Workplace Jargon Buster
Last updated: 11/09/2006 - 09:44
Our new work glossary is a handy - and expanding - guide to the often acronym and jargon heavy world of the modern workplace.
A
ABI - Annual Business Inquiry
ACAS – The Advisory, Conciliation & Arbitration Service. ACAS are the employment relations experts, helping people work together effectively. ACAS can provide impartial information and help, preventing and resolving problems between employers and their workforces, settling complaints about employees’ rights and encouraging people to work to work together effectively. The ACAS website can be found at: www.acas.org.uk. See also REAS.
Action Learning Sets - Small groups of individuals (usually no more than 6-8) brought together on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues relevant to them. Sets can range from facilitated groups (where a facilitator supports and works with the group) to totally self-managed sets where the individuals themselves determine the agenda.
Discussion may be very focused (working on common issues) or much more ad hoc and open ended (exploring individual development needs or coaching others to improve effectiveness). Action Learning Sets may exist within organisations or span organisational and/or agency boundaries.
ADR - Alternative Dispute Resolution.
ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (also known as xDSL) a technology that allows the use of a copper line to send a large quantity of data (e.g. a television picture) in one direction and a small quantity (e.g. a control channel and a telephone call) in the other.
AEB - Alliance for Electronic Business - an alliance of UK business and industry organisations formed in 1998 to promote UK leadership in e-commerce.
AHCs - Annualised Hours Contracts.
Algorithm - A step-by-step problem-solving procedure. Transmission of compressed video over a communications network requires sophisticated compression algorithms. Some videoconferencing systems offer both proprietary and standard compression algorithms.
ALI - Adult Learning Inspectorate
Alternative Work Arrangements - Working different hours to the norm for the post/organisation concerned. This term includes flexible start and finish times, part-time, job sharing, shift working, term time working, flexible working hours, reduced hours, career breaks.
Analogue signals - Audio/video signals currently used in broadcasting where the signal is represented by variable measurable physical quantities (such as voltage). Current TV and radio signals are analogue, as are many telephone lines.
Analytical job evaluation scheme - A method of job evaluation, which involves analysing jobs into factors that are quantified according to a scale.
Annualised Hours Contract – A form of employment contract which specifies the number of hours to be worked over the course of the year, without specifying when those hours are to be worked within the year. Often used to cope with seasonal peaks and troughs in workloads.
Anonymous FTP - This enables an internet user to retrieve files from another site on the web without having to establish a user-ID and password on the system.
ANSI - The American National Standards Institute. ANSI is responsible for approving standards on many aspects of the web in the USA.
AOL - America on Line.
Applet - A program designed to be executed from within another program. Unlike stand-alone programs, applets cannot be activated from an operating system.
(360 Degree) Appraisal - Usually used as part of a wider appraisal system. Feedback about performance is solicited from direct reports, peers and managers (as well as others, such as internal or external customers) in order to gain a more rounded view of an individual’s contribution.
Feedback may be fairly open-ended or gathered with reference to a specific framework (e.g. competency model). 'Upwards Appraisal' and '180 Degree Appraisal' are similar but, as the terms suggest, are generally less comprehensive systems.
Article 13 – 'Article 13' has come to be used as a collective term for the Employment and Race Directives. It refers directly to Article 13 of the treaty which establishes the European Community (EC). Article 13 enables the European Commission to propose measures to tackle discrimination on grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and age.
Article 119 - 'Article 119' of the Treaty of Rome. The Treaty of Rome established the European Community (EC).
Article 141 - 'Article 141' of the Treaty of Amsterdam (formerly A119 of the Treaty of Rome). As early as 1957, Article 119 of the European Community Treaty laid down the principle that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work. When joining the E C in 1973, the UK accepted the terms of the Treaty of Rome.
Article 119 - Now known - just to keep things simple! - as Article 141) is the pay part of this treaty and it obliges member states to ensure men & women receive equal pay for equal work. Whenever there is inconsistency between domestic and European law, European law overrides domestic legislation. The Treaty of Amsterdam reused the Treaty of Rome with effect from the 1st May 1999.
ASLEF - Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
ATM - Automatic Teller Machine. A 'hole in the wall' style system for accessing cash and a range of other banking services. Now commonplace in high streets, shopping centres, airports etc...all around the world.
Attendance Culture – A phrase used to describe ways of encouraging a decline in workplace absenteeism.
AVV - Aims, Vision and Values.
B
B2B - Business to Business.
B2C - Business to Consumer.
Backbone Net Connection - A set of paths of local or regional networks connected for long-distance communication. The connection points are known as network nodes or telecommunication data switching exchanges (DSE's).
Bandwidth - A measure of the speed and amount of electronic data that can be transmitted, either down a telephone line or through an individual radio channel/frequency.
In practical terms high bandwidth internet access means that web graphics load quickly and videoconferencing will have a clear picture and sound. In analogue systems, it is measured in cycles per second (Hertz) and in digital systems in binary bits per second (Bit/s). Basically the broader the bandwidth, the quicker the information can be transmitted.
Baud - This is the term used to describe the speed of a modem, determined as the number of transitions in modem signals per second. Each transition can carry more than one bit of information.
BBC - The British Broadcasting Corporation. The main UK public service broadcaster. Set up originally by radio industry interests and manufacturers, back in 1922. The BBC was nationalised under Royal Charter in 1927. Now funded directly through a licence fee paid - per household - by every television owner in the country. The BBC is by far the largest Non Departmental Public Body (see NDPB) in the UK.
BCS - The British Crime Survey.
Benchmark Job - A job which is selected as representative of a particular level or type of work and against which other jobs in a scheme can be assessed.
BSC - Broadcasting Standards Commission.
BFWA - Broadband Fixed Wireless Access.
BME – Black and Minority Ethnic.
