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2013

Annual Activity Report

Directorate-General for Translation

dgt_aar_2013_final of 30

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION: 3

DGT IN BRIEF 3 THE YEAR IN BRIEF ..............................................................................................................................................................4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................................5 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (FIVE MOST RELEVANT).............................................................................................................5 POLICY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF PART I) .............................................................................................5 KEY CONCLUSIONS ON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL EFFECTIVENESS (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF PARTS 2 AND 3) ......7 INFORMATION TO THE COMMISSIONER ...................................................................................................................................7

1. POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS 8

1.1 ACHIEVEMENT OF SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................8 1.1.1 ABB ACTIVITY ‘TRANSLATION’ ..........................................................................................................................8 1.1.1.1 OBJECTIVE T1 — DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY TRANSLATION SERVICES ............................................................................8 1.1.1.2 OBJECTIVE T2 — ENSURE OPTIMAL USE OF RESOURCES..........................................................................................9 1.1.1.3 OBJECTIVE T3 — BUILD UP CAPACITY FOR TRANSLATION INTO AND FROM CROATIAN.................................................10 1.1.1.4 OBJECTIVE T4 — PROMOTE MORE SYSTEMATIC USE OF EDITING IN THE COMMISSION’S DOCUMENT PRODUCTION WORKFLOW .................................................................................................................................................................11 1.1.1.5 OBJECTIVE T5 — DEPLOY A NEW MACHINE TRANSLATION SERVICE .........................................................................11 1.1.2 ABB ACTIVITY ‘POLICY STRATEGY AND COORDINATION’ ........................................................................................12 1.1.2.1 OBJECTIVE P1 — FULLY IMPLEMENT A ‘CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE’..................................................................12 1.1.2.2 OBJECTIVE P2 — DEVELOP THE PRINCIPLES FOR COHERENT LANGUAGE COVERAGE ON COMMISSION WEBSITES...............13 1.1.2.3 OBJECTIVE P3– PROFESSIONAL COOPERATION AT INTERINSTITUTIONAL, INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL ...............13 1.1.2.4 OBJECTIVE P4 — PROMOTE THE ROLE OF LANGUAGES AND TRANSLATION IN A MULTILINGUAL EUROPE .........................15 1.1.3 ABB ACTIVITY ‘ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT’........................................................................................................16 1.1.3.1 OBJECTIVE S — PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE DIRECTORATE-GENERAL ..............................................16 1.1.3.2 OBJECTIVE L 1 – ENSURE SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND THE LEGALITY AND REGULARITY OF UNDERLYING TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................................................................18 1.1.3.3 OBJECTIVE L2 — ENSURE FRAUD PREVENTION AND DETECTION .............................................................................19 1.2 SPECIFIC EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ‘ECONOMY’ AND ‘EFFICIENCY’ OF SPENDING AND NON-SPENDING ACTIVITIES...................19 1.2.1 EXAMPLE 1..................................................................................................................................................20 1.2.2 EXAMPLE 2..................................................................................................................................................20

2. MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES 21

2.1 MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES BY DGT ............................................................................21 2.2 BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION TASKS ENTRUSTED TO OTHER SERVICES AND ENTITIES.......................................................25 2.3 ASSESSMENT OF AUDIT RESULTS AND FOLLOW-UP OF AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................25

3. ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS 27

4. MANAGEMENT ASSURANCE 29

4.1 REVIEW OF THE ELEMENTS SUPPORTING ASSURANCE............................................................................................29 4.2 RESERVATIONS AND OVERALL CONCLUSION ON ASSURANCE (IF APPLICABLE) .............................................................29

DECLARATION OF ASSURANCE 30


INTRODUCTION:

DGT in brief

DGT’s core business is to provide the European Commission with high-quality translation and other language services. Besides ‘standard’ translation work, by far the biggest part of its core business, DGT is also active in the areas of editing, web editing, web translation, localisation, terminology and documentation. These activities are supported by demand management, outsourcing and administrative support functions.

DGT’s job is to respect the European Union’s multilingual character by making sure the Commission produces clearly written documents in all the official languages and in others besides. By making information available to people in a language they understand, DGT helps the Commission to communicate better with EU citizens and make the EU more open, accountable and democratic. Its efforts underpin the EU’s legitimacy and help ensure that its citizens can enjoy their rights to the full.

By implementing its mission, DGT aims to be a full partner in the legislative and communication processes, the hub for all translation-related activities in the Commission and a reference in the world of translation, while also contributing to the development of each official language and the translation profession at large.

DGT is a ‘trans-Ardennes’ Directorate-General, with staff distributed evenly between Brussels and Luxembourg. It has also field offices in all the Member States except Belgium and Luxembourg.

Part I (Policy achievements) sets out in detail how DGT carried out its mission in 2013.


The year in brief

Like any other part of the Commission, DGT was confronted in 2013 with the need to do better with less, i.e. reducing administrative costs while adding more value. A new organisational structure was put in place, with a view to performing more efficiently, more coherently and with a greater focus on the ‘customer’.

DGT set up a customer relations service and gave language department heads a ‘portfolio manager’ liaison function to raise other DGs’ awareness of the need to factor in translation when planning their initiatives. By the end of the year, all portfolio managers were operational, facilitating the exchange of information with their respective customer DGs with a view to improving forward planning and informing them of all DGT products and services, including machine translation and editing. This new approach gave DGT a better insight into DGs’ work-cycles and overall needs, and helped us to offer even more tailor-made solutions.

In 2013, DGT delivered 2 024 481 pages, which is the second highest figure in its history and 15 % more than in 2012. This outstanding achievement was accompanied by an effort constantly to improve the quality of our products, via structured terminology work, the adoption of a DGT Quality Management Framework and consolidated guidelines on freelance evaluation. DGT continued to play an active part in the process of rationalising the Commission’s public websites, seeking to make the information on the web more relevant and coherent. It also continued to promote a more systematic use of editing in the Commission’s document production workflow. As a result, of all ISC documents edited, the proportion edited before and/or after ISC almost tripled as compared with 2012.

