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Translators for NGOs

Translators for NGOs. Attila Piróth The Solidarités team of ProZ.com www.ProZ.com/team/664 ProZ.com 10th Anniversary International Conference Ohrid, July 2009. Outline. Motivation for pro bono work Workflow Pilot projects ProZ.com’s infrastructure Future plans Questions and answers.

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Translators for NGOs

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  1. Translators for NGOs Attila Piróth The Solidarités team of ProZ.com www.ProZ.com/team/664 ProZ.com 10th Anniversary International ConferenceOhrid, July 2009

  2. Outline • Motivation for pro bono work • Workflow • Pilot projects • ProZ.com’s infrastructure • Future plans • Questions and answers Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  3. Motivation Newbies: How to get first references? Advice: Consider voluntary work • Voluntary work for an agency • Voluntary work with crowdsourcing • Voluntary work for individuals • Voluntary work for governmental bodies • Voluntary work for NGOs, humanitarian organizations Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  4. Motivation – First references • Voluntary work for an agency+: Work may be similar to future (paid) jobs –: Would they give you paid work later?–: Wouldn’t you take others’ paid work? –: Would it help you improve?–: Could you use it as a reference?–: Would other benefits be enough? Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  5. Motivation – First references Crowdsourced voluntary work • Wikipedia (free encyclopedia) • TED (subtitling, http://www.ted.com/) • ProZ.com localization • Other Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  6. Motivation – First references • Crowdsourcing: Wikipedia+: Choice of interesting topics +: Acceptable reference (add to portfolio) +: Acceptable on-site support +: No deadline +/–: Will your work be edited/rewritten??: Networking (with other translators)? Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  7. Motivation – First references • CSing: TED (www.ted.com) +: Choice of interesting topics +: Learning new skill (subtitling) +: Acceptable reference (add to portfolio) +: No deadline –: Insufficient support –: Networking with pros: unlikely –: Couldn’t this be paid work? http://tinyurl.com/jhl-on-TED Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  8. Motivation – First references • Crowdsourcing: ProZ.com+: Excellent networking possibility: Cooperation with real pros (few exceptions) +: Reasonable compensation (visibility, reference) ?/–: Couldn’t this be paid work? (Budget? Quality?) Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  9. Motivation – First references • Crowdsourcing: OtherFacebook, LinkedIn, Europass, etc. +: Wide choice+: Compensation: high visibility?/–: Professional networking possibilities? ?/–: Not excellent as reference –: Should be paid workhttp://tinyurl.com/NO-to-CSing Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  10. Motivation – First references • Voluntary work for individuals+: Lots of opportunities, often interesting +: What goes around comes around (exchange; www.proz.com/exchange) ?/–: Work for friends – friendly compensation ?/–: Can be used as a reference? ?/–: Extra visibility? Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  11. Motivation – First references • Voluntary work for gov’t bodies(National Language Service Corps, www.nlscorps.org)multilingual volunteers who bridge communities, interpreting and translating in time of need +: Noble cause: helping those in need (locally) ?/–: Networking with professionals? –: USD 19M from DoD for voluntary work framework: delicate situation w/ paid and unpaid workforce ?: How valuable as reference? Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  12. Motivation – First references • Voluntary work for NGOs+: Wide choice of noble causes +: Real help; NGO staff would TR (no budget) +: Valuable reference for pro bono work ?: Networking possibilities??: Learning possibilities? Depends on framework (workflow+team) Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  13. Best framework • Working in a teamnetworking is attractive for established translators • Working with experienced colleaguesmuch like ProZ.com’s mentoring program • Getting feedbackwithout conflict of interest e.g. between TR and ED • Learning new skills • Having comfortable deadlines • Getting valuable reference Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  14. Best framework Few paid jobs meet these criteria With sufficient human resources, a complex workflow is possible BECAUSE THERE IS NO BUDGET Way to learn best practices Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  15. Workflow • Preparation of the material • Translation + glossary building • Editing • Glossary unification • Updating translation • Proof-reading • After delivery Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  16. Workflow • Preparation of the material(esp. if team is large) • Selecting glossary entries in source doc possibly using term extraction tool • Should be done before distributing the doc • Requires (2 or more) terminology managers Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  17. Workflow • Translation + glossary building • Done by translators getting established • Encouraged to use CAT tools • Close cooperation with editor • Forum discussion with other team members Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  18. Workflow • Editing • Done by experienced translatorsATA exam correctors? PRO network? • Detailed feedback to translatorlike in mentoring program • Conflict of interests largely eliminated • EDs get to know the work of several TRs facilitating future cooperation Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  19. Workflow • Glossary unification • Published glossary good reference • Networking among contributors • A lot of communication is needed- TermM: communication and organizational skills - ProZ.com’s infrastructure (forums, KudoZ) • Schedule Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  20. Workflow • Updating translation • Done by each translator • Necessary to ensure consistent terminology • Some participants might ignore itTR’s work is not finished when sending TR to ED • Schedule Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  21. Workflow • Proof-reading • Necessary to ensure consistent style • Stylistic, formatting, etc. questions discussed during translation - PR: communication and organizational skills - ProZ.com’s infrastructure (forums, KudoZ) • Schedule Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  22. Workflow • After delivery • Publishing glossary • Feedback to participants, references - ProZ.com’s infrastructure: WWA, project history - PM: availability - Reference on NGO’s website, etc. • Preparing translation memory from final files Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  23. Workflow Complex (but flexible) workflow • Assures high quality • Participants can learn • Requires a lot of communication; offers advantages of intense networking • Makes use of ProZ.com’s infrastructure • Can be realized in a pro bono project (only) Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  24. Pilot Projects Our choice for beneficiary: Solidarités (www.solidarites.org) • Providing access to drinking water • Providing humanitarian aid in conflict areas • Relatively modest budget: EUR 37.5 M • Efficient use: 85.7% for humanitarian aid, 0.6% for information costs Strict selection criteria for beneficiaries Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  25. Pilot Projects • 9 projects, altogether 200,000 words • 6 Fr-En, 3 En-Fr • About 70 participants: www.proz.com/team/664 • 2 glossaries; Fr-En: about 1000 entries • Brochure for World Water Forum printed in 4,500 copies Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  26. Pilot Projects Sample project: • Fr>En: Internal documents for on-site staff: guides on self-sufficient electrical and technology solutions (28 k words) • Substantive editing of source material by team before and during translation • Participants learned best practices when source material has mistakes • Conflict management Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  27. ProZ.com’s Infrastructure • Forums, private forums • KudoZ, private KudoZ • Recruitment via job posting 100 BrowniZ for applying • Feedback through WWA, project history, BB • Translation can be used as sample in portfolio • In return: users learn about ProZ.com + may become members Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  28. Future Plans Aim: offering linguistic aid to other NGOs AND help TRs to build their carrier • Possibility for participants to try all phases TR, ED, TM, PR, PM – ready to launch your own agency • Pilot projects in multiple languages possibly with EN as leading language • Creating participants’ database adding functions to team directory Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  29. Future Plans • Creating own site (www.t4ngos.org) • Setting up dedicated teams for specific NGOs by PMs; top-down approach • Establishing priorities for providing aid T4NGOs focuses on small humanitarian NGOs • Establishing and publishing best practices • Working in close collaboration with other NGOs (common glossary / shared TM?) • Integration with ProZ’s mentoring program Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  30. Future Plans “Internship” program at Solidarités • Paid internship for at least 2 TRs per year • Continuous collaboration with team members • Part-time work + part-time training + free time • Tasks: translation, editing, terminology management;tools (website TR, CAT, VR, OCR, MT) • Lot of communication and networking • Writing up experience to pass on best practices • Participation in helping next intern • Certificate – Recognized by ProZ mentoring program? Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  31. Future Plans Training during internship • Professional skills • Research skills: terminology, resources, etc. • Using tools: Word, Excel, CAT, alignment, etc. • Communication skills including using ProZ.com: profile, KudoZ, forums, job quote, other resources • Collaboration skills: team projects (ProZ contest) • Best practices: translator-proofreader relationship Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  32. Future Plans Next project for Solidarités • Intranet and web site • From July to December 2009 • Over 100,000 words • Over 30 participants • Expectation: • Solidarités: better visibility with English website • Interns: gain skills, experience, reference • Team: profit from trainings, establish best practices Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  33. How can you help? • Ideas to make the internship more attractive:http://tinyurl.com/Ideal-TR-job • Ideas/solutions for online trainings (webinar) • Trainers: Provide online training for team • Event organizers: Provide free / reduced price training / conference attendance for interns • Tool developers: Provide free copy to interns • Organizations: free / reduced price membership • Help Solidarités directly with donations Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  34. Summary • Various attractive offers for pro bono work (crowdsourcing, NGOs, etc.) • Key to making the best of it: aiming at an ideal framework with complex workflow • Provides useful reference and networking possibilities Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

  35. Questions and Answers Attila Piróth – Translators for NGOs

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