Conference Interpretation - Description

Conference Interpretation — Official Languages, Canada's Aboriginal languages and Foreign Languages

Who are we and what do we do?

We provide interpretation services in the two official languages and in other languages to all federal government departments and agencies.

There are two main types of official and other language interpretation:

• Simultaneous interpretation: Inside soundproof booths, interpreters equipped with headphones and microphones simultaneously translate proceedings into another language for audience members who have been provided with receivers and headphones. This is the type of interpretation most often used for conferences, symposiums, speeches and committee hearings. The Conference Interpretation Service does not provide booths or other interpretation equipment.
• Consecutive, elbow or liaison interpretation: The interpreter uses no equipment, but translates the proceedings directly for his/her client in a low voice. The client's responses are translated in a louder voice so that other participants can hear and understand the client's comments. The interpreter listens and takes notes, then renders the comments in the other language. It should be noted that consecutive interpretation can double the length of a meeting, while elbow and liaison interpretation are suitable only for private meetings or tours of facilities like laboratories and factories.

Regardless of the type of interpretation required, you will need:

• two interpreters for a meeting in both official languages, lasting no longer than four hours;
• three interpreters for a meeting in both official languages, lasting no longer than six hours; or
• two to four interpreters for a meeting involving other languages, and lasting no longer than four hours.

Information to provide

Please book these services as long as possible before the event and provide us with the following information:

Dates
The dates when the service is required.

Times
The exact times when the service is required, including start and finish times for meetings, workshops, coffee breaks, meal breaks, etc.

Languages
Indicate English and French, or the other languages required.

Location
Indicate where the conference is being held. Include the exact address and floor number, and the names or numbers of all meeting rooms involved. If the conference is being held in a remote area, please include the interpreters when booking hotel rooms and inform Conference Interpretation immediately.

Conference title
Provide all possible details, and explain any acronyms or abbreviations used in the title.

On-site contact
Provide the name of a person on site the interpreters can contact during the conference.

Documentation contact
Provide the name and telephone number of a person who can be contacted in advance to obtain all relevant documentation, so that the interpreters can prepare for the conference.

Participants' rank
Indicate who is participating, and their rank: for example, ministers, deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers, directors general, provincial representatives, and private sector representatives. This enables us to determine the priority level of your event (see the section on setting priorities below).

Requester data
Provide the requester's name, address, telephone number and fax number.

Financial codes (mandatory)
Provide the Client Account Number (obtained from the Translation Bureau for previous work), the IS Organization Code (FIS) and the Reference Code. If you don't have these, contact the Contact Centre.

What are the costs?

Travel and accommodation expenses

All travel and accommodation expenses are covered by the client, and calculated on the basis of Treasury Board guidelines. An administrative fee of 15% will be applied to those expenses as of September 1, 2011. To keep the cost to its clients down, the Conference Interpretation Service makes every effort to hire local contract interpreters throughout Canada. However, their availability cannot always be guaranteed.

Professional Services

Agencies listed in Schedule I, Schedule I.1 and Schedule II of the Financial Administration Act:

• Conferences in both official languages-Priority 1 or 2-and conferences in other languages: please contact Conference Interpretation Services.
• Conferences in the official languages-Priority 3: please contact Conference Interpretation Services.

Agencies listed in Schedule III of the Financial Administration Act and agencies not listed:

• Conferences in the official languages and conferences in other languages: please contact Conference Interpretation Services.

How is the priority of conferences in the official languages determined?

Each conference held in the two official languages receives a priority rating that determines whether professional fees will be charged to the client's budget. The ratings are calculated in accordance with the system approved by the Treasury Board Secretariat. The system takes three factors into account:

• the schedule of the Financial Administration Act in which the client department or agency appears;
• the participants' rank: i.e., ministers, deputy ministers, assistant deputy ministers, directors general, representatives of a provincial government or the private sector, etc.;
• the type of meeting: i.e., hearing open to the public, interdepartmental meeting, internal meeting, etc.

Examples

• Priority 1: courts, commissions of inquiry, large-scale conferences and federal provincial meetings
• Priority 2: national meetings or briefing sessions intended for other departments or industry, boards of directors
• Priority 3: internal meetings at the department or agency

How much notice must be given to cancel interpreters or to change a meeting date?

Regardless of the reason, the client must inform the Conference Interpretation Service of any cancellation or change, as follows:

• Conference in both official languages: the Conference Interpretation Service must be given at least seven working days' notice before the start date of the conference. Otherwise, the client will be invoiced. For Priority 1 and 2 conferences, the 15% administrative fee will also be applied to interpreters' professional fees in the event of a late cancellation.
• Conference involving other languages: the client is always invoiced for interpreters' professional fees. The 15% administrative fee will also be applied to interpreters' professional fees.

NB: In the event of a cancellation, airline tickets that are not refundable by the carrier will be invoiced to the client.

For more information, please call or e-mail us. Our contact information can be found at the following link: For more information.

Note to conference organizers

To enable interpreters to provide the best service possible, you must:

• provide, in advance, all documents that will help them prepare for your conference;
• ensure that interpretation booths are placed so that interpreters have a direct view of the speakers' table, the podium and any screens;
• ensure that the doors and windows of the booths are not blocked by a pillar, furniture, or equipment;
• give tie microphones to speakers who will be moving away from the table or podium in making their presentations; and
• place pitchers of fresh water in each booth at the start of each session.

Please contact the Parliamentary Services and Interpretation for more information about Conference Interpretation, or to request interpretation services.