News: Telephone and Writing Skills

Communication training: LGA calls for councils to use plain English

18 March 2009

A lobbying organisation is calling for local authorities to ban the use of 200 jargon terms, highlighting the importance of communication training.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published the list, which it hopes public sector bodies will stop using when describing their activities.

It has highlighted terms such as re-baselining, mainstreaming and predictors of beaconicity as confusing and calls for these organisations to communicate more effectively.

Margaret Eaton, a councillor and chairman of the LGA, suggests a number of local authorities use jargon to hide behind when they should be being more transparent.

She warns: "If a council fails to explain what it does in plain English then local people will fail to understand its relevance to them."

Highlighting the importance of communication training, she comments that it is important people understand the services these organisations provide.

Steve Simmonds, business manager at Design UK, recently emphasised the benefits of companies using plain language when writing for their customers.

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