BIOS - Basic Input Output System. Software which tells the operating system exactly what hardware components are connected to the PC, such as hard drives, keyboards, processors and input-output (IO) devices.
Bits - Units of binary data. One byte consists of eight bits (each either a 1 or a 0). Bits per second (also known as Baud) are the units used in measurement of data transmission speeds (e.g.: 56Kbps modem or 56,000 Baud). Bytes are units used when describing memory and disk space (e.g.: 2 GB hard disk). One kilobyte is 1024 bits (1 megabyte is therefore 1,048,576 bytes).
Bounce - Common usage term used to describe an e-mail that is returned undelivered.
BRI - Basic rate interface (ISDN): Three digital signals over a single pair of copper wires: two voice (B) channels and one signal (D) channel. (e.g. voice and fax on a single pair of wires).
Broadband - A class of transmission system which allows large amounts of data to be transmitted, such as television pictures, at high speed. Generally defined as a bandwidth >2Mbit/s. See also Bandwidth.
Broadband Cable Licence - A licence that authorises the installation of an applicable cabled telecommunications system to convey messages comprising entertainment services and specified public telecommunications services within a specified area. Due to changes in the UK Broadcasting Act licensing regime this type of licence has not been issued since 1994.
BMA - British Medical Association (BMA). The UK professional association for doctors. Information for Doctors working inside and outside the NHS, working in the Armed forces, civil and public service doctors and doctors of forensic medicine. Offers comprehensive resources - career and education and local offices.
Broadband Switched Mass Market Services - Services aimed at a mass market delivered over broadband-switched telecomm networks.
Browser - A programme which communicates with Web Servers used for retrieving and displaying information on the WWW, including graphical, audio, video etc.
Browser Plug-in - Software that is installed on a computer and used to support a specific function for a browser (Shockwave and RealPlayer are two commonplace examples).
Browsing - Generic term used to describe the activities of internet users as they follow leads and collect information using a web browser/explorer. Often referred to as 'surfing'.
BT - British Telecommunications plc.
BTEC - Business and Technology Education Council.
Burden of proof - Once an individual has found a comparator and can show that there is an issue of like work or equal value, the burden of proof shifts to the employer to defend the case and show that the reason for the pay difference is not related to sex discrimination.
Bus Network - A network where all the computers are connected to a single wire (or bus) which forms the route for all network traffic.
Business Link - A national service which provides help and advice to business owners and managers on all aspects of setting up and running a business.
Byte - One byte of data comprises eight bits (binary digits representing either 1 or 0).
C
CA - The Consumers' Association. UK non-governmental organisation.
Cable modem - A means of connecting to the internet using a cable TV network, rather than a conventional telephone line.
CAB/CABx - Citizens Advice Bureau/Citizens Advice Bureaux. The CAB offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice on problems which are central to peoples’ lives. These include debt and consumer issues, benefits, housing, legal matters, employment and immigration. Advisers can help fill out forms, write letters, negotiate with creditors and represent clients at Court or Tribunals.
The CAB website for England & Wales is: www.nacab.org.uk – and for Scotland is: www.cas.org.uk.
CAFCASS - Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.
Camera presets - Allows pre-defined camera angles to be programmed into a videoconferencing system.
Caregiving – Phrase used to describe the giving of time and effort by an individual in an unpaid caring role. Most usually refers to a relative in a caring role - assisting a parent, child or sibling - with childcare, the care of the elderly or disabled.
CAT - Credit Accumulation and Transfer.
CAW - Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (2002).
CBI - Confederation of British Industry.
CCTA - Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency.
CCTV - Closed Circuit Television.
CEDEFOP - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training.
CEO - Chief Executive Officer.
CEPT – (European) Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administration.
CEML - Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership.
CESG - Communications and Electronic Security Group.
Certification Authorities - Trusted third parties (TTP's) who issue a digital certificate to confirm the identity of the owner of a public key for electronic encryption used in secure email and e-commerce transactions. Familiar TTP's are Verisign (USA) and InterClear (UK). Financial institutions such as banks and credit card companies can be TTP's for ecommerce, for example.
CGI - Common Gateway Interface. A feature of web servers that allow HTML clients (such as Browsers) to communicate over the web with scripts installed on the Server. HTML forms are often processed with such scripts, which are frequently written in Perl. Most ISP's reserve an area of their server for storing common CGI scripts (often CGI-bin), for hit counters, form processors etc. Some ISP's will not allow users to upload their own scripts to their Server. Web authoring tools have varying degrees of support for CGI calls. See also HTML.
Chwarae Teg - The organisation co-ordinating Work-life Balance activities in Wales as part of its role promoting the economic development of women in the principality. The name translates into English as 'Fair play'. Visit the organisation's website at: www.chwaraeteg.com
CSF - Childcare Support Fund.
CICA - Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
CIPD - Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. The CIPD, with over 90,000 members in the UK & Ireland, is Europe's largest professional institute for those involved in the management and development of people. See also the Centre for Innovation in Product Development.
CAC - Central Arbitration Committee.
CEDR - Centre for Dispute Resolution.
CJ&POA - Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.
COHSE - Confederation of Health Service Employees.
COLS - Cost of Living Supplement (NHS).
CSAT - Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal.
Codec - Coder-Decoder. Videoconferencing hardware that codes the outgoing video and audio signals and decodes the incoming signals. Before transmission, the codec converts analogue signals to digital signals and compresses the digital signals. Incoming audio and video must be decompressed and converted from digital back to analogue.
Cohort – A collection of individuals banded or grouped together. Cohorts are used in longitudinal analyses to address dynamic issues such as the labour market experiences of the low paid over time.
Collective Wage Agreement/Collective Bargaining – An agreement negotiated between employer(s) and trade union(s) which governs pay and/or conditions or minimum standards. Even though an employee may have more favourable terms and conditions than those in agreement, or may be employed by an employer who is not a member of an association which is party to the agreement, the employer’s pay and/or conditions of employment may nevertheless be affected by the agreement.
