Wednesday 7 January 2009

Gobbledygook!

I came across this today. This is not a job I want, but I was taken by the jargon found here. This is Gobbledygook and has no bearing whatsoever on the work itself.

Community Safety & Development Team
Part Time Community Development Officers x 2 Part Time 20 hours per week
Grade 3 £20,591 - £25,146 per annum pro rata *
To encourage, support and enable local people and organisations to collect information on the needs of the community.
To identify community leads and build capacity within their communities.
To work with the Community Service Unit Managers in delivering the strategic focus of community development across Braintree District Council.
To work with and facilitate other Council services, the Community Safety Partnership, partner agencies and the local community to address community issues and build cohesion.
Ability to improve existing projects and the creativity to develop new ground breaking initiatives.
One post will be responsible for setting up and delivering the ‘Creative Communities’ Project.
This will involve additional hours particularly during school holiday time. The additional hours are likely to be fulltime throughout the holiday periods. Community Development experience is essential. Understanding of Local Area Agreement 2 is desirable.


I like the use of phrases ' build capacity within their communities.' Now what does this mean? 'Build capacity?' The Cambridge Dictionary refers to capacity as
'amount' or even 'position.' But this is meaningless when refer to a small town and its problems!
How about 'delivering the strategic focus of community development.' What? That surely means doing what the council have decided should be done. Why not say so?
'..build cohesion' Well you start that by SPEAKING IN ENGLISH!

7 comments:

Gerry Hatrić said...

Your problem is that you are not thinking synergistically and hence your ducks are not in a row and the flag is being run up the wrong flagpole.

Unknown said...

What would a Brit like yourself know about speaking English???

Adullamite said...

I'm a SCOT, not a brit!

Unknown said...

I was wondering how long it would take before you could no longer take being referred to as a "Brit." Now, to give you even more fodder for your cannon, I consider being referred to as being a "Yankee," or a "Yank," just as offensive. Granted, our Heavenly Father has changed my view of the American Civil War considerably, but being called a Yankee still sticks in my craw. So, please refer to me as an American (or anything other than a Yankee or Yank) when hurling insults my way.

Now, in the spirit of fair play, I will reword my previous question. What would a Scot like yourself know about speaking English???

Adullamite said...

Listen Rebel!
I don't speak English, I speak Scots, known as Lallans to those in the know!

http://www.lallans.co.uk/

So there!

And just remember, if it wasn't for us you would all be Spanish!

Unknown said...

NEVEER!!! That was me screaming, "NEVER!," in my French accent to those who don't know.

Anonymous said...

Ah, people love to feel important even if the work's mundane. Folks who sweep the roads here are called something like transport system facilitators or what-have-you...

Nowadays I find myself asking people what they actually do when they present their business cards with pompous titles on them...