DGT’s new structure contributed to a more flexible and cost-effective use of available internal resources. To further ensure operability in a context of staff cuts and significant turn over, a new staffing benchmark model and a strategic human resources plan for 2013-17 were adopted. As for external resources (freelance), the average price per outsourced page was cut by 15 % following the entry into force of the framework contracts resulting from the GEN-11 calls for tender1.

The efficient use of translation resources is also influenced by the quality and availability of technological resources. The migration to the new computer-assisted translation tool (SDL Trados Studio) and, in parallel, the migration to the Commission’s new IT environment (NOAP) were the biggest challenges in this area; these were met, without affecting business continuity, thanks to the strong commitment of all parties involved. Another significant achievement was the deployment of a new machine translation service (MT@EC) for Commission services.

1 Calls for tenders in the field of EU policy and administration


DGT’s preparations for Croatia’s accession (1 July 2013) were completed on time and recruitment of permanent staff for the Croatian Department will continue throughout 2014.

Executive summary

The Annual Activity Report is a management report from the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Translation to the college of Commissioners. Such reports are the main instrument of management accountability in the Commission and form the basis on which the Commission fulfils its responsibilities to manage its resources and achieve its objectives.

Key performance indicators (five most relevant)

Ultimate impact to provide the European Commission with high-quality translation and other language services

Result indicators Target (end 2013)

2012 2013

1. Deadline compliance (percentage of translation requests for which all language versions are delivered on time) Source: DGT Management Information Scoreboard

x ≥ 96 % 98% 97.3%

2. Rate of quality control Source: DGT Management Information Scoreboard

x ≥ 80 % 77.7% 78.5%

3. Implementation of mandatory multilingual terminology concepts (%) Source: DGT internal statistics

100% 89.6% 95.3%

4. Number of language combinations for which the new machine translation service is operational Source: DGT internal statistics

58 direct N/A 58 direct

5. Rate of implementation of DGT budget

Source: DGT budget execution report 100 % 99.5% 99.8%

Policy highlights of the year (executive summary of Part I)

In 2013, DGT once again delivered on its commitment to providing the European Commission with high-quality translation and other language services. Against the background of its reorganisation, radical changes in the IT environment and a significant increase in demand (15% greater than in 2012), DGT achieved the following results in terms of its key performance indicators:

• Virtually all (97.3 %) standard translation2 products were delivered on time, exceeding

2 All products except web translation, editing, written or oral summaries and post-editing.


the target of 96 %;

• Quality control was applied properly and, despite the very high workload, the overall rate came very close to the target, rising from 77.7 % (2012) to 78.5 %;

• These achievements were complemented by enhanced efforts on terminology work, with an increase in the implementation rate of mandatory multilingual terminology concepts3 from 89.6 % (2012) to 95.3 %;

• A new machine translation service for the European Commission (MT@EC) was launched successfully in June and made available for testing purposes in other institutions from July. 552 language pairs are now available, of which 58 are direct (the remainder use English as a pivot language); and

• The overall budget execution rate was 99.8 % at the end of 2013, as compared with 99.5 % in 2012.

In addition to these results and to the broader context (see ‘The year in brief’), DGT also:

• further advanced interinstitutional cooperation, as regards

o refining the KIAPI4 methodology, particularly in the areas of page counting and the calculation of costs; and

o launching projects in five core-business areas: quality control, terminology, linguistic and thematic expertise, the translation of documents in the ordinary legislative procedure, and consistency of translation memories.

• continued to support the Commission’s work in the field of multilingualism by:

o publishing a call for expressions of interest for the new European Master’s in Translation (EMT) network, in response to which 112 applications were received;

o holding the awards ceremony for the sixth annual Juvenes Translatores contest for secondary schools in Brussels in April, in the presence of Commissioner Vassiliou, and running the seventh edition of the contest with 721 schools participating, in November; and

o marking the European Day of Languages with events in 26 Member States.

3 Work on a multilingual terminology concept means creating/updating, in all languages, an IATE entry recording the concept and dealing with any duplicates related to it.

4 Key Interinstitutional Activity and Performance Indicators


Key conclusions on resource management and internal control effectiveness (executive summary of Parts 2 and 3)

In accordance with the Commission’s governance statement, DGT conducts its operations in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, working in an open and transparent manner and meeting the expected high level of professional and ethical standards.

The Commission has adopted a set of internal control standards which are based on international good practice and geared to achieving its policy and operational objectives. As required by the Financial Regulation, the Director-General has put in place an organisational structure and internal control systems to meet policy and control objectives in accordance with the standards and with due regard to the risks associated with the environment in which DGT operates.

DGT has assessed the effectiveness of its key internal control systems during the reporting year and has concluded that the internal control standards are implemented effectively. In addition, DGT has systematically examined available control results and indicators, including those aimed to supervise entities to which it has entrusted budget implementation tasks, as well as the observations and recommendations from internal auditors and the European Court of Auditors. These elements have been assessed to determine their impact on management’s assurance as regards the achievement of control objectives (see Part 2 for further details).

In conclusion, management has reasonable overall assurance that suitable controls are in place and working as intended; risk are monitored and mitigated appropriately; and arrangements are being improved and reinforced where necessary.

The Director-General has signed the Declaration of Assurance in his capacity as authorising officer by delegation.

Information to the Commissioner

The main elements of this report and the declaration of assurance have been brought to the attention of Ms Vassiliou, the Commissioner responsible for education, culture, multilingualism and youth.


1. POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS

1.1 Achievement of specific objectives

1.1.1 ABB Activity ‘Translation’

DGT enables the Commission to fulfil its political and legal obligation to prepare and monitor legislation in all official languages of the EU, and to communicate in those languages.

