#StayAtHome series: How to handle simultaneous interpreting services in a video conference

In this case study we will dive into an organization with the mission to create equitable conditions for everyone to be healthy by advancing knowledge at the same time building a community system in which language is not a barrier: The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

The UW Population Health Institute advances health and well-being for all, by developing and evaluating interventions and promoting evidence-based approaches to policy and practice at the local, state, and national levels. The Institute works across the full spectrum of factors that contribute to health.

One of the UW Population Health Institute initiatives is MOBILIZING ACTION TOWARD COMMUNITY HEALTH (MATCH).

MATCH develops and deploys programs and resources and engages in collaborative partnerships, that support strategic community-driven efforts to ensure that all people have a fair chance to be healthy in their homes, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. This includes servicing the various Spanish speaking communities within the State of Wisconsin.

MATCH aims to change practice, focus priorities, and shift power to support shared action on root causes of health and equity. MATCH does this through:

• Training – building capacity on critical practices–including health equity, systems and collaborative leadership lenses–through delivering training, providing technical assistance, and leading learning and action networks.
• Engaged Research and Development – supporting data-to-action and developing and sharing scholarship, frameworks, and tools for change.
• Alignment – convening and growing alliances for shared action. The MATCH team held regular workshops with several community leader groups throughout the years, which were held at UW until COVID-19 hit.

The MATCH leadership team was concerned that moving to a remote conference through Zoom might leave the Spanish-speaking community leader groups at a loss.

As a contractor for the State of Wisconsin, we were contacted by the MATCH team to discuss potential solutions to include the Spanish community leaders on the remote training courses.

Our solution was simple and effective: Zoom remote simultaneous interpreting.

With a team of two interpreters coordinated by one leader host, one listener and one Zoom technical expert, we held one previous testing session and identified the plan to make sure the remote workshops were a success. That included performing all the technical work to set the webinar and interpretation channels, creating a queue plan for interpreter switches and managing a particular challenge that required serious organization skills: holding breakout rooms.

Does your organization hold workshops, webinars or training courses in Zoom? There is a solution for providing these in more than one language. Contact us at info@ideatranslations.com to discuss remote simultaneous interpretation.