Replace the contractor only through a documented transfer. Before the incoming team resumes fieldwork or post-excavation, identify the authority and approvals that govern the site, secure the approved project design and permit or licence records, inventory every paper and digital record, reconcile unfinished work and deadlines, confirm the receiving repository, and sign a custody and responsibility handover. A verbal change of contractor is not an adequate archive or regulatory record.
The exact procedure depends on the jurisdiction, archaeological licence or permit, contract, approved Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) or equivalent project design, and the repository that will receive the archive. Ontario provides a clear example of a regulator-triggered change; Devon and Lincolnshire provide local English archive guidance; United States National Park Service and federal-contract guidance address record quality and transaction files. None of those rules automatically governs another project.
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Start by identifying what changes legally and operationally
A contractor can change without changing the named licensee, field director, permit holder, reporting party, or project scope. It can also change several of them at once. List the people and organisations currently attached to the work before negotiating the handover:
- site jurisdiction and local archaeological authority;
- permit or licence number, holder and responsible field director;
- client, landowner and archaeological adviser;
- regulator, curator or monitoring authority;
- approved WSI or project design, amendments and method statements;
- contract, change or termination provisions;
- data-management plan and archive agreement; and
- physical and digital repository that has accepted, or must accept, the archive.
Ask whether the proposed change affects the named licensee or field director, the stage of work, the reporting deadline, the scope of interventions, or the destination and format of the archive. Those answers determine which notices, amended forms, approvals or extensions are needed.
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Ontario illustrates why an early regulatory check matters
Ontario guidance says that when fieldwork has begun and the responsible licensee or field director changes, the ministry must be notified. A licensee taking over responsibility for an ongoing project, during a stage or between stages, must file a new Project Information Form (PIF) for the remainder of the project. Ontario’s published wording is: “A licensee taking over responsibility for an ongoing project, either during a stage or between stages, must file a new "PIF" (Project Information Form) for the remainder of the project.”
Ontario’s land-based licensing guidance also expects the incoming licensee to obtain the records, correspondence, outstanding-work list and due dates, and indicates that transfer completion depends on new PIFs and numbers. Use this as a jurisdiction-specific example, not as a universal rule. In another jurisdiction, the equivalent may be a permit variation, replacement project-design approval, curator notification or a new named project archaeologist.
Freeze the record before responsibility moves
Set a cut-off date and preserve the outgoing contractor’s record in the condition in which it was received. The purpose is to make it possible for an independent archaeologist to understand what was observed, what was changed, what remains uncertain and what still has to be done.
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Give every physical box, folder, notebook, drive, database export and online workspace a unique identifier. Record its current location, format, date range, creator, condition, access restriction and checksum or other verification value where the project’s data protocol requires one. Reconcile the inventory against the approved WSI and the contractor’s database so that an absent item is visible rather than silently assumed to exist.
At minimum, the inventory should cover the following categories:
| Record group | Items to identify | Transfer detail to capture |
|---|---|---|
| Field observations | Field diaries, notebooks, context sheets, feature and structure records, intervention logs, sample sheets and daily records | Notebook or form ranges, missing pages, original location and scanning status |
| Measured and spatial data | Plans, sections, measured drawings, coordinates, survey files, GIS layers, site grids and geometry | Native files, exports, coordinate reference system, version and software needed to read them |
| Images and media | Photographs, films, image metadata, photo registers and captions | Original files, derivatives, sequence gaps, metadata and storage location |
| Finds and samples | Finds registers, sample registers, conservation records, environmental material and packaging lists | Unique numbers, physical location, processing status and chain-of-custody notes |
| Specialist and analytical work | Specialist datasets, laboratory results, spreadsheets, correspondence and draft interpretations | Completed, in-progress and commissioned work; responsible specialist and deliverable date |
| Reporting and approvals | Current WSI, amendments, permits, licences, report drafts, submissions, regulator correspondence and meeting decisions | Approved version, superseded versions, submission dates, comments and response deadlines |
| Project administration | Contract, variations, invoices relevant to deliverables, risk decisions and notices | Effective dates, obligations carried forward and unresolved disputes or deficiencies |
Ontario’s guidance specifically identifies report drafts, field notes, measurements, drawings, photographs, maps, ministry correspondence, outstanding work and report due dates. A project WSI example also includes interventions, notebooks and diaries, context, feature and structure records, site geometry, photographs or films, finds records and related data files.
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Separate originals from working copies
Mark which item is the primary record and which is a scan, export, derivative or working copy. Do not overwrite an original to correct a transcription, migrate a database or standardise a filename. If a correction or migration is necessary, retain the original, create the new version under the project’s approved protocol, and record what changed, when and by whom.
The primary archive should remain secure, quantified, ordered, indexed and internally consistent. That integrity matters because later assessment and interpretation depend on raw observations, not only on the outgoing contractor’s final narrative. National Park Service archaeological documentation guidance similarly emphasises standardised records that allow another qualified person to understand and interpret the work independently.