College Certificate - Non-SQA certificate awarded by Central College on completion of certain courses which have been designed to meet the needs of students wishing to improve their skills in specific areas.
Continuous Assessment - A method of assessing a student's/employee's work which takes into account their coursework during the whole of the course/their ongoing professional development and training needs.
Contracted Out – Work which is undertaken on behalf of a business by another party under contract. See also Out-sourced Work.
Core Skills - Certain basic skills such as reading, writing, numeracy, using computers and working with others are defined as "Core Skills".
CII - The DTI Communications and Information Industries Directorate. This government body sponsors the publishing, information, electronics and communications technology and service sectors, to promote the use of those technologies, and to ensure effective regulation.
CII aims for the UK to become a global leader in the information age by:
CISU - Central Internet Strategy Unit. Proposed unit of UK Government Cabinet Office.
CITU - Central IT Unit. Part of the Cabinet Office of the UK Government.
Computers Within Reach (CWR) - Scheme to provide computers for the use of low-income families. See also the Home Computing Initiative (HCI).
CLAW - The Control of Lead at Work Regulations (2002).
CLS - Community Legal Service, replaced Legal Aid Board (also see LSC - Legal Services Commission).
CMF - Capital Modernisation Fund. The HM Treasury fund created to support capital investment to improve public services.
Coaching - One-to-one sessions with an individual and a coach assigned to him/her for a defined period. The relationship is based on a model of challenge and support and the one-to-one sessions provide opportunities for the individual to reflect and develop greater insight into strengths and weaknesses and to be challenged and stretched.
Executive coaching is a growing trend in development of senior managers and is usually performed by independent coaches from outside the business.
CoE - Council of Europe.
COET - Central Office of Employment Tribunal.
Compressed Working Hours - The term used to describe a full-time working pattern (for example: 36 net conditioned hours, excluding lunch breaks) which may be arranged over a shorter period than the usual five working days. This is an option within the Lord Chancellors Department.
COSHH - The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.
CPS - Crown Prosecution Service.
CRP - Crime Reduction Programme.
COVE - Centre of Vocational Excellence.
Cookie - A message sent by a web server to a web browser - and stored in a text file, usually called cookie.txt. The message is then sent back to the browser every time a new request is made while you are still on the site. When you move on to another web site, the cookie stays on your hard drive.
When you return to the original web site your browser sends the cookie information back to the web server. Cookies are mostly used to identify users and create site visit statistics on types of browser, operating systems and popular pages.
COI - Central Office of Information (now COI Communications).
Copper line (or metallic line) - The main transmission medium used in telephony networks to connect a telephone or other apparatus to the local exchange. Copper lines have relatively narrow bandwidth and so have limited ability to carry broadband services such as video unless combined with an enabling technology such as ADSL.
Core database - Term to describe a database, which includes aggregated directory information from different telecommunications companies.
Community Legal Service - To make it easier for the public to get legal help and advice, the Community Legal Service brings together organisations offering these services into local networks. The networks include solicitors, Citizens Advice Bureaux, law centres, local authority services (including libraries), community centres and a host of other organisations. Many of the organisations within the CLS offer some or all of their services for free. See also CAB.
Compressed Video - When the vast amount of information in a normal TV transmission is squeezed into a fraction of its former bandwidth by a codec the resulting compressed video can be transmitted more economically over a smaller carrier. Some information is sacrificed in the process, which may result in diminished picture and sound quality.
Connexions Card - A DfEE reward and discount card to encourage young people's continued participation and achievement in learning.
Connexions Service - An information and guidance service for 13 to 19 year olds to help them maximise their development opportunities and prepare for work and adult life.
CRE - The Commission for Racial Equality. The CRE is a publicly funded, non-governmental body set up under the Race Relations Act (1976) to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. The CRE website can be seen at: www.cre.org.uk.
CRL - Certificate Revocation List. Lists issued by Certification Authorities of digital certificates which have been compromised and should not be trusted.
CRM - Customer Relationship Management.
Cross-sectional Analysis – Statistical Analysis using data which comes from one point in time (see also Longitudinal Analysis).
CSSA - Computer and Software Services Association.
CTRs - Common Technical Requirements. European standard specifying, for applicable terminal equipment, the mandatory conformity approval requirements for connection to public telecommunications networks.
Customernetwork Interface - Where a public telecommunications network is connected to a customers network or apparatus (at the Network Terminating Point) the network and the customers system must each be able to understand the technical operation of the other in order for services to interoperate across the connection boundary.
The customers system and the network must both provide an interface at the point of connection and only where these interfaces are matched will there be interoperability. The technical characteristics that allow for that understanding is the customer network interface.
Client - In networks, client refers to an approach to computing which separates services and users. A network client, for instance, would be a workstation - usually a single computer - which can request files or programs from a central server, without the need to store them locally. In the WWW: An application (such as a Web browser or newsreader) that extracts information from a server on your behalf.
Client-Server - A client-server network is more commonly found in medium-large sized companies. Computers (Clients) are connected through intermediary devices (Servers), which store most of the software and the data for the network. Servers also handle security, access to peripherals (like printers and modems) and administration privileges.
Compressed Working Week – For example, people working their 36 or 37 hour week over 4 days, instead of 5. That in hand involves longer days (around 9 hours 15 minutes) for the 4 days worked to cover the hours but people involved in the pilots like the scheme so far because of the extra day off.
A variation on this pattern is the '9 day fortnight' which makes the working days about 8 hours 20 minutes. A scheme like this is operated at the Inland Revenue.
CWH - Compressed Working Hours. A full-time working pattern which may be arranged over a shorter period than the usual five working days.
