By Finlo Rohrer BBC News Magazine "There's a problem with my synergistic visions"
By Finlo Rohrer BBC News Magazine "There's a problem with my synergistic visions"
Local councils have been warned over a slew of jargon that baffles ordinary people, but why do they love to obfuscate?
Local councils have been warned over a slew of jargon that baffles ordinary people, but why do they love to obfuscate?
The Local Government Association's list of 100 words that should not be used in communication with the general public makes for alarming reading.
The Local Government Association's list of 100 words that should not be used in communication with the general public makes for alarming reading.
It ranges from the slightly muddled such as "revenue stream" [money] and "best practice" [right way to do things] to the downright flabbergasting "predictors of beaconicity" [factors that might lead a local authority to be awarded under a scheme for the good ones].
It ranges from the slightly muddled such as "revenue stream" [money] and "best practice" [right way to do things] to the downright flabbergasting "predictors of beaconicity" [factors that might lead a local authority to be awarded under a scheme for the good ones].
Some like "holistic governance" [which might be translated as local government that tackles things with regard to the whole rather than just parts] are based on actual words, while others like "coterminosity" [possibly meaning all acting in the same way or on the same problem or area] are new coinages.
Some like "holistic governance" [which might be translated as local government that tackles things with regard to the whole rather than just parts] are based on actual words, while others like "coterminosity" [possibly meaning all acting in the same way or on the same problem or area] are new coinages.
TEN CLASSICS Predictors of beaconicity - What makes councils goodCoterminosity - Doing the same thingImprovement levers - the tools to get the job donePlace shaping - creating places where people can thriveRevenue stream - money/incomeSlippage - delayHolistic governance - taking everything inStakeholder - the people with a stake in things workingSynergy - thing working better when done togetherTransformational - to do with change
TEN CLASSICS Predictors of beaconicity - What makes councils goodCoterminosity - Doing the same thingImprovement levers - the tools to get the job donePlace shaping - creating places where people can thriveRevenue stream - money/incomeSlippage - delayHolistic governance - taking everything inStakeholder - the people with a stake in things workingSynergy - thing working better when done togetherTransformational - to do with change
Examples like "synergies" [co-operative working, or improved effects produced as a result of combined action] get around difficult circumlocutions [using a number of words where a shorter phrase or a single word would probably do].
Examples like "synergies" [co-operative working, or improved effects produced as a result of combined action] get around difficult circumlocutions [using a number of words where a shorter phrase or a single word would probably do].
But others might be seen as having been used to make a speaker or writer seem more important or clever. "Revenue stream" [meaning money or income] and "symposium" [or meeting] being among the likely examples.
But others might be seen as having been used to make a speaker or writer seem more important or clever. "Revenue stream" [meaning money or income] and "symposium" [or meeting] being among the likely examples.
"Sometimes it's people trying to impress. They think if they write long, complicated sentences and paragraphs it makes them appear super-intelligent. But actually, it's quite the opposite," says Peter Griffiths, secretary of the Plain English Campaign.
"Sometimes it's people trying to impress. They think if they write long, complicated sentences and paragraphs it makes them appear super-intelligent. But actually, it's quite the opposite," says Peter Griffiths, secretary of the Plain English Campaign.
"Sometimes it's a matter of just getting into a particular style of writing. Perhaps their jargon is easily understood by people they work with. It's when that jargon strays outside into the public arena that it becomes totally meaningless.
"Sometimes it's a matter of just getting into a particular style of writing. Perhaps their jargon is easily understood by people they work with. It's when that jargon strays outside into the public arena that it becomes totally meaningless.
Crossover terms
Crossover terms
And it must be said that many of the terms trawled up by the LGA over the course of the last 12 months are rarely, if ever, used in communication with ordinary council taxpayers. They may be in internal documents, or in publicly available material that is likely to be read mainly by members of the public who would be able to translate the information.
And it must be said that many of the terms trawled up by the LGA over the course of the last 12 months are rarely, if ever, used in communication with ordinary council taxpayers. They may be in internal documents, or in publicly available material that is likely to be read mainly by members of the public who would be able to translate the information.
"Beaconicity" is from a Department for Communities and Local Government study and "coterminosity" is hardly a common sight in council leaflets. The government has a "minister for transformational government".