Make a verified digital copy and control access
Agree the transfer method with the client, regulator and repository before moving data. The project WSI example calls for two identical digital archive copies and issue of one copy to the Project Archaeologist. Follow the actual project requirement for the second copy, encryption, retention and access; do not assume that a particular cloud service, drive or file format is authorised.
- Export databases and GIS projects in the native format and any repository-required open or interchange format.
- Copy unmodified originals, metadata, directory structure and documentation explaining software dependencies.
- Generate a file list and, where required by the project protocol, checksums for the source and destination sets.
- Transfer through the approved secure channel. An external portable drive is only one possible medium and is appropriate only when security and data-handling rules permit it.
- At the receiving end, count files, compare the file list or checksums, open representative files and confirm that links, images, spatial references and database relationships work.
- Record the transfer date, sender, recipient, medium or channel, verification result and any unreadable or missing item.
Keep credentials out of ordinary email and transfer them only through an approved method. List which accounts, keys or permissions were transferred, suspended or retained, without placing secret values in the handover inventory. Access to personal data, culturally sensitive information, protected-site locations or commercially confidential material must follow the contract, licence, local law and repository terms.
Turn unfinished work into a controlled register
A contractor change does not erase an obligation. Build one open-work register that covers field, laboratory, specialist, reporting and archive tasks. Ontario states that report deadlines remain in force unless an extension is requested. Carry each existing date into the new plan rather than restarting the clock.
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| Register field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Work item | Specific area, sample batch, specialist report, assessment, publication, archive action or consultation |
| Status at cut-off | Not started, active, awaiting input, complete subject to approval, or blocked |
| Evidence of status | Context range, sample numbers, draft version, laboratory receipt, meeting minute or submission reference |
| New owner | Named person or team, not only the company name |
| Dependency | Finds processing, laboratory result, client decision, regulator response, access or repository instruction |
| Due date | Existing contractual or regulatory date, with the source of the date |
| Approval or extension | Required notice, decision-maker, request date and outcome |
| Risk and next action | What could prevent completion and the action due next |
Include field areas not completed; sampling and processing; finds and environmental analysis; specialist work; assessment; report drafting, review and submission; consultation; archive preparation; repository deposit; and any required data-format conversion. If an outgoing specialist holds material, record its physical location and return or transfer date.
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Do not infer completion from a draft
A draft report can omit unresolved contexts, unprocessed samples or comments that have not been answered. Tie each statement of completion to an underlying record, submission receipt, laboratory result or approval. Preserve superseded drafts and reviewer comments so the incoming team can distinguish an approved decision from a proposal.
Confirm the archive recipient before you pack anything
Ask the receiving museum, trusted repository or digital service to confirm its conditions in writing. Establish:
- institutional accession or project number;
- physical packaging, labelling and conservation requirements;
- digital formats, metadata, naming and documentation requirements;
- index structure and required catalogue fields;
- retention, disposal and duplicate-copy policy;
- deposit timetable and acceptance milestones;
- who pays for preparation, transport, migration and storage; and
- who is authorised to sign final acceptance.
Devon County Council’s archaeological specification says completion depends on an ordered, integrated archive transferred to a trusted repository, and that a WSI should include a data-management plan and deposition timetable. That specification says its Historic Environment Team would normally expect deposition within six months after the fieldwork element is complete. This is Devon’s local expectation, not a general deadline.
Lincolnshire guidance likewise expects the project design to name the physical repository and digital arrangements and advises checking the receiving museum’s conditions. If the outgoing contractor promised a repository that has not accepted the archive, pause packing and obtain acceptance from the actual recipient rather than sending unlabelled material.
Execute a signed transfer of custody and responsibility
Use a handover document signed by the outgoing contractor, incoming contractor, client and, where required, the licensee, field director, adviser or repository. Attach the inventory, open-work register, data-transfer verification and list of unresolved gaps.
- State the effective date and scope. Define whether the incoming team assumes fieldwork, post-excavation, reporting, archive preparation, or all of them.
- Name accountable roles. Identify the new licensee or permit holder, field director, project manager, data custodian, finds lead, reporting lead and repository contact.
- List what was delivered. Reference box numbers, folders, digital packages, database versions, media, credentials transferred by approved means and copies retained.
- List what was not delivered. Record missing notebooks, unreadable files, absent metadata, unreturned finds, disputed ownership or inaccessible accounts.
- Record the outstanding work and dates. Attach the register and identify dependencies, extensions requested and approvals still pending.
- Define access and use. State who may copy, edit, publish, disclose or destroy each category, subject to the contract, licence, privacy law and repository terms.
- Obtain receipts. The recipient should acknowledge physical and digital receipt after the agreed verification, not merely after a courier delivery.
- Notify authorities. Submit regulator forms, permit variations, replacement project-design documents or repository notifications required for the site.
Keep one immutable copy of the signed handover and its attachments in the project file. If a gap is discovered later, append a dated discrepancy report; do not silently amend the original handover.
