Council says goodbye to jargon (From Harrow Times)

Council says goodbye to jargon

1:07pm Monday 6th October 2008 in

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JARGON could be out the window at Harrow Council where staff are being asked to use simple English instead of obscure terminology.

From receptionists on its front desk to employees at its call centre, everyone with direct contact with the public has been given a list of common sense terms to use in place of words and phrases which people may find baffling.

Councillor Paul Osborn, responsible for communication, said: “Every organisation uses jargon to some degree, but we know that councils have been among the worst offenders in the past.

“We are now working to ensure that council terms, which can include all sorts of baffling acronyms, don't get used when we talk to the public.

“Our residents want to hear plain speaking and that is what we'll deliver.”

On the list of terms to face the chop are:

• Controlled parking zones (CPZ), to be replaced with ‘permit parking’ or ‘double yellow lines’.

• Civil enforcement Officers, to be replaced with ‘traffic wardens’.

• School crossing patrollers, to be replaced with ‘lollipop women or men’.

• Stakeholder engagement, to be replaced with ‘asking people what they think’.

• Civic amenity Site, to be replaced with ‘rubbish tip’.

• Public realm, to be replaced with ‘open areas like streets, parks or pavements’.

• Multi-agency approach, to be replaced with ‘different groups working on the same thing’.

What are your favourite jargon terms? Have you ever been left bemused by these terms? Leave your comments below.