1.1.1.1 Objective T1 — Deliver high-quality translation services

⌧ Non-spending Result indicators Target (end 2013)

Situation at 31/12/2012

Current situation (31/12/2013)

1. Deadline compliance (percentage of translation requests for which all language versions are delivered on time) Source: DGT Management Information Scoreboard

x ≥ 96 % 98% 97.3%

2. Deadline compliance (percentage of web translation requests for which all language versions are delivered on time) Source: DGT Management Information Scoreboard

x ≥ 90% 79.4% 85.5%

3. Rate of quality control Source: DGT Management Information Scoreboard

x ≥ 80 % 77.7% 78.5%

4. Percentage of Commission IATE entries (all languages) with definition, context and/or note Source: DGT internal statistics

X≥ 20.1% 20.1% 20.8%

5. Implementation of mandatory multilingual terminology concepts (%) Source: DGT internal statistics

100% 89.6% 95.3%

As a result of the Commission’s 2013 work programme, additional demand resulting from the ongoing economic crisis and a surge in the Commission’s legislative activity before the end of the European Parliament’s legislature, the workload remained very high throughout the year. DGT produced 2 024 481 pages, which is the second highest level in its history and 15 % more than in 2012. The most important packages included DG ECFIN/SG’s European Semester package; DG SANCO’s Food Chain package; DG MARKT’s Single Bank Resolution Mechanism; DG JUST’s European Public Prosecutor’s Office package; and DG ENV’s Air Quality package. DGT also successfully processed a number of urgent political files, such as those linked to the European Councils.

Against a background of its restructuring (see Objective T2), radical changes in the IT environment (see Objective T2) and a significant increase in demand (which also explains the


slight discrepancies between results and targets), DGT was able to achieve remarkable results in terms of key performance indicators:

• Virtually all standard translations were released on time. Deadline compliance for web translation requests did not reach the target but further increased from 79.4 % (2012) to 85.5 %;

• Quality control was applied properly and despite the very high workload, the overall rate came very close to the target, rising from 77.7 % (2012) to 78.5 %;

• The first full year of implementation of the DGT Terminology Framework saw an increase in the percentage of Commission IATE entries; while the implementation rate of mandatory multilingual terminology concepts did not reach 100 %, it did rise to 95.3 %, as compared with 89.6 % in 2012. The terminology work was completed by efforts constantly to enhance the quality of DGT’s products, including the adoption of a Quality Management Framework and the consolidation of guidelines for quality control and evaluation of outsourced translations.

1.1.1.2 Objective T2 — Ensure optimal use of resources




1. Freelance seminars organised in all Member States

Source: DGT internal statistics

All Member States

All Member States (except Ireland)

2. Report on the use of retainer contracts for web translation services

Source: the above mentioned report Yes Yes

3. Percentage of translators using the CAT tool

Source: DGT internal statistics 95 %

N/A New objective

in 2013

95 %

Productivity and efficiency in DGT’s translation services are supported by optimal use of its in-house, external and technological resources.

DGT’s new structure, intended to ensure a more cost-effective deployment of resources in view of current and future staff cuts, entered into effect on 1 January 2013. Key changes were the integration of web translators and field officers into the language departments and the cutting of middle management posts, with the subsequent merger of translation units and the attendant challenge of managing unusually large units. The new structure contributed to a more flexible and cost-effective use of available internal resources.

As for external resources, 26 % of overall production was outsourced (given the high


demand, this meant 28 % more pages than last year). Following the entry into force of the framework contracts resulting from the GEN-11 calls for tender,5 the average price per outsourced page decreased by 15 %. Information seminars for freelance contractors were organised in all Member States (with the exception of Ireland, where there was only one contractor, and therefore it would not have been cost-efficient to organise a seminar). A report was drafted to analyse the use of the retainer contracts for web translation. Although they were used to a limited extent, the quality delivered was generally very good.

DGT continued to work on further developing its ICT environment. The migration to the new CAT tool (SDL Trados Studio and, in parallel, the migration to the Commission’s new IT environment (NOAP) were the biggest ICT challenges in 2013. The migration process took place over a period of seven months and by the end of October all translators had migrated to the new CAT tool and NOAP and received the relevant training. According to the language departments, over 95 % of staff are using the CAT tool.

1.1.1.3 Objective T3 — Build up capacity for translation into and from Croatian

⌧ Non-spending Result indicators Target



1. Staffing level of the Croatian Department


End 2014:

61 translators, 3 managers, 12

assistants

39 translators, 3 managers, 8

assistants

2. Deadline compliance for translations into Croatian

Source: DGT Management Information Scoreboard

End 2013:

96 %

N/A

New objective in 2013

97.7 %

DGT’s preparations for Croatia’s accession (1 July 2013) were completed on time and recruitment of permanent staff for the Department will continue throughout 2014 (to meet the target set at Commission level). In 2013, all the available resources were operational and virtually all translations were delivered on time.

5 Calls for tenders in the field of EU policy and administration.


1.1.1.4 Objective T4 — Promote more systematic use of editing in the Commission’s document production workflow

⌧ Non-spending Result indicators Target (end

2013)



1. Number of pages edited by type of document:


x ≥ 27 183 N/A


23 796

DGT’s editors continued to run the Clear Writing Campaign and delivered training on clear writing to DGs that requested it. Work on clear writing also involved advocating change within the Commission so that document quality control, including editing, is integrated more systematically in the Commission's document workflow. To this end, DGT started offering editing before and/or after inter-service consultations, so as to ensure that DGs have better-quality texts to comment on and translators have better-quality texts to translate. DGT promoted this approach in an inter-service working group and through informal contacts with customer DGs.

As a result, of all ISC documents edited, the proportion edited before and/or after ISC almost tripled as compared with 2012. The total volume of documents edited did not grow however, due to the loss of several editors through retirement.

1.1.1.5 Objective T5 — Deploy a new machine translation service




1. Number of language combinations for which the new machine translation service is operational


58 direct N/A


58 direct

One of DGT’s main objectives for 2013 was to deploy a new machine translation service for the European Commission (MT@EC). The full service for all Commission staff was launched successfully on 26 June and since July MT@EC has also been available for testing purposes in other institutions. Public administrations in the Member States were granted access for testing purposes until the end of 2014 and their translation services were given the opportunity to work with DGT on specific pilot projects over a trial period.

With the addition of Croatian, 552 language pairs are now available, of which 58 are direct (the remainder use English as a pivot language). The system guarantees confidentiality and secures all intellectual property rights for the EU.


