Post on 27-Dec-2015
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What is jargon?
Special language used in business, science, government, and development work
Tries to make the message and its sender seem important
Uses long, impressive-sounding words
Uses several words instead of one
Makes the message harder to understand
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Let’s start with the project progress report. George, can you please act as acronym and jargon translator?
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Jargon
On average, among adults, total food intake is higher for males than for females
Men generally eat more than women
The shift in farm production technology that takes the form of substituting machines for labour connotes the presence of prior changes in the traditional production mode
Before farmers start using machinery, they usually make other changes in how they grow crops
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Jargon
We used a production function to capture the stochastic character of dryland climate affecting yields. Wheat yields and pasture yields were predicted on somewhat similar nitrogen-based quadratic models, using daily weather data for the simulation of moisture stress. Both models were developed for dryland conditions, while calibration and validation were done with data collected in Israel. No-till wheat and pasture yield values were then fitted to a gamma probability distribution function, while input and output prices were fitted to a normal distribution.
We used a production function to capture the stochastic character of dryland climate affecting yields. Wheat yields and pasture yields were predicted on somewhat similar nitrogen-based quadratic models, using daily weather data for the simulation of moisture stress. Both models were developed for dryland conditions, while calibration and validation were done with data collected in Israel. No-till wheat and pasture yield values were then fitted to a gamma probability distribution function, while input and output prices were fitted to a normal distribution.
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DevelopmentSpeak
A special type of jargon used by development organizations
Gender mainstreaming Agroecosystems
analysis Enabling measures Pro-poor economic
growth Poverty Reduction
Strategies Value chain
development
Income generating activities
Millennium Development Goals
Participatory rural appraisal
Farmer field school Community mobilization Climate change
mitigation
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DevelopmentSpeak
The concepts of empowerment, participation as well as social equity draw on right-based approaches and are interested in increasing the power of the disadvantaged to exercise their rights, obtain access to resources and participate actively in the process of shaping society and making decisions.
The concepts of empowerment, participation as well as social equity draw on right-based approaches and are interested in increasing the power of the disadvantaged to exercise their rights, obtain access to resources and participate actively in the process of shaping society and making decisions.
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DevelopmentSpeak
Research partnerships are international networks of universities and research institutions which jointly create a platform of exchange for studying global problems of unsustainability and mutually learning for tackling solutions.
Research partnerships are international networks of universities and research institutions which jointly create a platform of exchange for studying global problems of unsustainability and mutually learning for tackling solutions.
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DevelopmentSpeak
Continuous support and capacity building of “grass root organizations” and empowering local stakeholders by enhancing their access to information regarding their legal rights is imperative for successful participatory resource management activities.
Continuous support and capacity building of “grass root organizations” and empowering local stakeholders by enhancing their access to information regarding their legal rights is imperative for successful participatory resource management activities.
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DevelopmentSpeak
Does your audience understand it? Probably not Policy makers (eg, parliament members) may
be non-specialists Policy makers have to deal with many subjects,
not just yours Avoid DevelopmentSpeak if you can! Find another way of saying it more simply
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Translate these into English
Gender mainstreaming Making sure that men and women are treated equally in
all aspects of the project
Agroecosystems analysis Studying the soil, crops and pests
Enabling measures Ways to make things happen
Pro-poor economic growth Economic growth that benefits the poor
Income generating activities Ways to make money
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DevelopmentSpeak
The Horn of Africa Region is characterized by arid lowlands and humid highlands.
In Ethiopia, the lowlands are dry, while the highlands have more rain.
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DevelopmentSpeak
Systematic validation has shown that in some countries, strong cultural barriers exist towards handling and reusing of human waste.
People in many countries do not like handling or using faeces.
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DevelopmentSpeak
To adapt to climate change, agro-pastoralists implement various activities.
Farmers and herders adapt to a changing climate in various ways.
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DevelopmentSpeak
Going forward, the development and implementation of a robust framework for targeting the delivery of consistent excellence organization-wide is key.
We will do our best.
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Abbreviations
Make the reader work to understand what you are saying
Hide what you really want to say
PRA MDG
HMG
PLHIV
OVCs
FFSLWMADB
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What do they mean? PRA PTD FSR FFS PRSPs SWAPs INGO
OVC CBD DFID GoZ ADB MDGs ARVs
M&E CA NRM ICT M&Q
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Three rules for abbreviations
1. Kill! 2. KILL! 3. KILL! If you absolutely HAVE to use them
Use them VERY sparingly Explain them first
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Play DevelopmentSpeak bingo Make a list of 12
development jargon words and abbreviations
Photocopy the list and distribute it to your friends before a meeting
Listen to the presentations and discussion
When you hear a word on the list, cross it out
First person to cross out all the words shouts Bingo!
sustainability empowerment
gender mainstreaming
pro-poor
income generating activities
value chain
MDGs OVCs
vulnerability poverty-focused
lessons learned participatory
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More on jargon
The Communications Network. Jargon finder. http://tinyurl.com/bv3kml Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. Foundation jargon.
http://tinyurl.com/ylyz6e6 BBC World Service. Guide to development speak http://tinyurl.com/yhjczjd 250 words the public sector shouldn't use
http://tinyurl.com/yj8uvuc 50 office-speak phrases you love to hate
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7457287.stm The business award for talking 'guff' goes to...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12596528 Trina Wallace. Here's to a jargon-free voluntary sector in 2011
http://tinyurl.com/66c7upq 10 things every charity writer should know
http://tinyurl.com/3cfsn22