D
Daddy Diagnostic – Term sometimes applied to the process of finding out what men want in terms of consideration on a child. This may be paternity leave, or the flexibility to leave early - on a Friday to pick up their kids for the weekend – or to arrive later in the morning to take account of the school run.
DALY - Disability Adjusted Life Year. A unit used for measuring both the global burden of disease and the effectiveness of health interventions, as indicated by reductions in the disease burden. It is calculated as the present value of the future years of disability-free life that are lost as a result of the premature deaths or cases of disability occurring in a particular year.
Database - Information maintained in a computer storage system.
Data Network Identification Codes - Codes allocated from the Numbering Scheme, which allow for the routing of data services over telecommunications networks.
Data Protection Commissioner - An independent officer who is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen and reports directly to Parliament. Originally known as the Data Protection Register.
Data Protection Principles - The eight Principles in the Data Protection Act 1984, which set out rules which data users must comply with in the use of personal data. The Principles protect the rights of individuals rather than the users of their personal data.
Data Protection Registrar - An independent officer who is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen and reports directly to Parliament. Will be known as the Data Protection Commissioner when the Data Protection Act 1998 comes into force.
Data User - Definition used in Data Protection Act 1984 to mean a person or organisation that controls the content and use of a collection of personal data.
DAVIC - Digital Audio Visual Council. A world consensus forum set up to generate global digital telecommunications standards in the area of broadband switched mass-marked networks and services.
DBS - Direct Broadcast (to the home, usually by satellite.)
DCITA - Federal Department of Communications, Information, Technology and the Arts.
DCMS - Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
DCS - 1800 Digital Cellular System at 1800 MHz.
DDA - Disability Discrimination Act, (1995).
DDRB - Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body.
DDSN - Digital Derived Services Network. The overlay network used by BT to provide some of its Number Translation services.
Deadweight Loss - A loss in social welfare deriving from a policy or action that has no corresponding gain.
Decile Earnings – The deciles of a distribution divide it into tenths. The lowest decile covers the 10% with the lowest earnings, i.e. where 90% of people earn more. The highest decile are those with the highest10% of earning i.e. the amount at which 90% of the employees have earnings below this level.
DECS - Defence Electronic Commerce Service.
DECT - Digital European Cordless Telecommunications. A system for office cordless networks and suitable for more general cordless use including Telepoint type networks.
DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Delivery System - The ability of a nation’s health care system to deliver available technologies to its population.
Desktop Videoconferencing - Videoconferencing on a personal computer. Most appropriate for small groups or individuals (compare with room-based videoconferencing). Many desktop videoconferencing systems support document sharing. Document sharing - A feature supported by many desktop videoconferencing systems that allow participants at both ends of a videoconference to view and edit the same computer document.
DETR - Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Device Driver - Software that will let the operating system (and programs running with it) control a particular hardware device, such as a monitor or a printer.
DG T&E - Director General Training and Education Organisation. See also LSC.
DIALOG - The Diversity Action in Local Government unit. This unit provides information for local authority managers on legislative developments and good practice on equality matters. The unit promotes the new Equality Standard for Local Government.
The DIALOG website can be viewed via: www.lg-employers.gov.uk.
Digital Signals - Audio/video signals represented by discrete variations (in voltage, frequency, amplitude, location, etc.). A digital clock, for example, displays the time as discrete numeric values rather than angular displacement of analogue hands. In general, digital signals can be transmitted faster and more accurately than analogue signals. As an example, music from digital CDs is usually clearer than music from analogue records.
Digital Certificates - A common security standard for online transactions (e-commerce) such as Secure Electronic Transactions (SET), a Digital Certificate is issued by banks (e.g.: a MasterCard or Visa issuer) to each patron and each merchant to identify them as a valid transactor. More widely, Digital Certificates are issued by Certification Authorities such as VeriSign (USA) and Inter Clear (UK) to authenticate the public keys of persons who wish to conduct secure transactions (including encrypted email - See Encryption/Decryption) over the internet.
DfEE - Department for Education and Employment.
DFES - Department for Education and Skills
DFID - Department for International Development.
DH - Department of Health.
'Dinosaur Dads' – Term used to describe a generation of corporate bosses (men) who were supported by stay-at-home wives. They have woken up to the fact that they now employ mothers, but few have paid attention to the fact that this means they now employ a different kind of father who may no longer have the same support network, priorities or way of thinking about diversity issues that they themselves had.
Dot.com - Label for start-up companies whose business predominantly involves the Internet to deliver services or goods.
'Downshift' – Preparing as individuals and organisations for retirement.
DVIP - Domestic Violence Intervention Project.
DIEL - The Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People.
Drug - Any chemical compound that is used in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure of disease, for the relief of pain, or to control or improve any physiological or pathological disorder in humans or animals.
Digital - The coded representation of a waveform by, for example, binary digits in the form of pulses of light, as opposed to analogue which is the direct representation of a waveform.
Digital ID - A Digital ID is composed of "public key", a "private key" (see encryption/decryption) and a "digital signature".
When you expose your digital ID to someone, you are giving them your public key. When a public key has been certified by the Certification Authorities it is known as a "Digital Certificate". The digital signature is an electronic identity card (analogous to a passport) which has been formed by your private key and can therefore be read with you public key, thus linking the sender and the recipient.
Digital International Switching Centre - Last inland exchange for outgoing international calls and first inland exchange for incoming international calls. Calls are switched at the DISC for onward conveyance internationally or nationally.
Digital Technology - This enables information of all types to be transmitted in digital form over networks - it is faster than analogue systems.
Digitalisation - The process of converting information in analogue form into digital form.
DipHE - Diploma in Higher Education. The DipHE takes two years full time. These courses are not validated by the SQA but by the Universities (the University of Strathclyde in the case of the DipHE in Business). Two or three Highers are usually required for entry.