1.1.2 ABB activity ‘Policy strategy and coordination’

Closely related to translation as such, this activity is concerned with strategic planning within the service and with other DGs, and efficient communication with stakeholders inside and outside the institution.

1.1.2.1 Objective P1 — Fully implement a ‘customer relations service’




1. Number of service level agreements in force


30

28 25

While the creation of a 'Customer relations' Directorate allowed for consolidation of internal demand management by bringing together the planning and workflow activities for standard translation, web translation and editing, the wider concept of customer relations service was developed as an overarching concept extending, in principle, to all layers and entities of DGT and geared towards strengthening the dialogue with the requesters.

In this context, language department heads were entrusted with the role of ‘portfolio managers’, with a view to stepping up dialogue with individual customer DGs in order to improve forward planning and enhance mutual understanding. By the end of the year, all portfolio managers were operational, facilitating the exchange of information with their respective customer DGs and raising their awareness of all DGT products and services, including machine translation and editing. A ‘communication toolkit’ was developed to provide portfolio managers with a sound basis for their dealings with the DGs.

The preparation of translation files was enhanced through different actions of the customer relations service. Presentations were organised on translation files (e.g. DG SANCO's Food Chain package), the Director-General of DG MARKT gave a presentation about DG MARKT's priorities and proactive terminology projects were initiated.

Portfolio managers also gathered valuable information for DGT's translators, e.g. on DG CNECT’s draft regulation on the single market in the field of electronic communications.

25 service-level agreements (SLAs) with other Commission DGs are currently in force. DGT concluded three new SLAs (with HOME, JUST and RTD) and renewed nine (with CNECT, EAC, EMPL, ENTR, ESTAT, JRC, OLAF, SG and TAXUD) in 2013. Negotiations are ongoing for the renewal of eight and the conclusion of one new SLA. The failure to achieve the target is explained by the time-gap between SLA expiry and renewal. The SLA template was revised so as to simplify the renewal process.


1.1.2.2 Objective P2 — Develop the principles for coherent language coverage on Commission websites


2013)



1. Number of sites revamped according to the agreed principles for coherent language coverage


5 N/A


0

DGT plays an active role in the inter-DG project team working on the rationalisation of the Commission’s public websites so as to make them more relevant, cost-effective and coherent, including as regards language coverage.

In particular, DGT cooperated with the 11 pilot DGs to reduce their number of web pages by 30 % and their number of web sites by 50 % by the end of 2013.

In the autumn 2013, DGT formulated principles for coherent language coverage which were tested with DG EAC, whose five revamped sites (Education & Training; Youth; Sport; Languages; DG Education & Culture) will go online slightly after the target deadline.

Discussions on principles for the use of machine translation on the new EUROPA website, as part of the language coverage principles, started towards the end of the year.

1.1.2.3 Objective P3– Professional cooperation at interinstitutional, international and national level




1. Key interinstitutional activity and performance indicators implemented

Source: DGT internal statistics Yes Yes

2. Number of joint training actions

Source: DGT internal statistics 1 1

3. Number of language-specific interinstitutional terminology networks in place

Source: DGT internal statistics 24

N/A

New indicators in 2013

24

As regards interinstitutional cooperation, the KIAPI methodology was further refined, particularly in the areas of page-counting and calculation of costs. Data based on the revised methodology should meet the European institutions’ needs in this area.


In May, on DGT’s initiative, the heads of EU translation services launched five projects that aim to strengthen interinstitutional cooperation in the following core business areas: quality control, terminology, linguistic and thematic expertise, translation of documents in the ordinary legislative procedure and consistency of translation memories. Work progressed according to plan. Some groups finalised their work in 2013 and their reports are being processed in relevant Interinstitutional Committee for Translation and Interpretation (ICTI) fora. Close cooperation with EPSO continued and it was agreed to have translation tests as an intermediate step between the pre-selection tests and the oral tests in the assessment of prospective new translators. This represents an efficiency gain, since only those candidates who pass the two translation tests are invited to the final tests in the assessment centre. The interinstitutional Awareness-Raising Network ensured the joint presence of EU translation services at language events such as Expolangues in Paris and the London Language Show, and close cooperation with EPSO on translator recruitment campaigns.

All language departments continued to discuss terminology issues with other institutions and to maintain contacts with their counterparts to improve the quality and coherence of language versions handled interinstitutionally. As a concrete example, DGT delivered a full terminology list for the ‘food chain’ package in all languages and provided the other institutions with contact points before they processed the package and before the terminology was be available in IATE.

DGT provided legal advice to ICTI, in particular for the new legal notice for IATE and the new MT@EC agreements (including financing). DGT also initiated work to bring the Translation Centre’s founding Regulation into line with the template prepared by the Secretariat-General under the 2012 Common Approach to decentralised agencies (as agreed between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission). As regards international cooperation, DGT started preparations for the 2014 IAMLADP6 annual meeting, which will be hosted by the EU institutions in Brussels, and hosted a joint training venture, a workshop on translation test construction, on 28 May. As in previous years, three DGT colleagues took part in a short Mandarin programme in Taipei. All language departments cooperate with national entities through linguistic and terminology networks. Among the highlights of the year were the launch of a Maltese language network, the third conference of the Lithuanian Terminology Forum, focusing on terminology and language technologies, a conference of the Bulgarian Language Network on terminology in the fields of bank supervision and animal health and food safety and a seminar for the Czech public administration on transport, trans-European networks and telecommunications, and the space of freedom, security and justice. Also, the Croatian department organised a conference together with the Translation Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and experts from line ministries, to set up a

6 International Annual Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications


common network for terminology cooperation.

1.1.2.4 Objective P4 — Promote the role of languages and translation in a multilingual Europe


2013)



1. Total number of valid applications received in response to the EMT selection call


N/A New indicator in

2013 112

2. Juvenes Translatores contest: number of Member States which achieved the allocated number of schools


x ≥ 26 26 26

3. Number of Member States in which at least one EDL event is organised

Source: DGT internal statistics 28 24 26

Flagship projects such as the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) network and the Juvenes Translatores (JT) contest continued to thrive. Extensive preparatory work led to the publication of a call for expressions of interest for the new EMT network, in response to which a total of 112 applications were received – 106 for membership and six for observer status. A seventh annual EMT conference (‘Rethinking lifelong translator training’) was organised in September.

