Jargon buster

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To help with the participation request form 

The participation request form asks you a list of questions. There are some terms that you may not have heard before. This quick jargon buster explains what they mean. 

Community participation body 

The group of people who make a participation request. To be a community participation body, the group must show it meets some requirements. For instance, the group must state the community which they are from, and this can be a geographic community or people who share the same interest or background. Most of the group’s members must be from that community, and the group needs to be open to other community members. Any profits must be used to benefit the community and a statement of aims and purposes must also be provided.  

It should be easier for a group to show they meet these requirements if they are constituted, although this is not a requirement. 

Find out more about forming a group.

Public service authority 

The organisation in charge of the public service you want to improve. This may or may not be the same as the actual organisation which delivers the service. For instance, local authorities and regional transport partnerships are in charge of public transport. However, private companies are often commissioned to deliver the service. 

Outcomes 

Outcomes are the changes that services aim to bring about, such as improved health and wellbeing, or reduced child poverty. The outcome must be relevant to the public service authority that you are making the participation request to. See our separate guide to outcomes, Where do we want to be?  

Outcome improvement process  

The meetings, discussions and actions that will help improve the outcome you identified in your participation request. What this will look like will depend on the nature of your request but will likely involve meetings to plan and agree on actions, as well as some reviewing of what has been achieved. 

See our resources to help with the outcome improvement process, starting with our guide to what the legislation says.

Knowledge, expertise and experience 

This is what your group knows about the service based on your life, your community and using the service. Your understanding of, and reach into, your community is also important. 

Links to more information