICH INVOLVES THE DESIGN SPECIFICATION AND SUPERVISION OF WORKS TO HISTORIC PLACES )T IS PRACTISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONS n ARCHITECTS SURVEYORS AND ENGINEERS BY THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND BY CONSERVATORS 4HE )("# HAS MEMBERS IN ALL THESE FIELDS 7OULD IT NOT BE MORE HELPFUL TO OUR CLIENTS n AND THAT INCLUDES THE BIG PUBLIC INTEREST CLIENTS n IF WE DEFINED OUR SKILLS AND THEIR LEVELS MORE CLEARLY IN THESE TERMS 7OULD IT NOT ALSO BE MORE HELPFUL TO OUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 0ERHAPS WE HAVE AN ANALOGY WITH THE SURVEYORS WHO HAVE A MEMBERSHIP THAT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF SURVEYOR 7E WOULD REMAIN UNITED BY PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS WHICH THEMSELVES ARE BEING PULLED INTO SHARPER FOCUS BY OUR FORTHCOMING JOINT PROJECT WITH THE )NSTITUTE OF &IELD !RCHAEOLOGISTS AND BY A LEVEL OF EXPERTISE THAT WE COULD CALL @INFORMED CLIENT LEVEL ACROSS ALL THE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES )NDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN IDENTIFIED AREAS OF SPECIALISM BUT NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE LARGER CONSERVATION PICTURE 4HE EDGES OF DISCIPLINES ARE SO OFTEN THE AREAS OF DISCOVERY 7HAT DO YOU THINK ,IGHT THE BLUE TOUCH PAPER AND RETIRE IMMEDIATELY .O DO PLEASE JOIN IN THIS CRUCIAL DEBATE *OHN 9ATES CHAIR IHBC ORG UK %VER SINCE 0OWER OF 0LACE IF NOT BEFORE WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT IS MORE A WAY OF LOOKING UNDERSTANDING AND ACTING THAN A PLACE DEFINED ON A MAP )T IS THE TIME DIMENSION OF OUR EVERYDAY SURROUNDINGS 3O ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE SECTOR SHOULD BY NOW RECOGNISE THAT UNDERSTANDING MANAGING AND CONSERVING HISTORIC PLACES CAN NOT BE SEEN SIMPLY IN THE TERMS VALUES AND ACTIVITIES OF ONE TRADITIONAL PROFESSION OR BE LED AT ALL TIMES BY A SINGLE PROFESSION 4HIS PUTS THE )NSTITUTE OF (ISTORIC "UILDING #ONSERVATION CENTRE STAGE IF WE CAN DEMONSTRATE TO THE WORLD OUR ABILITY TO PLAY THIS ROLE AS )("# IS ALREADY WELL ESTABLISHED AS A MULTI DISCIPLINARY BODY ! SNAPSHOT OF OUR MEMBERSHIP AS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR SHOWED THAT ABOUT A THIRD OF US ARE PLANNERS A QUARTER OF US ARE ARCHITECTS A TENTH ARE SURVEYORS 7E HAVE IN OUR MEMBERSHIP SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS ENGINEERS URBAN DESIGNERS LAWYERS AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNICIANS "Y EMPLOYMENT ABOUT HALF OF US WORK FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND A QUARTER OF US ARE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR )T SURPRISED ME TO FIND THAT ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF US ARE READILY IDENTIFIABLE AS LOCAL AUTHORITY CONSERVATION OFFICERS 4HE )("# IS THE BODY THAT REPRESENTS LOCAL AUTHORITY CONSERVATION STAFF AND MAINTAINS THEIR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BUT WE ARE ALREADY MUCH MORE THAN THAT IN THE COMPLEX AND EVER CHANGING WORLD OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS )N ALL OF THIS WE PROFESSIONALS AND SPECIALISTS AM ) ALONE IN MY /UR PLACE IN THE NEW PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE 4HE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE VOTED IN AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON -ARCH 7ELCOME TO YOU ALL &ULL MEMBERS #HRISTOPHER !NDERTON .7 -ATTHEW #ROOK 7- *OHN %LLIS 7! +IRSTY -ARTIN 7! 7ILLIAM -ASON 7- *OSEPH /RSI %! .EIL 2OBERTSON 7- %LIZABETH 3MITH 37 !RWEL 4HOMAS 7! !NN 4OWERS ,/ 5PGRADES FROM AFFILIATES TO FULL MEMBERS $AVID "EARDMORE 37 2OBERT "OWLER 7! !MY "URBIDGE ,/ 3UDIPTA $E -ALLIK %- !FFILIATE MEMBERS #ATHY "ARLOW 3# *ESSICA (UNNISETT 3% !NTHONY 'IBBARD 3% !NTHONY 'RAHAM 37 ,LOYD -ILLE %- !LAN -UNN %- 0AUL 4OMLINSON 7!
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