Direct Access - The situation where a customer is directly connected to a telecommunications operator by a wire, fibre-optic or radio link to connect that customer to the public telecommunication network.
Directive - EC decisions which are binding upon the EC institutions and the Member States, but as general instructions on the goal to be achieved: the way in which the goal is to be attained is left to the discretion of each Member State.
Directorate-General (DG) - The 23 DGs are the principal administrative agencies of the Commission. They carry out, or ensure that the Member States implement, EC policy and administer allocations from the budget to various policy areas. Each DG is responsible for a different policy area. They are similar in many ways to a Government Department or Ministry.
Double-Banking - Transposing a piece of European regulation which covers a specific area without removing existing national law covering the same area, thus creating a double layer of legislation Digital TV - Television broadcasts using digital technology. Far more efficient use of radio spectrum enables a larger number of channels and supplementary data services to be broadcast.
DJSU - Digital Junction Switching Unit. Similar to DMSU (see below) but used mainly for connecting calls around major conurbations.
DLE - Digital Local Exchange. The telephone exchange to which customers are directly connected.
DLL - Dynamic Link Library. Computer programs written so that they perform a common part of an application somewhat similar to a sub-routine. DLL's can be shared between several tasks at the same time (rather than each task containing copies of the routines it uses).
DMSU - Digital Main Switching Unit. A trunk exchange primarily used for connecting long distance calls.
DNS - Domain Name System. A database for translating computer domain names into numeric Internet addresses.
DoH - Department of Health.
Domain - A domain is part of the naming hierarchy of the internet. A domain name precisely locates an organisation or other entity on the internet, for instance: www.workingbalance.co.uk.
DPR - Data Protection Register. A register held by the Data Protection Registrar of data users who hold personal data and computer bureaux who provide services in respect of personal data, which is open to public inspection.
Every data user who holds personal data must, unless all the data are exempt, apply for registration 1995.
DRC – The Disability Rights Commission. The DRC is an independent statutory body set up by the Government to help secure civil rights for disabled people.
DSMU - Digital Main Switching Unit - a trunk exchange primarily used for connecting calls between DLEs.
DSL - Digital Subscriber Line. A technology that allows the use of a copper line to send higher bandwidth services such as television pictures to a customer's premises. Also Digital Subscriber Loop.
A family of technologies generically referred to as DSL, or xDSL, capable of transforming ordinary phone lines (also known as twisted copper pairs) into high-speed digital lines, capable of supporting advanced services such as fast internet access and video-on-demand.
Broadly speaking, DSL technology enables higher bandwidth communications to be passed through conventional telephone lines. ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), HDSL (High data rate Digital Subscriber Line) and VDSL (Very high data rate Digital Subscriber Line) are all variants of xDSL.
DSLAM - Digital Subscriber Loop Multiplex. It is located in the co-location space of an Operator at an exchange site. It is composed of a multiplex and the DSL modems necessary to operate DSL services over the loops served by the Operator from the exchange.
DSS - Department of Social Security.
DTI - Department of Trade and Industry.
DTLR - Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.
DTV - Digital Television.
Diagnostics - Tests designed to elicit information about an individual with reference to a specific framework (e.g. competency models or leadership styles).
Directive - A legal instrument which is binding on all member states of the European Union (EU). An EU directive must be 'transposed' into domestic law by regulations or primary legislation.
Discrimination (Direct) - When one person is treated less favourably than another would be in the same, or not materially different, circumstances, on the ground of their race, sexual orientation, religion or belief, disability, or age, rather than (for example) a person’s competence to do a particular job.
Discrimination (Indirect) - Where a law, regulation, policy or practice, which is apparently neutral, would put persons of a given group (e.g. members of a racial or religious group) at a particular disadvantage compared with other persons.
Unless the provision, criterion or practice can be objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.
Discrimination (Positive) - Not the same as positive action. It is illegal in the sex and race contexts.
Diversity - The range of values, attitudes, cultural perspective, beliefs, ethnic background, sexual orientation, skills, knowledge and life experiences of the individuals making up any given group of people.
Division of Labour - The division of paid and unpaid work between women and men in private and public life. Also refers to the method (first attributed to potter Josiah Wedgewood, 1730-95) by which specific tasks in the workplace are divided up between specific individuals - allowing them to become specialised - and therefore more proficient, in their role.
DPM - Disruptive Pattern Material. Name given to the camouflage tunic and uniform pattern worn by all ranks in the British Army and in the Royal Marines. Comes in many shades - depending on age and how many times it has been washed or starched - So a soldier might easily have a jacket of a different colour to his combat trousers, and the same applies to webbing. All modern armed services webbing is also DPM of various shades.
DVB - Digital Video Broadcasting Project. A European consensus group, with experts from 140 organisations representing broadcasters, administrations, manufacturers and network providers, which proposes solutions to technical and commercial issues affecting video broadcasting using digital techniques.
DVLA - Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
DWP - Department of Work and Pensions.
Dynamic Pages - Dynamic HTML is a collective term for a combination of new HTML tags and options, style sheets and programming, which enable you to create web pages that are more interactive and faster to download.
E
EA - Environment Agency.
EAT - Employment Appeals Tribunal.
e-Business - The term coined by IBM to describe its e-commerce solutions, now commonly in use as a generic term.
EC - European Commission.
E-cash - Electronic cash. A system that allows cash to be stored on a smartcard.
ECJ - European Court of Justice.
e-Commerce - The process of buying and selling over the internet. Effective transaction systems are based on four principles: Confidentiality Integrity Authentication and Non-repudiation e-mail.
Econometric Analysis – The application of mathematical and statistical methods in order to test the validity of economic theories and to make quantitative predictions.
ECTRA - European Committee for Telecommunications Regulatory Affairs. The major European forum for the discussion of regulatory issues, set up within the framework of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administration (CEPT).