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Choose the incoming contractor on transfer capability, not just price
When more than one qualified candidate is available, ask each to explain how it will reconcile its own systems with the inherited archive. The following comparison axes are practical decision criteria inferred from licensing, archive and project responsibilities; they are not a universal scoring standard.
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|---|---|---|
| Authority to take responsibility | Can the team hold or work under the required licence or permit, and can its named personnel be accepted by the authority? | Current status, proposed responsible roles and notification plan |
| Method continuity | How will it follow the approved WSI, recording system, numbering and sampling strategy? | Reconciliation approach and exception log |
| Archive control | How will it secure, index, verify and preserve originals and duplicate digital copies? | Archive and data-management method, transfer checks and storage locations |
| Post-excavation capacity | Are qualified specialists available for the remaining finds, environmental, dating or other analytical work? | Named personnel, availability and deliverables |
| Deadline capacity | Can it meet existing dates, and how will it request an extension if a dependency makes that impossible? | Milestone plan tied to the open-work register |
| Acceptance by stakeholders | Will the regulator, client, adviser and repository accept the proposed team and archive plan? | Assumptions, approval dependencies and communication schedule |
| Clear scope and cost | Who pays for recovery, data migration, missing-record investigation, archive packaging and additional specialist work? | Variation, exclusions, custody terms and change-control process |
A low fee is not a saving if the incoming team must reconstruct records, repeat surveys or miss a regulatory deadline. Require a short written mobilisation plan before appointment, including the first archive audit, named contacts and the date on which the team can safely resume work.
Keep the commercial and decision record together
File the termination or variation notice, change order, scope and fee reconciliation, approvals, delivery receipts, meeting decisions, deficiency notices and dispute record with the archaeological archive. The U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulation’s Subpart 4.8 applies to federal acquisition files rather than every private archaeology contract, but its purpose is useful: a contract file should provide a complete transaction history and support later review. Apply the same discipline proportionately while following the actual contract and local law.
Do not assume that paying the outgoing contractor transfers copyright, database rights, confidentiality obligations or permission to publish. Confirm ownership, licence to use, personal-data responsibilities, culturally sensitive information controls and destruction or retention duties from the contract, applicable law, archaeological licence and repository terms. The available jurisdictional examples do not determine those rights for an unspecified project.
Common failure modes and recovery actions
The incoming team receives only the final report
Treat the report as one output, not the archive. Request field notes, measurements, drawings, photographs and metadata, maps, context and feature records, finds and sample registers, specialist files, correspondence, drafts and approvals. Reconcile each category to the inventory and record any item that cannot be recovered.
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Preserve the original media, document the software and version used, and obtain a forensic or specialist conversion that retains the source. Validate converted files against representative originals and record the migration. Do not delete the legacy copy after a successful opening test unless the repository and project protocol permit disposal.
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The archive has no confirmed recipient
Stop final packing, contact the museum or digital repository named in the WSI or project design, and obtain written conditions and an accession reference. If the named recipient declines, notify the client and authority and document the approved alternative.
A deadline is close or already missed
Use the open-work register to identify the blocking dependency, notify the responsible authority and client immediately, and request an extension through the prescribed channel. Keep the original deadline in the register alongside the request and decision; do not replace it with an unapproved internal date.
Responsibility is disputed
Separate factual custody from contractual liability. Inventory what is physically held, who has access, what work was authorised and what remains unpaid or contested. Seek the contract’s dispute process and appropriate professional or legal advice while preserving the records and meeting any non-negotiable regulatory notice.
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- Days 1–3: impose the cut-off date; secure premises, boxes, servers and accounts; identify the regulator, permit or licence, WSI, client, adviser and repository.
- Days 4–7: complete the physical and digital inventory; preserve originals; export databases and GIS data; identify missing, unreadable or restricted items.
- Days 8–12: build the open-work and deadline register; obtain laboratory, specialist and repository status; identify extension or approval requests.
- Days 13–17: verify the duplicate digital copy, reconcile file lists and test representative files; agree secure credential transfer and access permissions.
- Days 18–22: obtain repository conditions and accession details; finalise the incoming contractor’s mobilisation and archive plan.
- Days 23–26: sign the custody and responsibility handover with attachments; issue regulator, client, adviser and repository notifications.
- Days 27–30: hold a technical review of numbering, recording methods, unresolved contexts and next field or post-excavation actions; update the register with named owners and dates.
At the end of this period, the project should have an auditable baseline: an identified authority, approved documents, a complete inventory or documented gaps, verified copies, an owned work plan, a repository route and signed responsibility for the next action.
Bottom line
A safe mid-project replacement is an evidence-preservation exercise as much as a procurement decision. Confirm the rules that apply to the site, notify the authority and update forms when required, transfer the complete primary and digital record, preserve originals and traceability, carry every unfinished task and deadline forward, and obtain written acceptance of custody from the incoming team and repository. Ontario’s PIF requirement, Devon’s archive timetable and the other guidance examples show why the details must come from the project’s own jurisdiction and approvals rather than from a generic handover script.
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