The winners of the sixth annual JT contest for secondary schools received their awards in Brussels in April. The ceremony, in the presence of Commissioner Vassiliou, was attended by more than 300 people. The seventh contest took place in November, with 721 schools participating.

Events were organised in 26 Member States to mark the European Day of Languages. There were no events in Luxembourg, where DGT has no field office, or Denmark, where there was a changeover of field officers just before the EDL.

DGT continued to carry out translation studies to gather up-to-date information on translation and multilingualism. Two external studies (Translation and Language Learning and Document Quality Control) were finalised and presented at the Translation Studies Day.

DGT continued to promote the upcoming EPSO recruitment competitions for translators. Preparation for eight competitions (DA, EN, FR, IT, MT, NL, SL and HR) started in April in close cooperation with EPSO. Promotional videos for EN, NL and MT were posted on YouTube and Facebook pages were prepared for DA, EN, FR, IT, MT and SL.

DGT activity on Europa, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter was maintained and monitored closely. An external discussion group, ‘All about Translation’, was launched on Yammer with


a view to creating a global ‘circle of knowledge’ on translation-related issues.

DGT translators continued to visit universities and public institutions under the Visiting Translator Scheme. A total of 30 visits took place, strengthening cooperation with universities (e.g. by presenting the new round of EMT selections, discussing placements for students, etc.) and facilitating contacts with experts in national ministries.

1.1.3 ABB activity ‘Administrative support’

This activity covers the work of DGT services which manage human resources, provide information and communication technologies, handle document administration and logistics, and carry out internal audits.

1.1.3.1 Objective S — Provide administrative support for the Directorate-General


2013)



1. Number of departments with AD posts occupied within ± 5 % of benchmarks

Source: DGT internal statistics 22 15 12

2. Percentage of non-permanent translators for EU-27


x < 9.8 % 9.6 % 8.2 %

3. Number of training days per official

Source: DGT internal statistics 10 8.4 8.3

4. Implementation of the IT Master Plan (%)

Source: DGT internal statistics 100 % 90 % 80 %

One reason for not reaching the staffing target compared to benchmarks is the understaffing in some language departments due to a lack of potential recruits, whereas other departments are overstaffed in preparation for impending retirement. DGT fills its vacant posts with officials where possible. If reserve lists are unavailable or exhausted, temporary staff may be recruited to ensure the smooth functioning of the language department(s) in question (this was the case in 2013 for BG, DA, EL, ET, FI, HU, IT, LT, NL, RO, SK and SV).

Translator competitions were launched for DA, EN, FR, HR, IT, MT, NL and SL in July and lists of successful candidates should be available in mid-2014. Pending adoption of the new Staff Regulations, no AST1 competitions were planned. The absence of reserve lists for this category of staff seriously hampered efforts to recruit translation assistants with the level of knowledge required for the job. The temporary solutions found for a number of language


departments (recruitment of temporary and contract agents) do not provide the requisite sustainability.

For the first time, DGT developed a strategic human resources plan for the coming five years. With the adoption of its first succession plan (for 2013-17) and the review of the benchmarking system, a comprehensive global DGT-wide strategic staff evolution plan was put in place. In line with the Commission’s policy on staff reduction and redeployment, in 2013 DGT returned 24 administrator and 25 assistant posts. A proposal was adopted which set out scenarios for further staff reductions by 2017; over the 2012-17 period DGT will return 238 posts (130 AD + 108 AST/AST SC).

As regards training, eight translation fora and 373 thematic seminars were organised to ensure continuous learning and up-to-date understanding of the general political context and particular Commission initiatives. These included seminars on translation work in general, but also more content-related training sessions (e.g. on the TRACES system, Copernicus and the Regulation on Gas Balancing, the single telecoms market, ECFIN's Autumn Package, etc.). A total of 113 colleagues in Brussels and 313 in Luxembourg followed languages courses. Efforts to promote e-learning among DGT staff led to the issuing of 164 licences in Brussels and Luxembourg. The failure to reach the target of 10 training days per official is explained by the combination of exceptionally high workload and staff reduction. 80% of the IT Master Plan had been implemented by the end of the year. The main reason for not reaching the target is that full priority was given to the CAT/NOAP migration at the expense of some developments planned for Tradesk/Mandesk. The migration to the new CAT tool (see Objective T2) took place over a period of seven months and by the end of October all translators had migrated to the new CAT tool and NOAP. The migration process was facilitated by the appointment of master trainers and trainers in the language departments who provided training on the new CAT tool and first-level assistance where needed. Business continuity was ensured thanks to the strong commitment of all parties involved. Development of Mandesk7 Inbox was delayed due to complications which arose during development of the ‘corrigenda workflow’. DGTSTAT advanced according to plan. The eTrèfle project had to be thoroughly rethought in the light of budget constraints. The MT@EC project fully advanced according to plan and was completed on time, with deployment in June (see Objective T5).

Security rules and procedures were complied with in full. Stand-by duty arrangements for very urgent translations were reviewed and an automatic back-up system (between Luxembourg and Brussels) was introduced in June, and proved to be very efficient.

7 A new workflow management tool for managers.


1.1.3.2 Objective L 1 – Ensure sound financial management and the legality and regularity of underlying transactions


2013)



1. Number of reservations on financial management

Source: DGT budget execution report 0 0 0

2. Value of exceptions reported

Source: DGT internal statistics < 2 % of DGT

budget 0.05 % 0.1 %

3. Percentage of payments executed within contractual deadlines

Source: DGT budget execution report 100 % 98 % 98.1 %

4. Rate of implementation of DGT budget

Source: DGT budget execution report 100 % 99.5 % 99.8 %

5. Absorption of budgetary backlog (reste à liquider — RAL)

Source: DGT budget execution report 100 % 93 % 94 %

6. Implementation of audit action plans within deadlines (%)

Source: DGT internal statistics X > 95 % 90 % 73 %

In 2013, DGT managed expenditure totalling € 30 million, of which it was directly responsible for € 20.7 million (excluding appropriations for external personnel).

