| BCA | Basic Credit Approval |
| Benchmarking | Systematic comparison of processes, in terms of the practices used and key performance indicators. Such performance comparisons can be made between projects of departments within an organisation or with other organisations. |
| Best Value | A legal duty on all Councils to review all of their services on a 5 yearly basis, to consult service users, to challenge whether they are the best organisation to provide that service, to compare their performance with other like service providers and to open up their services to competition. |
| Best Value Inspection Service | Part of the Audit Commission. They inspect Councils when they have undertaken Best Value reviews of services. |
| Best Value Local Performance Plan (BVLPP) | A plan which every Council must produce each year that shows how the Council is providing efficient, effective services and how it will improve. This plan is then audited by District Audit who ensure it has been prepared and published in accordance with the law. |
| Business Plan | A 30 year plan describing how the Council will provide its housing management service, how it will keep its stock in good condition and makes an assessment of the likely levels of income and expenditure needed. |
| Consultation | A two way exchange of information, views and ideas between the community and the Council. |
| Corporate | The organisation as a whole entity, incorporating all its various parts |
| Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, now known as Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DETR, now known as DTLR) | Central Government department with range of responsibilities e.g. housing, transport and Local Authorities. |
| Energy Efficiency | Energy conservation measures that the Council considers practicable, cost-effective and likely to result in significant improvement in the energy efficiency of residential accommodation in its area. Measures can include information, advice, education and promotion as well as the physical improvement of stock by capital investment, loans or grant aid. |
| Government Offices for the South East (GOSE) | One of the Government Offices for the Regions. Established by the Government in response to the European agenda. They are evolving to be the co-ordinated voice of Whitehall in the regions. There are 9 Government Offices covering the same areas as the Regional Development Agencies |
| Housing Association (HA) | Non-profit making bodies run by voluntary committees. The major providers of new subsidised homes for those in housing need in England. They improve properties and build new homes, primarily for rent, in inner cities, town and rural areas. They also provide homes for sale through special schemes to help people on lower incomes wishing to become home owners |
| Housing Corporation | A non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. Whose role is to fund and regulate registered social landlords in England |
| Housing Forum | Nominated representatives of tenants and residents groups from across the Borough, who form part of Gosport's Tenant and Leaseholder Consultation Framework. |
| Housing Management Team (HMT) | Made up of a group of Senior Housing Managers |
| Housing Revenue Account | The account which records the income and expenditure relating to the provision of Council housing |
| Joint Housing Register (JHR) | A computer programme that holds the details of applicants who want to be housed by the Council or Registered Social Landlords. It holds details of people who are currently living in social housing and want to move (transfers), people who are homeless and people who are not yet living in Council housing or housing owned by a Registered Social Landlord (waiting list) |
| Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) | Permission given Central Government to Councils to spend on repairing their housing |
| NHER | National Home Energy Rating |
| Options appraisal | The investigation and consideration of options for the long-term future of Council housing stock, e.g. Forming an arms length management organisation, transferring the stock to a registered social landlord and other option |
| Partnering | Partnering is a management approach used by two or more organisations to achieve specific business objectives by maximising the effectiveness of each participant's resource. The approach is based on mutual objectives, an agreed method of problem resolution and an active search for continuous measurable improvement'. |
| Performance Indicators (PI's) | Defined measurements that enable the level or cost of a service to be quantified |
| Planned maintenance | A process by which the Council draws up a programme of maintenance to its housing stock on a longer-term basis |
| Regeneration/Regenerate | The revitalisation of the local economy and environment to improve the overall quality of life |
| Registered Social Landlord (RSL) | A generic terms covering Housing Associations, housing co-operatives and housing companies registered with the Housing Corporation |
| Resident Involvement | Meaning the involvement of all people living in a street, neighbourhood or area, irrespective of whether they are a tenant, leaseholder or homeowner |
| RSL(s) | Registered Social Landlord(s), also known as Housing Association(s) |
| Stakeholder(s) | Someone who derives an interest or benefit from a service |
| Status survey | A satisfaction survey of all the Councils tenants that Central Government requires all Councils and Registered Social Landlords to undertake every 2 years |
| Stock condition | Information relating to the condition of all Council owned housing, including flats, maisonettes and houses |
| Strategy | A plan, usually long-term, setting out an approach to achieve a particular aim or objective successfully |
| Tenant and Leaseholder Consultation Framework (TLC) | The formal consultation structure of tenants and leaseholders that is formally recognised by the Council |
| Value For Money (VFM) | A good price for the amount paid, taking into account the benefits derived from the quality of a product, its expected life span and the cost of similar products available on the market |
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