ECHR - European Convention on Human Rights.
ECU - European Currency Unit. The single currency for the European Union, more usually referred to as 'The Euro'.
EDI - Electronic Data Interchange. A series of industry standards for the exchange mainly of process information between companies in supply chains. The technology used is similar to e-mail but has a higher level of security. EDI operators have computers, which carry out the necessary centralised processing.
eEnabled – Usually refers to self-employed people who work from their homes but who do not supply business services. This group stood at some 3.08 million in Europe in 2000 and is forecast to grow to 6.58 million in ten years, according to the UK Institute for Employment Studies.
(Office of the) E-Envoy - Government office with current responsibility for making the UK the best the world for e-commerce. See also Office of the Information Economy (Australia).
EFQM - European Foundation for Quality Management.
EIS - Educational Institute of Scotland. The main Scottish teachers union.
Eldercare – Term used to describe care facilities (of a similar status to childcare facilities) for older dependants – commonly of workers, the care being supplied as an incentive or reward by an employer.
EMA - Educational Maintenance Allowance.
E-mail - Electronic mail. Now becoming commonplace - replacing many faxes, 'phone calls and traditional post - email is sent or received over the internet.
Employment Directive - Adopted by each of the European Member states in 2000. The Employment Directive provides a framework in which member states must tackle discrimination at work and in training on grounds of sexual orientation, religion and belief, disability and age.
EOC - Equal Opportunities Commission. The EOC is an agency working to eliminate sex discrimination in 21st Century Britain.
EOCNI - Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland - Now abolished and replaced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, which covers a broader equality agenda.
EOP - Equal Opportunities Policy. The aim of an Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that all employees and users of services receive fair and equal treatment.
EPA - Equal Pay Act (1970). This covers discriminatory contractual terms related to pay and benefits (e.g. holidays, cars etc.). The Equal Pay Act only has jurisdiction for jobs done at an establishment within Britain. Jobs carried out wholly or mainly abroad are not covered. (The Sex Discrimination Act applies to any non- contractual payments of money or benefits e.g. a one off Christmas bonus payment).
Equal Pay - Equal pay means that men and women receive the same level of pay as employees of the opposite sex who are performing equal work.
Equal Pay Review - Examination of a pay system to identify and remedy any discrimination. See also Pay Review.
ETD - Equal Treatment Directive. Adopted by European member states in 1975. It provides a framework within which member states must tackle sex discrimination at work and in training. Member States adopted The Equal Treatment Amendment Directive in early 2002.
Equality Authority - An independent body set up in the Republic of Ireland - under the Employment Equality Act (1998). The Equality Authority replaced the Employment Equality Agency, and has a greatly expanded role and functions.
Employment Equality Act (1998) - This Act of Parliament and the Equal Status Act, (2000) outlaw discrimination in employment, vocational training, advertising, collective agreements, the provision of goods and services and other opportunities to which the public generally have access on nine distinct grounds. These are: Gender, Marital status, Family status, Age, Disability, Race, Sexual orientation, Religious belief and membership of the Traveller Community.
Equality Commissions - A term to describe the three statutory bodies covering equality legislation in England, Scotland and Wales. (Equal Opportunities Commission, Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission).
Equality Direct - A service designed to give business managers easy access to authoritative and joined-up advice on a wide range of equality issues for the costs of a local call.
Equal Value - Work which is different in nature but of equal value is regarded as equal when assessed as equal under such headings as effort, skill and decision. The assessment process must be analytical and free of sex bias. It will normally involve a process of job evaluation.
ERA - Employment Rights Act.
ESF - European Social Fund.
ESOL - English as a Second or Other Language.
ET - Employment Tribunal. See also EAT.
ETD - Equal Treatment Directive.
eLancers - Self-employed workers who supply business services to clients using a computer and a telecommunications link.
Estimated at 1.45 million in 2000, and likely to double over the decade across the EU, according to the Institute for Employment Studies. See also ‘Multilocational eWorkers’ and ‘Telehomeworkers’.
Enhanced IDE - This is a description of the control electronics used to run large hard disks on most modern personal computers. EIDE is an expansion of the IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) standard.
An EIDE controller (which is usually an on-board component, or possibly a plug-in adapter board) can handle up to four hard drives and other devices at a time such as, for example, a CD-ROM drive or a tape drive.
eOutsourcing – Outsourcing using electronic – web and telecommunications based - means.
EPG - Electronic Programme Guide. Software in the receiver which takes data on programmes and displays these in the form of an on-screen guide. The guide displays information about what is on now and next on each channel as well as future programmes.
Viewers may also be able to use the on-screen menus to order pay per-vie services or to access interactive services.
ES - Employment Service (now Jobcentre Plus).
ESD - Electronic Service Delivery.
Europe - The name for the European Union's internet portal.
European Community (EC) - The part of the EU which, for legal purposes, is the source of European legislation (the EU itself does not pass laws). Fifteen countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden are members.
European Union (EU) - An economic and political confederation of European nations, and other organisations (with the same member nations) that are also share a common foreign and security policy and co-operate on justice and home affairs.
Fifteen Countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden - are full members of the organisations of the EU.
Error Correction - A technique used in modems to cancel out extraneous electrical noise and repeat on-line transmissions when an error is made.
ESD - Electronic Service Delivery.
Ethernet - A method for connecting computers to a network using coaxial cable.
Encryption/Decryption - The practice of digitally 'scrambling' a message using algorithms which are secret to the sending and receiving parties. Symmetric encryption/decryption requires the same algorithm to be utilised by both the sending and receiving parties.
With current technology, an 90 bit key length is required. The alternative public key - private key system (for example the popular PGP program) is asymmetric encryption/decryption and requires a significantly lower order of key (20-30 bits).
