Question Period Note: Interpreter Health and Safety and Interpretation Capacity at the Translation Bureau

The Translation Bureau plays a crucial role in Canadian democracy, and interpretation services are essential. Its ability to provide interpretation services to Parliament has been compromised in recent years by the worldwide shortage of interpreters and health and safety incidents related to sound quality among interpreters. The Translation Bureau has implemented several measures to strengthen its interpretation capacity and protect interpreters.

In collaboration with its partners, the Translation Bureau continues to innovate and draw on expert advice and best practices in Canada and abroad to provide optimal interpretation services to Parliament as well as federal departments and agencies, and optimal protection to its interpreters

If pressed on acoustic protection measures:

• For several years now, the Translation Bureau has been working to address sound-related incidents that may affect interpreters, in collaboration with its partners and sound and hearing experts
• Thanks to the measures put in place, the number of incidents has decreased significantly
• The Translation Bureau pursues its efforts to better understand and prevent sound-related risks for interpreters, with a view to continuous improvement
• The Translation Bureau continues to update its interpreter protection measures and incident prevention, management and follow-up protocols, based on the latest technologies and information obtained through research with experts in audiology and acoustics

If pressed on interpreters contract amendment:

• Freelance interpreters are independent contractors, not employees of the Translation Bureau. Their services are retained following a competitive bidding process
• The Translation Bureau is currently reviewing its contracting strategy in order to improve procurement processes for interpreters and achieve greater long-term flexibility
• Despite the shortage of interpreters in Canada and elsewhere in the world, the Translation Bureau does not anticipate any capacity issues to meet Parliament's interpretation needs

If pressed on capacity:

• The Translation Bureau makes every effort to increase its capacity and meet Parliament's demands by, among other things, collaborating with the Canadian language industry to support and expand interpretation training, and to stimulate the next generation of interpreters, consulting with the interpretation sector and proposing innovative initiatives, such as the general entry-level accreditation pilot project to better serve Government of Canada clients
• The Translation Bureau is also pursuing discussions with Quebec universities to set up interpretation programs

If pressed on university scholarships in interpretation:

• Following Budget 2024, the Translation Bureau is developing an interpretation scholarship program, and is working with the academic community and Canadian Heritage to implement the program
• University scholarships in official languages interpretation will increase demand for interpretation programs, increase the supply of interpreters and position this language sector as a field of the future

If pressed on interpretation hours:

• Before reviewing the interpreters' work schedule, the Translation Bureau has committed to wait for the next audiologist's report, due in the fall of 2024
• The Translation Bureau is working with audiology and human resources experts to ensure compliance with the collective agreement signed during the last round of negotiations, which stipulates the interpretation hours

If pressed on pilot project for the general interpretation accreditation:

• The general interpretation pilot project applicable only to Government of Canada conferences, would be aimed at hiring freelance interpreters who have demonstrated exceptional skills and competencies through their results on the accreditation exam
• The pilot project represents a new and innovative approach to the shortage of interpreters in Canada and around the world, and is part of a series of measures to address the problem

Directions and acoustic protection measures

In February 2023, the Translation Bureau received two directions from Employment and Social Development Canada’s Labour Program. The Translation Bureau worked with the House and Senate to comply with the directions, and the case was closed. Following a feedback event affecting interpreters on April 8, 2024, the Translation Bureau received a new direction on April 25, 2024, directing the Bureau to better protect interpreters from exposure to feedback. Measures were quickly put in place to comply with this direction. On April 26, 2024, the Labour Program accepted these measures, which were added to the Translation Bureau's existing continuous improvement plan.

The Translation Bureau continues its discussions with its partners and the Labour Program investigator to minimize risks to the health and safety of interpreters, researching new technologies that can reduce the risk of feedback, and providing regular reminders of existing prevention measures and protocols. The Translation Bureau has set up a team that worked over the summer to put in place more permanent measures for the return to Parliament next fall. The investigator verbally accepted all the measures put in place by the Translation Bureau.

Pilot project with the House of Commons Administration

The Translation Bureau is participating in a pilot project developed by the House of Commons Administration to provide of interpretation by interpreters located off site from the parliamentary precinct, enabling it to use freelancers outside the National Capital Region to better meet Parliament’s needs.

Pilot project for the general interpretation accreditation

In response to parliamentarians' requests for increased interpretation capacity, the Translation Bureau has developed a pilot project for the general accreditation of interpreters, applicable only to Government of Canada conferences (not to services provided to Parliament). To support this pilot project, the Bureau has developed a preliminary working document to provide a framework, as well as a guide and tools for supervisors. This preliminary working document continues to evolve and will be updated based on feedback obtained throughout the first cohort of the pilot project, which has not yet been launched.

Entry-level accreditation would be granted to freelance official language interpreters who have clearly demonstrated the necessary skills to work on general events, but who are not sufficiently autonomous to be assigned to complex or high-profile assignments. The aim is to provide these interpreters with the resources and opportunities they need to gain experience and eventually qualify for full accreditation. Freelance interpreters taking part in the pilot project would benefit from a coaching plan to help them improve their skills. They would also be encouraged to take the accreditation exam. They would undergo a quality assessment. They would be matched with experienced interpreters who would offer constructive advice and be ready to intervene.

Interpreters contract amendment

The Translation Bureau uses freelancers for about half of its official language interpretation requirements. Although it sometimes uses ad hoc contracts for this purpose, it mainly uses an open contract, the most recent of which was awarded in June 2023 and expired in June 2024. The Translation Bureau took advantage of the option year by making an amendment to clarify the clause concerning time for sound and non-interpretation tests, as well as the grace period to ensure that Canada receives 4 hours (or 6 for some contracts) of interpretation time.

Many freelance interpreters and the International Association of Conference Interpreters of Canada reacted negatively to the contract change. In response, on July 23, 2024, Public Services and Procurement Canada sent a letter to International Association of Conference Interpreters and all suppliers informing them that Public Services and Procurement Canada considers the May 28, 2024 email to freelance interpreters to have exercised the contract extension option, that all contracts are still valid, and that freelancers will have the choice of refusing to renew their contracts or renewing them with the same clauses as last year. The Translation Bureau and Procurement Sector will be working to prepare a new call for tenders, including consultation with the industry, including freelance interpreters.

Interpreting hours

Since the pandemic, staff interpreters have had their work schedule reduced from 6 hours of interpretation to 4 hours of interpretation. Since February 2024, staff interpreters have been performing translation duties to make up the full working day, as stipulated in the collective agreement signed in 2023.The Translation Bureau expects phase 2 of an expert audiological report by the University of Ottawa in the fall of 2024.

University scholarships in interpretation

In Budget 2024, in order to train the next generation of official language interpreters, the government proposes to provide $1.1 million over five years, starting in 2024-2025, and $0.2 million thereafter, to Public Services and Procurement Canada to establish a scholarship program. Funding will come from existing departmental resources. The Translation Bureau is working with Canadian Heritage so that the first scholarships can be awarded in December, in anticipation of registration for the winter 2025 session.

• The Translation Bureau pursues its efforts by implementing concrete measures to ensure the health and safety of interpreters
  • There was a 40% decrease in sound-related incidents in 2023 compared with 2022. In the first four months of 2024, there was a 70% reduction compared with 2023