What does the translator need to know about the translation task?
Apart from the obvious matter of which languages are involved, a translator must be briefed as to the purpose, the target readership, and the required quality and style of the translation. It can be very helpful to the translator if reference material in the form of prior documentation is available (e.g. earlier technical specifications in the language of the intended translation). If they are given a regular contact person in your company who is familiar with the material, a lot of time can be saved if any clarification is required.

If there is sufficient time, it is often useful for the translator to receive the client's promotional literature and, wherever appropriate, any other documentation that will help in understanding the organisation, its product, services, approach etc. If translations have been commissioned before, they will be useful reference to preserve house-style and continuity of register.

The following checklist identifies the key points in defining any translation project.

Completion Date
Is the translation required for a specific date or a general date? Remember translation is a highly skills profession and you should expect to pay extra for after hours or weekend work, if you are requested a translation at short notice.

Delivery dates should be agreed before any work is undertaken.

Method of delivery
Is the translation to be emailed, uploaded using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software or sent by other means (e.g by courier, if it is a notarised document)?

Use
Is the translation for information, publication, etc. Are there any special requirements for the translation which affect presentation and applicability? For example, script for voiceover, legal purposes requiring sworn statements etc.

Presentation
Are there any special requirements for presentation? Will you require a different format to the source document? Will it use different pagination?. Do they need to incorporate any house fonts into their translation? Does the text need to fit into a specific layout or design which might affect sentence length?

Non Text
Do diagrams, graphs etc. need translation inserts. Is a key or legend required? Do they need to be numbered or referenced in the text?

File format/medium
Is the translation required in a particular file format? Will the translator need specific software?

Supplementary Services
Will supplementary services will be required? For example, extensive UK communication, international phone calls/communication?

Reference material

Client specific
Are there any company reference materials relating to the style, register and/or content of the translation? Do you have glossaries or terminology lists, company literature, previous product translations, target language references, supplementary material (illustrations, etc) that the translator can use?

Public
Are there public standards governing the translation, for example, published references or international tenets/guidelines?

Contact
Who can be contacted in the event of a query? Provide a contact name, role, email address, telephone and fax numbers for any queries and give details of their working hours and any alternative contact if necessary.

Price
Legal and financial matters regarding the translation, such as purchase orders and payment terms should be discussed and fully agreed before any work is undertaken.

How long will my translation take to complete?
A daily turnaround of 2,000 words used to be the norm, but many translators nowadays achieve much higher production rates, depending on the software used, glossaries or terminology databases supplied, etc. If the source text is handwritten or only available in hard copy, then the turnaround time will be longer.

Translation should not be overlooked when planning any production schedule and it should not be left until the last minute – it should be given the appropriate amount of time in overall project planning.

Pressures to rush the job, take short cuts and improve turnaround time should be resisted. The translator should be able to agree a realistic deadline for submission of translated copy. An inadequate translation will not accurately reflect the image of your organisation.