Translation Bureau: Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates—June 2, 2021
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Translation Bureau virtual interpretation capacity
Context
The Translation Bureau (TB) continues to work with the house administration and all partners to support Parliament’s virtual sittings while ensuring the health and safety of its interpreters.
Suggested response
- The government is committed to providing essential translation and interpretation services to Parliamentarians and Canadians
- TB continues to work in close collaboration with house administration and all our partners to support Parliament’s virtual sittings and to plan for future demand
- Ensuring the health and safety of interpreters is a priority for the Government of Canada
- Working conditions have changed since the beginning of the pandemic, and TB has put in place a number of precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of interpreters
- Guidelines have been developed to establish optimal conditions so that interpreters can provide high-quality service in a safe environment
If pressed on the next generation of interpreters:
- TB works in collaboration with both the University of Ottawa and York University to train the next generation of interpreters
- TB holds annual accreditation exams to increase the pool of qualified interpreters
If pressed on freelance contracts:
- Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is committed to providing high quality interpretation services to its clients
- PSPC worked with interpreters to ensure that appropriate health and safety measures and amended working conditions are incorporated in the new contract as a result of the shift to virtual meetings and therefore remote interpretation
- In response to the additional cognitive load associated with remote interpretation, PSPC has reduced the length of assignments to a max of 4 hours and increased the number of interpreters per assignment, without reducing their compensation (up to $1500 / day)
- we are committed to a fair and transparent procurement process that will attract the largest number of freelance interpreters to support the Translation Bureau in fulfilling its mandate
- TB will continue to work with freelancers to adjust its approach at any time in the future if new information becomes available and in accordance with Parliament’s needs for the future
If pressed on sick leave for freelancers:
- protecting interpreters’ health and safety continues to be PSPC’s top priority
- employee interpreters of TB receive sick leave benefits, including paid sick leave
- freelance interpreters are independent contractors, and thus are not considered employees of TB
- however, their contract allows them to set a price that takes into consideration all of their direct and indirect costs, including insurances and benefit costs
- in addition, there are other government supports available to help all workers who are unable to work due to COVID-19
- PSPC continues to recommend that freelancers consult the Canada Revenue Agency website to see what benefits are available and if they are eligible
If pressed on interpreter health and safety:
- protecting interpreters’ health and safety continues to be our top priority. PSPC continues to monitor the situation in Canada and around the world to make informed decisions and implement the best safety measures for interpreters providing distance interpretation
- we continue to put measures in place to ensure a safe work environment for interpreters, which meet the International Organization for Standardization standards for interpretation
- TB has provided its interpreters with headsets with sound limiters to protect against acoustic shock, reduced the length of their assignments and implemented a series of hygiene and physical distancing measures
- we are conducting research on the current working environment of interpreters to make informed, evidence-based decisions related to health and safety and other working conditions
- at all times, interpreters are instructed to interrupt service if the sound quality doesn’t allow for interpretation
- in order to reflect the increased effort required to interpret virtual sessions, TB has reduced the working hours of the interpreters assigned to these sessions without reducing their compensation
If pressed on interpretation capacity:
- we currently have the capacity to continue serving Parliament and the Government of Canada
- as we are facing an unprecedented volume of remote interpretation requests, we are working with clients to plan and monitor demand carefully, leveraging contracts where appropriate
- PSPC appreciates freelancer interpreters who continue to provide their services during surge periods throughout this challenging COVID-19 pandemic
- demand for interpretation services can fluctuate greatly, and freelancers help the Translation Bureau respond to this varying demand
- the conference interpretation sector around the world relies heavily on the provision of interpretation services from freelance contractors
Background
Since the beginning of the pandemic, TB has worked closely with the house administration in the implementation of virtual committee sittings.
TB’s operations have been altered to respond to parliamentary needs. Conditions have improved over time and the collaboration continues in order to find a sustainable solution to reduce the risk of interpretation service interruptions due to the technology used by remote participants.
Certain criteria must be met in order for distance interpretation to work. These include:
- all participants must wear a headset with a microphone to ensure clear sound quality
- participants must appear via videoconference so that the interpreter can see their facial expressions and clearly communicate the tone of their message
- participants must strictly adhere to the rules for speaking, and must wait their turn to speak
- a technician must be in the room with the interpreters at all times to address any technical issues
- the audio feed for the interpretation consoles must have limiters or compressors to prevent acoustic shock
- interpreters must be able to do sound checks with the technician and participants before each meeting begins
- as always, participants who plan to read written statements must provide them in advance to interpreters
These criteria are needed to establish optimal conditions so that interpreters can provide high-quality service in a safe environment. Abiding by these criteria will not completely eliminate the risk of interpretation service interruptions due to the technology used by remote participants, but it will greatly reduce this risk and help ensure the best possible interpretation.
Contracts with freelance interpreters
TB has seen a significant increase in distance interpretation since the beginning of the pandemic. As a result, in December 2020, a contract amendment was issued to include distance interpretation working conditions retroactive to May 2020.
A new open contract for interpretation was developed in consultation with the interpreter community. PSPC published the request for proposal on April 9, 2021. The contract will come into effect on July 1, 2021.
These procurement processes are important for the TB’s capacity to deliver services due to its reliance on the freelancer community.
Translation Bureau health and safety
With the increased use of videoconferences, there has been an increase in incident reports from interpreters, including headaches, earaches and fatigue due to poor sound quality.
TB has provided its interpreters with headsets with sound limiters to protect against acoustic shock and implemented a series of hygiene and physical distancing measures. In addition, TB requires its clients to take technical measures that promote not only the health of its interpreters but also high-quality interpretation. These include having a qualified audiovisual technician present at all times, remote participants’ use of good quality headsets with built-in microphones, using a stable broadband internet connection, and providing documents to interpreters before or at the start of meetings.
TB’s approach is aligned with international best practices, including the International Association of Conference Interpreters principles, guidance for institutions and best practices. TB is seen as a leader in the field.
Research studies
TB currently has 3 studies underway to look at technology, sound quality and interpreters’ auditory health:
- TB is working with the National Research Council of Canada to analyze the sound quality and the sound pressure levels interpreters are exposed to on Parliament Hill and the performance of the Translation Bureau’s hearing protection devices (PreservEar)
- TB developed a research project with 2 audiologists specializing in acoustic shock from the Laboratoire de Neurosciences Sensorielles et Cognitives (Aix-Marseille University, France), to perform hearing tests on interpreters who experienced acoustic shocks as part of their work and assess the impact remote audio-visual signals have on interpreters’ hearing
- TB is working with the University of Geneva, Switzerland, on a research study into how the added cognitive load of distance interpretation affects interpreters
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