How to use this guide
Use the recommendations below to prepare a clearer brief, compare quotations on the same basis and identify decisions that should be resolved before production begins.
This guide provides general project-planning information. Requirements imposed by a court, embassy, regulator, receiving institution, venue or technology platform should always be confirmed directly with that authority.
Start with the interaction
A conference, interview, court session, consultation and site visit do not use the same interpreting mode.
Decision to record: How does this point apply to your audience, language pair, final use and approval process?
Specify the language direction
Name every language, regional variety and whether communication is one-way or two-way.
Decision to record: How does this point apply to your audience, language pair, final use and approval process?
Allow the right team
Long simultaneous sessions and parallel rooms require rotation and separate coverage.
Decision to record: How does this point apply to your audience, language pair, final use and approval process?
Prepare the assignment
Agenda, participant names, presentations, terminology, venue audio and a rehearsal reduce avoidable risk.
Decision to record: How does this point apply to your audience, language pair, final use and approval process?
When professional support becomes important
Seek a properly briefed language professional when the communication affects rights, safety, consent, money, institutional acceptance, research validity or a large public audience. Urgency does not remove the need to confirm language variety, intended use and review responsibility.