The total value of exceptions for the whole of DGT remains low and is far below the materiality threshold. Although, the number of payments increased significantly compared to last year (10 384 in 2013 and 8527 in 2012), DGT maintained its good record on payments (98.1%). The main reason for not reaching 100 % was the interruption of payments between mid-December and mid-January due to closure of the budget.

The implementation rate of C1+C5 credits was 99.8 %, up from 99.5 % in 2012. DGT processes many low-value transactions below the threshold for VAT exemption and must therefore keep small margins in order to avoid problems at the moment of payment. These margins explain the 0.2 % shortfall in the execution rate. The execution rates for the specific lines (99.9 %) and the external personnel line (99.8 %) are excellent. The execution rate for the ‘global envelope’ (99.0 %) is at the acceptable limit set by DG BUDG.

94% of the 2012 RAL were duly paid off, a slight improvement on 2012. Actual payment amounts can change due to unforeseen circumstances, e.g. final price of a contract being lower than the initial amount, which is why DGT did not achieve 100%.


A thorough accounting revision programme detected only three errors (identified during year-end closing reconciliation) in 10 000 lines despite the departure of one experienced staff member.

As for the implementation of audit action plans within deadline, the auditors found that eight of the 11 pending recommendations had been implemented and three remained open. The latter (relating to the internal audit on IT acquisition and implementation) are being acted upon and the delay in implementation does not exceed six months (the criterion used at IAS level).

1.1.3.3 Objective L2 — Ensure fraud prevention and detection




1. Number of files sent to IDOC or OLAF for investigation


N/A New objective

in 2013

0 OLAF, 2 IDOC

A draft procedure for developing DGT’s anti-fraud policy was submitted to senior management. Following some adjustments, an analysis will be launched in 2014 and we expect the anti-fraud strategy to be in place by mid-2014 (see also Part 2.1 — Fraud prevention and detection). No cases were transmitted to OLAF for investigation. The two files transmitted to IDOC are being investigated.

1.2 Specific efforts to improve ‘economy’ and ‘efficiency’ of spending and non-spending activities

According to the financial regulation (Article 30), the principle of economy requires that resources used by the institution in the pursuit of its activities be made available in due time, in appropriate quantity and quality and at the best price. The principle of efficiency involves finding the best combination of resources used and results achieved.

The respect of these principles is continuously pursued through the implementation of internal procedures and predefined practices. These procedures ensure that activities are executed efficiently (e.g. the different workflows contribute to the efficient cooperation between staff, units, etc.) and economically (e.g. the procurement rules ensure procurement in optimal conditions).

DGT is continuously fine-tuning its internal arrangements in order to improve the efficiency and economy of its operations. The following examples show how these principles are implemented in practice:


1.2.1 Example 1

DGT’s Budget and Finance Unit produces a monthly report covering budget execution, exceptions recorded, an analysis of payment deadlines, and proposals for budget reallocation. The reports are regularly discussed at the Directors’ meetings.

1.2.2 Example 2

Another example concerns the outsourcing of translations. This involves many (in 2013 over 14 000) low-value repetitive transactions. DGT has a management tool to automate such transactions as much as possible and reduce the processing cost. Together with DIGIT, DGT is now looking at how to replace this tool, which is obsolete in IT terms, so as to benefit from progress on e-procurement and reduce processing costs by an estimated five FTEs.


2. MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES Assurance is an objective examination of evidence to assess the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes. This is done by DGT management, which monitors internal control systems on an ongoing basis and by internal and external auditors. The results are explicitly documented and reported to the Director-General. The reports produced are:

• the twice-yearly reports by AOSDs (so-called BiAR reports);

• a contribution from the Internal Control Coordinator, including the results of internal control monitoring at DG level;

• the opinion and the observations of the Internal Audit Capability (IAC);

• observations and recommendations reported by the Internal Audit Service (IAS); and

• regular monthly reports on budget execution highlighting key data and areas in which intervention may be needed.

This part reports the control results and other relevant elements that support management’s assurance on the achievement of the internal control objectives. It is structured in three sections: (1) the DG’s assessment of its own activities for the management of its resources; (2) an assessment of the activities carried out by other entities to which the DG has entrusted budget implementation tasks; and (3) an assessment of the results of internal and external audits, including implementation of audit recommendations.

DGT manages administrative expenditure only, under the ‘direct centralised management’ mode. In 2013, DGT managed expenditure totalling € 30 million, of which it was directly responsible for € 20.7 million (excluding appropriations for external personnel). Despite the low-risk environment, adequate internal control principles are applied with the same approach to scrutiny, attentiveness and effectiveness as in any other DG.

DGT manages no programme and awards no grants. It purchases goods and services under public procurement procedures. Comprehensive ex-ante controls and verifications are in place to guarantee the legality/regularity of the transactions and these are documented in the financial circuits.

2.1 Management of human and financial resources by DGT

This section sets out and assesses the factors identified by management as supporting its assurance on the achievement of the internal control objectives. Annex 5 outlines the main risks together with the control processes designed to mitigate them, and the indicators used to measure the performance of the control systems.

Financial management and control is grouped around three core processes: 1) Procurement (from the assessment of needs to the selection of the suppliers – award decision), 2)


Financial operations (from establishing the financial commitment to payment, contract monitoring and eventually recoveries) and 3) Supervisory measures (including 'ex-post' controls and management checks).

Control effectiveness as regards legality and regularity

DGT has set up internal control processes to ensure the adequate management of risks relating to the legality and regularity of underlying transactions, and the nature of payment. The control objective is to ensure that DGT has reasonable assurance that the total amount of any financial operation authorised during the reporting year that would not be in conformity with the applicable contractual or regulatory provisions does not exceed 2 % of total expenditure, excluding external personnel (see Annex 4: Materiality criteria).

In order to reach this conclusion, DGT reviews reports on exceptions and non-compliance events, defined as control overrides or deviations from policies and procedures, and the results of the ex-ante and ex-post controls and supervisory activities.

