ACSEF
Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF) brings together the public and private sectors to realise the ambition for the future of the region and to shape delivery of economic development in Aberdeen City and Shire.

Aberdeenshire Community Transport Forum (ACTF)
A forum for all of the community transport groups and Aberdeenshire Council to exchange best practice and to discuss issues of mutual interest.

ADAT
The Alcohol, Drugs and Action Team is the strategic planning and service delivery group for Substance Misuse across Scotland. Visit the Aberdeenshire ADAT.

Bottom-up
Term used to describe initiatives led by the community, as opposed to 'top-down' initiatives led by authorities.

Citizens’ Panel
The Citizens’ Panel is made up of a representative sample of local people across Aberdeenshire (approx. 1300), who are asked to provide their opinions about the efficiency and effectiveness of local services and how they might be improved.

Community Capacity Building
Working with people in their communities to improve knowledge, skills, confidence, networks and resources to tackle issues and grasp opportunities.

Community Councils
Locally elected bodies whose remit is to represent the views of, and take action to promote, the interests of their communities. They are represented on or have links with each Local Community Planning Group as well as on the Community Planning Executive and Community Planning Board.

Community Development Groups (CDGs)
CDGs help local people (individuals and community groups) to develop essential knowledge or skills to participate in their community, and ensure that local leisure and learning opportunities are what their communities need.

Community Health Partnership (CHP)
The CHP is the operational arm of the NHS in Aberdeenshire and works through the CHP Committee with partner organisations to deliver health services, improve health and reduce inequalities in health.

Community Plan
Sets out how the Community Planning Partners will work together to develop, agree and achieve community planning objectives in Aberdeenshire.

Community Planning
Where major providers of public and voluntary services in an area work together with their communities to deliver better services.

Community Planning Board
Provides the strategic direction for the partnership. It consists of senior managers from the public sector partners, four elected councillors and community representatives.

Community Planning Executive
Focuses on the implementation and coordination of community planning in Aberdeenshire.

Community Safety Groups
There are 7 Community Safety Groups in Aberdeenshire and they address issues and deliver services that help the residents of Aberdeenshire to build, safe, inclusive, healthy, vibrant and economically attractive communities.

Community Schools Network Groups (CSNs)
A local team of multi agency professionals including those from health, social work, libraries, community learning and development, recreation and schools, who manage integrated children’s services within the 17 CSNs across Aberdeenshire.

Consultation
An exercise to seek people's views.

CVS
The Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS) network consists of 56 independent organisations that provide a range of development and support services to voluntary organisations across Scotland. In Aberdeenshire, they are represented by three organisations: Bridge CVS, Gordon Rural Action and K&D Voice.

CVS Training Initiative
The Initiative was established by the CVS Network to offer small and medium sized community and voluntary groups high quality, affordable, accessible and relevant training.

Development Plan
Consists of 2 key parts – The Structure Plan and the Local Plan. It forms the basis for future decisions about planning applications.

ESOL
English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Focus Group
A group of people who have been brought together to discuss a particular subject in order to solve a problem or suggest ideas.

HI-Net
HI-Net (Grampian Health Improvement Network) is an interactive, web-based communication tool and virtual network for those who are pushing forward the health improvement agenda in Grampian. 

HMIE
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) is an agency of the Scottish Government who inspect and review education in Scotland.

Joint Health Improvement Plan (JHIP)
The Aberdeenshire Joint Health Improvement Plan sets out the objectives, strategies and actions for the multi-agency partnership to improve health and reduce inequalities within the local population.

LEADER
A new innovative rural development funding programme for Communities and Groups in Rural Aberdeenshire. The new LEADER fund for Rural Aberdeenshire is an opportunity for participating groups to develop projects that will strengthen the social, economic and environmental fabric of Aberdeenshire's rural communities.

LEAP
Learning Evaluation and Planning (LEAP) is a needs-led approach to community development.

Local Community Plan
Outlines the key actions and projects of a number of public agencies in the local area.

Local Community Planning Groups
Each of the 6 administrative areas of Aberdeenshire has a Local Community Planning Group, which brings together representatives from the Community Planning Partners to identify and address the needs and concerns of local areas.

Local Rural Partnerships (LRPs)
Local voluntary organisations supported by the local authorities but not part of them. Their role is to support community activity, and to promote community economic development by helping other groups in their area with information, community engagement, capacity building and collaboration to develop sustainable community projects.

Local Plan
Sets out the detailed guidance for new development in the area. The current Aberdeenshire Local Plan can be found here.

More Choices, More Chances
An action plan to reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training in Scotland.

National Outcomes
There are 15 national outcomes which outline what the Scottish Government wants to achieve over the next ten years.

National Standards for Community Engagement
Set out key principles and practical measures which can be used by those involved in community engagement to improve the quality and process of the engagement.

NESTRANS
North East of Scotland Transport Partnership and one of the ten community planning partners.

NESTOUR
The North East Scotland Tourism Partnership (NESTOUR) serves the local authority areas of Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray. It is comprised of representatives from the local authorities, the Cairngorm National Park Authority, Scottish Enterprise, Visit Scotland and members nominated by local community, trade and business organisations.

Performance Indicators
A set of standards which the partnership can use to measure its performance over time.

Planning for Real®
A process of community consultation, that is community-led and aims to provide local solutions to local problems. A model of the local area is created and local residents are invited to anonymously place comment cards on the model where they feel issues in the community need to be highlighted. The results are then collated and issues fed to council services and partner organisations to address in conjunction with community members.

Regeneration Outcome Agreement (ROA)
The Aberdeenshire Regeneration Outcome Agreement (ROA) is a plan agreed between the community planning partnership and the Scottish Government. The plan details how a grant from the Scottish Government Community Regeneration Fund will be spent to address inequalities in two areas of Aberdeenshire, Fraserburgh North and Peterhead Central.

RESPECT
Recognising Experience, Sharing Practice and Engaging Communities Together is a collaborative project sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Forums of Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City.

Rocket Science
Rocket Science work on consultancy projects involving national policy development as well as frontline service delivery across the UK from offices in Edinburgh and London.

Single Outcome Agreement
Sets out how the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership will contribute to the Scottish Government's National Outcomes.

SMART
This term usually relates to actions or objectives which are:  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound. 

SMEs
Small and Medium-Sized enterprises.

Social Capital
This is the skills, resources, networks, opportunities and motivation that a community has which will enable it to work together effectively to promote its own wellbeing.

Social Enterprise
A business with primarily social or environmental objectives, usually run by a
volunteer Board of Directors but possibly with paid staff.  Any profits are principally
reinvested in the business or community to further their social and environmental
goals.

Structure Plan
Sets out a strategy for the future use of land and provides a long-term vision for the development of a sustainable (area-wide) community.

The Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Structure Plan contains policies on employment land, housing land, the environment and transport. and it provides the strategic policy framework for the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Local Plans.

After a structure plan has been prepared it goes to Scottish Ministers for approval, and comments about it may be made to the Scottish Government. Read the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Structure Plan.

Theme Forum
Our five theme forums allow us to group similar issues together so we can work efficiently to improve the quality of life in Aberdeenshire. The forums report regularly to the Executive and each is led by a representative from one of our partners.

Total Community
Grampian Police’s approach towards community policing. It seeks to further develop local partnership work that responds to the needs of the community.

Workshop
Meeting at which a group will explore issues, develop ideas and make decisions, sometimes with the help of a facilitator.