In this method each participant has a private and a public key. Each party in a transaction holds the public key for the other participants through use of digital signatures (among other processes). Thus, a message from one party to another is encrypted by the sending party by using the intended recipient’s public key, meaning that the only person able to decrypt the message is the holder of the private key (the intended recipient).
Enhanced Telecommunications Service - Any telecommunications service that involves as an integral part of the service the provision of features or capabilities that are additional to the conveyance (including switching) of the information transmitted.
Enhanced Television Services - Television services which include interactive applications as well as audio and video.
End-Use Charging - Under a system of end-use charging, BT's network charges would be allowed to vary according to the use to which the network components are put.
End-User Component - A device for receiving digital services in respect of which the use of Access Control services is necessary. Set-top boxes for the receipt of digital interactive services delivered via television sets is one example.
EPG - Electronic Programme Guide.
EPN - Electronic Platform Highway.
Equal Access - The ability of a customer connected to one operator to choose to have their long-distance and international calls carried by that operator or by another operator, with no extra processes or procedures required if they choose that other operator rather than the operator to whom they are connected. Also sometimes known as Carrier Pre-selection.
Equal Opportunities/Equal Opps. - The absence of barriers to economic, political and social participation on the grounds of sex (applies equally to women and men).
Ergonomics - A term specifically describing the relationship between a work place environment and the worker. With regards to computer use, ergonomics involves finding ways to make seating, workstations and hardware such as keyboards etc. more comfortable, safer and efficient.
Erlang - The unit of traffic volume corresponding to the number of simultaneous calls in progress at any given time or averaged over a period of time.
ETO - The European Telecommunications Office. A staffed office, located in Copenhagen, funded by ECTRA. It carries out and co-ordinates studies into European telecommunications matters on behalf of the EC and others and works in conjunction with ECTRA and its Project Teams.
ETSI - European Telecommunications Standards Institute has the primary responsibility within Europe for the production of telecommunications standards for pan-European application.
European Commission - The administrative arm of the European Community Executive, headed by a President and 20 commissioners and divided into 23 Directorate Generals. It has the sole right to initiate EC legislation. It drafts legislative proposals, which are presented to the Parliament and Council. The EC also supervises EC activities and legislation.
European Council - The European Union's main decision-making body. It is the executive organ of the EC, which represents the Member States, with one representative per country. Because it is responsible for a broad range of policy sectors, it has no fixed membership.
The composition of each Council meeting is determined by a particular policy agenda. At its core are the gatherings of the Foreign Ministers, meeting collectively as the General Affairs Council. The Presidency of the Council rotates across the Member States at six-monthly intervals.
European Parliament (EP) - The directly elected assembly of the EC, with limited legislative and juridical competence, though this has been extended in successive treaty amendments. It has the right of scrutiny and supervision of EC executives, and participates in the legislative and budgetary processes.
eWorkers - People using new information and communication technologies to work from home or on the move, also known as ‘teleworkers’.
Extranet - A closed network, accessible only to certain organisations or individuals, that operates using internet protocols to securely share an organisation's information or operations.
EYDCPs - Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships.
F
FAQ - (Frequently Asked Question(s)). This term generally refers to a document posted on an Internet web page, News Group or elsewhere for the specific purpose of assisting new users.
FAT - File Allocation Table. A feature of the MS-DOS operating system, the FAT tracks and records the location of all files on a hard disc or floppy drive. This is the only means DOS can use to find data on disk. DOS doesn't necessarily store programs and data in consecutive clusters on disk, instead taking the next available cluster.
It's the FAT that maintains the link addresses for subsequent but physically separated clusters. After considerable use, particularly after deleting multiple files, the remaining files become separated by unallocated clusters, which are subsequently filled by new files. This causes fragmentation of the files which can be reduced (and disc performance increased) by defragmentation, utilities for which are available in the Windows OS.
FCIF/QCIF - Standards-based formats for communicating between videoconferencing systems from different vendors. QCIF is one quarter of the resolution of FCIF Frame rate: Frequency at which video frames are displayed on a monitor, typically described in frames-per-second (fps). Higher frame rates improve the appearance of video motion. Broadcast TV (full motion video) is 30 frames-per-second.
FCO - Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
FE - Further Education.
FEFC - Further Education Funding Council.
FES - Family Expenditure Survey.
FFE - Family Friendly Enterprise. Also Family Friendly Employer.
Firewall - A system designed to prevent unauthorised access to a network, particularly from hackers. All information leaving or entering the network is scrutinised and warnings are triggered if certain criteria are not met.
Fixed-link - Telecommunications using a cable, fibre or point-to-point radio link, rather than mobile telephony.
FMI - Fixed Mobile Integration (also sometimes known as Fixed Mobile Convergence). The merging of fixed and mobile services into an integrated service whereby the customer will be offered both fixed and mobile services and will receive one bill and/ or receive and make calls using one terminal.
Forum - A message area on CompuServe or Delphi. Equivalent to an echo of FidoNet, a newsgroup on Usenet or a conference on CIX.
FRESAS - Frameworks for Regional Employment and Skills Action.
FSA - Financial Services Authority. The UK Government agency regulating the financial services sector.
FSB - Federation of Small Businesses.
FT - Full-time. As opposed to part-time or key-time work.
FTP - File Transfer Protocol. Refers to the computer communications language used to move copies of files from one computer to another across the internet.
Full Duplex Audio - Two-way audio simultaneously transmitted and received without any interference or ‘clipping.’ A common feature of room-based videoconferencing systems.
Full Motion Video - Full motion video is equivalent to broadcast television video with a frame rate of 30 fps. Images are sent in real time and motion is continuous.
FWA - Fixed Wireless Access. End-user radio connection(s) to core networks in which the location of the end-user termination and the network access point to be connected to the end-user are fixed.
