ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. All contributions examine the multiple aspects of translation competence and institutional processes that can have a bearing on translation quality. Focus is placed on public institutions and administrations at the regional, national and international levels, including legislative bodies, court settings and certified translation for official purposes more broadly. The contexts selected cover a wide range of translation policies in multilingual and monolingual administrations (Finland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United States and several international organizations). The chapters identify quality gaps, needs, best practices and actions for improvement in these settings. While well-established language services in multilingual organizations are ideally positioned to monitor and refine their practices, fully-fledged language services are far from being the norm among institutions that have translation and interpreting needs. Three chapters examine this under-researched reality of institutions without "conventional" in-house translation services.
