VISITING TRANSLATION PROJECTS

Extracted text from visittps.doc:

UBS TRANSLATION OFFICERS MANUAL VISITING TRANSLATION PROJECTS Background: Job Description of Translation Consultant (revised 1996) 4. Roles and Responsibilities A. Consultant to Translation Projects 2. Selects, trains, and maintains the skills of a translation team and supplies it with scholarly resources, helps and appropriate technology. 3. Maintains quality control of a translation by giving expert, technical and professional assistance throughout its preparation. 4. Approves the final manuscript of all texts of translations and revisions, and products such as Selections and Portions for publication. 5. Participates in the preparation of Scripture products in audio and video media especially to ensure faithfulness to the message of the source text in the transposition of Scripture to all media. TO Use of Time (Translation Consultants in the UBS, p 8) 25% research and writing 50% translation projects 25% administrative tasks Asia-Pacific Monthly Translation Work Report -- Working with projects 33.33% Administration of projects 16.67% Total 50.00% N.B. Working with translation projects is the focal point of our assignment or of our job description. It is sometimes broadly summarized as checking or it is put in terms of contact time. A personal comment from a RETCO: Use of ones time is often a problem. Selfmanagement is an area where each individual TO must take personal responsibility. We often complain about other demands on our time, whether it is the NBS, other organizations, personal responsibilities, family time, or any of a myriad of other activities and obligations. It is a danger and a great personal responsibility that as TOs we are personally accountable for our time. We normally set our agendas, we establish our travel plans, and we may even determine our office hours. How it balances out on the report at the end of the month and cumulatively over the year will reflect how faithfully we have fulfilled our job assignment. This is a problem not only for new TOs but also for those of us who are bien rods.

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UBS TRANSLATION OFFICERS MANUAL

VISITING A PROJECT A. General considerations 1. Overall job assignment a. What duties responsible for? b. What priorities in job assignment? 2. Overall project assignment a. How many projects? b. What priorities for each project (major, minor, strong, weak? c. Travel or other special considerations (calendar, political, security, climate....) 3. Family considerations (birthdays, special activities, events, celebrations, holidays....) B. Planning a project visit 1. Over-all plan for team visits (PPM) 2. Purpose of visit a. Written translation or audio or video? b. First translation, new translation or revision c. First, routine, final translation, final manuscript d. Organizational, quality control, ms, trouble-shooting (internal, church relations....) 3. Practical details a. Dates, length of visit, venue, invitees, travel plans b. Travel plans c. Invitees (PPO, GS, colleague, ?) 4. Protocol -- informing appropriate authorities (GS, PPO, Churches, Committees....) C. Preparation for a project visit 1. Pre-visit assignment to translation team 2. TO homework prior to visit a. Review of previous questions to be answered b. Review of teams monthly reports and communication c. Review of back-translations (old and new) d. Homework for checking to be done e. Preparation for training topics during visit to team f. Bring along a sermon and lecture topics 3. Inventory of equipment needed (computer, elec connections, books, reference materials....) 4. Checklist of team needs (materials, supplies, helps, subscriptions, software....) 5. Manuscript matters a. Materials, information or queries to be brought to team b. Information to be obtained from Production Services (status of printing, shipping....)

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UBS TRANSLATION OFFICERS MANUAL 6. Practical details a. Ticket purchased on time, visa obtained on time -- no embassy holiday b. Inform of travel plans (family, NBS, translation team....) D. Visiting a project -- contact time -- checking 1. Entry 1 -- arrival formalities -- Flexibility and service attitude; authority with modesty a. Routine initial protocol -- sensitivity to subtle messages or to vibrations b. Establishing practical details (schedule, work space, accommodation....) 2. Entry 2 -- prepare agenda making a contract a. Protocol matters (official visits....) communicating, relating b. Review of history of project (i.e. update on current situation) diagnosing c. Team questions, problems, translation issues diagnosing d. Translation checking diagnosing, problem solving e. Training topics problem solving f. Organizational/administrative issues negotiating, decision making g. Evaluation evaluating h. Planning for continuing work, future visits, workshops, reports 4. Carry out agreed-upon agenda implementation of contract 5. Check-list of things to do in follow-up 6. Closing formalities (protocol) F. Follow-up to a project visit 1. Immediate action a. Letters/notes of appreciation b. Carry out check-list tasks 2. Written reports to translation team after visit a. Administrative report b. Translation report (checking issues, answers to questions, evaluation, recommendations) 3. Reports to National Bible Society a. Copy of administrative report b. Copy of translation report (if applicable) c. Annual report to National Bible Society (summary of all translation projects) d. Confidential report of significant problem requiring resolution 4. Reports to Regional Secretary a. Copy of administrative report b. Copy of translation report c. Copy of annual report to National Bible Society 5. Reports to RETCO

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UBS TRANSLATION OFFICERS MANUAL a. Copy of administrative report b. Copy of translation report c. Copy of annual report to National Bible Society d. Copy of confidential report to General Secretary 6. Reports to UBS Information Services a. TEAMS information (via RETCOs Office) b. Special events in the life of the translation project (with copy to RETCO) c. Experiences in the life of the TO (with copy to RETCO) Note: Types of reports 1. Informative -- expertise 2. Directive -- consulting 3. Evaluative -- consulting/interpersonal 4. Personal -- self-management Final note: The TO is responsible for the final shape of the manuscript. Therefore, the TO has responsibility to ensure that the quality and content of the final text meets the standards required by the National Bible Society and by the UBS.

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