FWA is more specific than radio in the local loop (RLL) and wireless in the local loop (WLL), which could both include mobile systems and technologies. Fixed Wireless Access could be provided by means of: point to point configurations like traditional microwave fixed links, point to multipoint configurations, which tend to imply a cellular style deployment and multipoint to multipoint configurations employing a series of repeater stations.
FWH - Flexible Working Hours. Greater flexibility may help to cover peaks and troughs of work and can help individual people to achieve a better balance between work and personal responsibilities. Includes such concepts as variable, personal or no core time as well as compressed working week arrangements.
G
G2G - Government to Government.
G2C - Government to Citizen.
G2B - Government to Business.
GCAT - Government IT Catalogue.
GDP - Gross Domestic Product.
Gender - A concept that refers to the social differences, as opposed to the biological ones, between women and men that have been learned, are changeable over time and have wide variations within and between cultures.
Gender Analysis - The study of differences in the conditions, needs, participation rates, access to resources and development, control of assets, decision-making powers, etc. between women and men in their assigned gender roles.
Gender Audit - The analysis and evaluation of policies, programmes and institutions in terms of how they apply gender-related criteria.
Gender Blind - Ignoring/failing to address the gender dimension (as opposed to gender sensitive or gender neutral.
Gender Disaggregated Data - The collection and separation of data and statistical information by gender to enable comparative analysis/gender analysis.
Gender Equality - The concept that all human beings are free to develop their personal ability and make choices without the limitations set by strict gender roles; that the different behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favoured equally.
Gender Equity - Fairness of treatment by gender, which may be equal treatment or treatment which is different but which is considered equivalent in terms of tights, obligations and opportunities.
Gender Reassignment - The medical/surgical process which enables a transsexual person to alter their bodies to match their gender identity.
Gender Impact - Where a particular practice affects groups of women or men.
Gender Impact Assessment - Examining policy proposals to see whether they will affect women and men differently, with a view to adapting these proposals to make sure that discriminatory effects are neutralised and that gender equality is promoted.
Gender Neutral - having no differential positive or negative impact for gender relations or, equality between women and men.
Gender Proofing - A check carried out on a policy proposal to ensure that any potential gender discriminatory effects arising from that policy have been avoided and that gender equality is promoted.
Genuine Occupational Qualifications - An exemption under the Sex Discrimination Act that allows an employer to advertise job vacancies for one sex only in very specific circumstances.
Glass Ceiling - Morrison, Women in Management Review 1992:7(4) p.15 "...an invisible obstacle limiting their (women's) advancement through the management ranks..."
GLTB - Gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual.
GO - Government Office.
GOQ - Genuine Occupational Qualifications.
Grossing Factors – Factors by which numbers in a sample should be multiplied to obtain approximate estimates of the corresponding numbers for the population as a whole.
GTA - Group Training Association.
GGP - Government General Practioner.
GHS - General Household Survey.
GICS - Government Information and Communication Services. A unit of the UK Government Cabinet Office.
GIF - Graphics Interchange Format. An image file format common on CompuServe and for small images on the internet. It is limited to 256 colours but produces compact files. GIF's, in common with some other internet 'friendly' graphic formats, can be interleaved (allowing downloads in steps which provide increasing resolution with each step) and given a property known as 'transparency', which allows any background of the web page to be seen through the graphic, if required.
GLTB - Gay, Lesbian, Transsexual and Bisexual.
GOGGS – Government Offices Great George Street.
Government Gateway - A software service that allows existing IT systems to be linked to the internet through UK online. The gateway provides authentication services so that customers can be identified.
GPF - General Protection Fault. This is Windows' way of warning - by use of a blue screen - that a program has tried to access a portion of RAM that is protected from unauthorised intrusion. In practice this means your program has crashed. There are too many potential remedies to mention in a glossary.
GPA - Northern Ireland Government Purchasing Agency.
Groupware - Software used by more than one person across a network. Examples include Lotus Notes and Microsoft Project.
GSI - Government Secure Intranet. A secure network connecting UK Government departments and agencies.
G-SID - Government Supplier Information Database.
GTC - Government Telecommunications Contracts.
GTLOs - Generic Top Level Domains. These include new domains such as .web .shop .firm .info .arts .rec .nom. See also Top Level Domains (TLD's).
H
Hacking - The term used to describe gaining access to private data or systems, without permission from their owner, typically using the internet.
HCDM - Human Capital Development Management
HE - Higher Education.
HMT - Her Majesty’s Treasury.
HPW - High Performance Working.
HR - Human Resources.
HRM - Human Resource Management.
HMC&E - Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
HMSO - Former name for Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Now known simply as TSO - The Stationery Office.
HND - Higher National Diploma. An HND normally takes two years of full-time study to complete and can lead directly to employment or to 1st or 2nd year of a degree course at university.
HNC - Higher National Certificate. An HNC can be completed in a single year of full-time study and often offers progression into the second year of an HND course.
Higher Still - Higher Still is the new qualification system which was introduced in August 1999. It brings together the academic and vocational courses in schools and colleges. Courses are run at 5 levels: Access, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, Higher and Advanced Higher, so there is a level to suit everyone.
HN Unit - Higher National Unit. An advanced course module in a specific subject. HND and HNC courses consist of carefully selected groups of Higher National Units, but Central College also offers certain Higher National Units as stand-alone part-time courses.
HMT - Her Majesty's Treasury.
HO - Home Office.
Home Page - The top-level page of an Internet site for an individual or company, somewhat like the root directory of a file system. All the site's pages are linked through and back to the Home Page.
Hot Spot (or Image) - Part of a Web page (text or image) which is dynamically linked to another site, image or page and usually identified by an underline and blue typeface.
HRM – Human Resource Manager.
HSC - Health and Safety Commission.
HSE – Health and Safety Executive.
HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol. The most common method used to transfer information across the web and to present it to the user when it arrives. HTTP defines how information is formatted and transmitted across the Web.
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