Qualitative analysis of the management review of the registry of exceptions and internal control weaknesses.

In 2013 there were 18 recorded instances of control failure or override, of which none resulted in undue payment/cost to the budget. These concerned irregularities related to late encoding or reimbursement of missions (six), clerical mistakes or late authorisation of additional orders for food/beverage or other services in internal/external meetings (six) and ex-post authorisations for external or other training (four).

Qualitative analysis of the results of supervisory controls on procurement procedures

Comprehensive controls and verifications are in place to guarantee the legality/regularity of the transactions and these are documented in the financial circuits:

• All types of contracts are verified by the financial unit and, if applicable, by DGT legal experts before the legal commitment and contracts are signed off by the authorizing officers, except in the case of freelance expenditure, where the financial and legal units' ex-ante control is limited to the reviewing the future framework contracts.

• All deliveries of services are quality controlled by internal staff before launching the invoice in the payment circuit. We therefore only pay for goods/services when the final quality has been accepted, which explains that the error rate is zero.

• Another robust form of control is the financial unit’s validation of all payments. This is especially important for orders signed in a decentralised manner (freelance expenditure), which the financial unit does not verify before they are signed.

All procedures were subject to a supervisory desk review prior to the signing of the contract. Where potential non-compliance was detected, it was resolved before the contract was signed.


One erroneous payments of €115 was discovered (a claim for reimbursement of training costs was made twice through different channels) and a recovery order was issued.

In conclusion, analysis of the available control results and the assessment of the weaknesses identified and their relative impact on legality and regularity have revealed no significant weakness that could have a material impact as regards the legality and regularity of the financial operations. It can be concluded that the control objective has been achieved.

Key legality and regularity indicators

Indicator Measurement 2011 2012 2013

Budget execution rate (after mid-term adjustments) 99.8 % 99.5 % 99.8 %

Payments made within the contractual period (%) 98.0 % 98 % 98.1 %

Absorption of budgetary backlog (RAL) (%) 93 % 93 % 94 %

Average delivery timing for monthly execution report8 8 days 8 days 8 days

Number of financial exceptions handled 26 18 18

Total value of exceptions (€) 27 226 9 970 21 000

Audit recommendations implemented within deadlines 66 % 90 % 73 %

Audit observations that might give rise to reservations 0 0 0

Cases referred to OLAF over the past three years 0 0 0

Control efficiency and cost-effectiveness

The principle of efficiency involves finding the best combination of resources used and results achieved. The principle of economy requires that resources used by the institution in the pursuit of its activities be made available in due time, in appropriate quantity and quality and at the best price.

DGT has produced an estimate of the costs of the main control processes representing 88% of its costs. While the direct cost of control can be reasonably assessed through process analysis, we have no quantitative estimate of the volume of errors prevented and detected. Currently we can quantify only a small part of the related benefits, the cost saving in 2013,

8 Second Thursday of the month, for discussion at the Directors’ meeting on the third Monday of the month.


which far exceed the measured costs of control.

An estimated € 1 320 000 was spent on controlling 1 150 applications under procurement procedures for four-year freelance contracts. Out of the 1 150 applications received, 752 were accepted, resulting in 415 new framework contracts signed (1 contract may cover many language combinations). This gives a cost of €3 181 per framework contract signed. The main reasons for rejection were failure to meet selection criteria (200) and failure to meet the minimum quality threshold (155). To a great extent, the procurement procedures are a regulatory requirement and cannot be curtailed. By comparing the average unit prices paid for contracts signed during the previous tender procedure with those paid in 2013 for contracts signed in the last tender procedure we established that one-off investment generates savings of € 2 572 000/year over four years.

For financial circuits (from order to payment) an estimated € 2 290 000 was spent on controlling 14 348 financial transactions worth € 18 333 000 – thus 12.5 % of the total payment amount was dedicated to controls. Each order costs 142€ for the outsourcing of freelance translation (or 16.65% of the transaction amount) while an IT service specific contract costs 2 200€ (or 7.56% of the transaction amount). The non-financial benefits of control include better value for money, deterrent effects, efficiency gains, system improvements and compliance with regulatory provisions (see above).

The quality of outsourced work is essential. To control the quality received, DGT contracting involves a special ‘dynamic ranking’ system to ensure consistent quality throughout the period covered by framework contracts. In the tender evaluation process, an initial price/quality ratio is calculated for each supplier and this determines their initial ranking in the contract ‘cascade’. Every month, suppliers’ quality scores are reviewed on the basis of their work and the price/quality ratios and rankings are adjusted accordingly. Bad quality can lead to indemnities being imposed or a supplier’s contract being terminated, both of which act as strong deterrents.

For this purpose, a small sample of pages in every outsourced document is revised by a professional translator and feedback is sent to the supplier. We estimate that nine FTEs, or € 1 188 000, are devoted to quality control. In 2013, 92.8 % of the evaluations were ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Penalties totalling € 24 802 were imposed on suppliers for delivering work of insufficient quality.

To assess the relative efficiency of the controls, these indicators have to be tracked over time and/or to compared with relevant benchmarks. This is not yet possible, as this is the first year in which DGs have calculated and reported the indicators. However, DGT is confident that it will be able to produce the requisite data to reach a conclusion in the next reporting period.


Fraud prevention and detection

DGT is currently reviewing its main financial and non-financial processes with all stakeholders in order to analyse the level of residual risk and determine whether additional controls should be put in place. We expect the results to be available by mid-2014.

We also expect the anti-fraud strategy to be in place by mid-2014. In the meantime we consider the risk to be low as both the financial processes and the procedure to handle sensitive information are very strictly controlled in DGT. The controls aimed at preventing and detecting fraud are not essential, unlike those designed to ensure legality and regularity of the transactions and the real quality of the service. DGT controls 100% of the financial transactions in order to ensure their legality and regularity.

No cases were transmitted to OLAF for investigation and none were initiated by OLAF in respect of financial transactions initiated or managed by DGT.

Other control objectives: use of resources for their intended purpose, reliability of reporting, safeguarding of assets and information

Not applicable.