"Beaconicity" is from a Department for Communities and Local Government study and "coterminosity" is hardly a common sight in council leaflets. The government has a "minister for transformational government".
EXAMPLE OF USAGE Building on previous sectoral reviews the pre-tender review will take a holistic approach, looking towards future service delivery and contracting arrangements Council document
EXAMPLE OF USAGE Building on previous sectoral reviews the pre-tender review will take a holistic approach, looking towards future service delivery and contracting arrangements Council document
But there are still plenty of terms that routinely cross over.
But there are still plenty of terms that routinely cross over.
Who has not seen leaflets or letters referring to "best practice", "bottom-up" [based on ordinary people], "community engagement" [getting ordinary people involved] and "stakeholder" [organisation, or occasionally person, with a stake in the success of something]?
Who has not seen leaflets or letters referring to "best practice", "bottom-up" [based on ordinary people], "community engagement" [getting ordinary people involved] and "stakeholder" [organisation, or occasionally person, with a stake in the success of something]?
And then are terms like "subsidiarity" [the principle by which something should be done locally unless it is better done at a higher level of government] or "slippage" [delay] that occasionally make it out into the wider world.
And then are terms like "subsidiarity" [the principle by which something should be done locally unless it is better done at a higher level of government] or "slippage" [delay] that occasionally make it out into the wider world.
And slippage is a classic example of another trend towards obfuscation - that motivated by a desire to hide a problem or failure.
And slippage is a classic example of another trend towards obfuscation - that motivated by a desire to hide a problem or failure.
"Collateral damage" [damage in a military operation to people or property that had not been targeted] is the grandfather of this class of corporate speak. It both avoids a circumlocution and at the same time draws a veil over what is often the accidental killing of civilians.
"Collateral damage" [damage in a military operation to people or property that had not been targeted] is the grandfather of this class of corporate speak. It both avoids a circumlocution and at the same time draws a veil over what is often the accidental killing of civilians.
Thus when a council talks of a "service delivery failure" it may feel that is better than admitting to forgetting to empty your bins.
Thus when a council talks of a "service delivery failure" it may feel that is better than admitting to forgetting to empty your bins.
Karen Day, editor of the Local Government Chronicle, a weekly publication which has highlighted some of the language that councils use, believes we should not heap blame on those in town halls.
Karen Day, editor of the Local Government Chronicle, a weekly publication which has highlighted some of the language that councils use, believes we should not heap blame on those in town halls.
"Most of these came from central government and then people take them and use them. It isn't a fault thing, it's a culture thing."
"Most of these came from central government and then people take them and use them. It isn't a fault thing, it's a culture thing."
Send us your comments using the form below.
Send us your comments using the form below.
When my local unitary authority undergoes service delivery failures it has little bottom-up community engagement, mainly because of the low level of stakeholder jargon comprehensibility. I wonder if it is a case of supra-ocular wool traction?Dan, Brighton
'Obfuscate'? Surely you simply mean - 'confuse'?Will Parker, London, UK
This is slightly unfair. Local government is complex and technical and has some complex and technical terms. Words like placeshaping, coterminosity etc all have specific meanings to local government professionals. I'm sure that if you were to read the internal documents from a medical conference there would be similarly odd terms. This is not to say that communications with the public cannot be improved but as the article shows local government is making efforts to do that too.Alexander, London
The term "stakeholders" is used frequently where I work. It always conjures up in my mind a vision of an angry mob, with torches and pitchforks - and, of course, the aforementioned stakes - charging Dracula's castle.Stephanie Hudson, Brixton, London
Are we still allowed to use the phrase "dumbing down" when posting comments to this website? I would have thought things like "revenue stream", "best practice", "slippage" and "stakeholder" seem quite obvious to anyone who cares about the subject matter, though I'm not sure about that "beacon of mediocrity" phrase.Ed, Clacton, UK
I don't think this is in any way specific to councils - almost every term you quote in this article is used frequently in the private sector too. And for a large portion of the working public (or indeed just sensible public) the terms are easy to understand. Is this just another opportunity to have a dig at the easy target - local governement?Annie, Exeter, UK