2.2 Budget implementation tasks entrusted to other services and entities

Not applicable.

2.3 Assessment of audit results and follow-up of audit recommendations

This section reports and assesses observations and conclusions from auditors that could have a material impact on the achievement of the internal control objectives, and therefore on assurance, and management measures taken in response to audit recommendations.

The DG is audited by both internal and external independent auditors: its internal audit capability (IAC), the Commission’s internal audit service (IAS) and the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

In 2013, the IAS conducted one audit which covered DGT; this was on the management and monitoring of staff allocation in the Commission services. Apart from an examination of financial management (legality and regularity of transactions, reliability of control systems and quality of the AAR) in its Annual Report, the ECA performed no specific audit of DGT. The IAC completed three audit assignments in line with its multiannual planning, which covers the DG’s management processes, on a risk basis, over five years.


The IAS audit concluded that the internal control system provided reasonable assurance regarding achievement of the business objectives for the management and monitoring of staff allocation in DGT.

The IAC concluded that the internal control system provided reasonable assurance as to the achievement of the business objectives for the processes audited.

Management has accepted all the auditors’ recommendations and submitted action plans which have been assessed favourably by the auditors. The various management measures included in these action plans have been or are being implemented as foreseen.

As regards the implementation of recommendations from previous years, in general the relevant action plans for critical and very important recommendations are being implemented as planned and are on schedule. For three recommendations issued after the internal audit on IT acquisition and application, management considered that the action plan had been implemented but the auditors could not concur, though they did recognise that work was progressing (see comments on indicator 6/Objective L1). The delay does not exceed six months. Consequently the current state of play does not give rise to assurance-related concerns.

Having assessed the risks underlying the auditors’ observations and the management measures taken in response, DGT management believes that the recommendations do not have assurance implications and are being implemented under ongoing improvement efforts.


3. ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS The Commission has adopted a set of internal control standards, based on international good practice, geared to ensuring that policy and operational objectives are achieved. Compliance with these standards is compulsory when it comes to financial management.

DGT has put in place an organisational structure and internal control systems to achieve its policy and control objectives in line with the standards and with due regard to the risks associated with the environment in which it operates.

DGT assesses the effectiveness of its key internal control systems annually, in accordance with Commission guidance. The assessment is based on a number of monitoring measures and information sources, including the Directorates’ bi-annual activity reports, reported exceptions, non-compliance and internal control weaknesses, relevant audit findings and the risk assessment process.

DGT’s 2013 management plan included a number of measures to improve implementation of internal control standards No 3 (staff allocation and mobility), No 8 (process and procedure) and No 12 (information and communication), which involve risks inherent to our activity. The following action has been taken on the priority standards since the 2012 assessment:

ICS No 3 on Staff Allocation and Mobility:

A comprehensive DGT-wide strategic staff evolution plan was put in place with the adoption of DGT’s first succession plan (for 2013-17) and a review of the benchmarking system.

ICS No 8 on Process and Procedure:

To constantly improve the quality of DGT’s output, consolidated guidelines were issued for quality control and the evaluation of outsourced translations.

A new acquisition policy for electronic resources and subscriptions led to a greater focus on staff’s real needs and significant cost reductions. Before launching the new procurement procedures, DGT analysed the strengths and weaknesses of the acquisition processes for e-resources and subscriptions. The relevant call for expressions of interest was split by country or by language, in order to attract more potential suppliers while consulting only those who declared that they could supply the type of resources needed.

ICS No 12 on Information and Communication:

Following the migration of DGTnet to Sharepoint in 2012, DGT’s communication unit continued to work on harmonising the common core site and helped DGT staff to set up their own collaborative sites. Several functionalities (direct link to flash report, link to


Commissioner’s website, ‘in the spotlight’, ‘I want to’ menu) were added to the DGTnet homepage to make key information easier to find. Several public groups were created and maintained for DGT on Yammer, e.g. ‘Communication in DGT’, where any member can share reflections on internal communication.

Overall, the DG complies with the three assessment criteria for the effectiveness of the internal control system, i.e.:

(a) staff have the requisite knowledge and skills;

(b) systems and procedures are designed and implemented so as to manage key risks effectively; and

(c) there were no instances of ineffective control that exposed the DG to its key risks.

Management concludes that the internal control standards are implemented effectively and that DGT’s control environment can be deemed to be effective.


4. MANAGEMENT ASSURANCE This section reviews the assessment of the elements reported in Parts 2 and 3 and draws conclusions to support the declaration of assurance and namely, whether it should be qualified with reservations.

4.1 Review of the elements supporting assurance

The information in Parts 2 and 3 stems from the results of management and auditor monitoring, as set out in reports based on systematic analysis of the evidence available. This approach provides sufficient guarantees as to the completeness and reliability of the information and covers the budget delegated to the Director-General of DGT.

DGT management carefully considered DGT’s overall performance and control and supervisory activity in 2013 and found no significant (repeated) or residual errors. In conclusion, it has reasonable overall assurance that:

• suitable controls are in place and working as intended;

• risks are being appropriately monitored and mitigated; and

• arrangements are being improved and reinforced as necessary.

In his capacity as authorising officer by delegation, the Director-General has signed the declaration of assurance.

4.2 Reservations and overall conclusion on assurance (if applicable)

No weaknesses were identified in the reporting period that give rise to reservations in this report.


DECLARATION OF ASSURANCE

I, the undersigned,

Director-General of the Directorate-General for Translation

In my capacity as authorising officer by delegation,

Declare that the information contained in this report gives a true and fair view.

State that I have reasonable assurance that the resources assigned to the activities described in this report have been used for their intended purpose and in accordance with the principles of sound financial management, and that the control procedures put in place give the necessary guarantees concerning the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions.

This reasonable assurance is based on my own judgement and on the information at my disposal, such as the results of the self-assessment, ex-post controls, the work of the internal audit capability, the observations of the Internal Audit Service and the lessons learnt from the reports of the Court of Auditors for years prior to the year of this declaration.

Confirm that I am not aware of anything not reported here which could harm the interests of the institution.

Brussels, 26 March 2014

[Signed]

Rytis Martikonis

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