The booking process
The approach you will take to booking an interpreter will depend on how your agency approaches this. Some agencies have a central Interpreter Services Coordinator or a procurement team that manage bookings and relationships with suppliers. Some agencies have their own booking systems, while others may have forms for you to fill out. The first step is to check whether you have a central area that advises or supports the booking process. Agencies that frequently engage suppliers are likely to have a purchase order with the supplier. If an agency does not engage language services frequently, you may seek a quote for a one-off booking quoting Preferred Supplier Panel (PSP126161). Formal documentation about the panel is on the Queensland Government Arrangements Directory.
How soon you need the interpreter
Interpreter bookings are categorised by how much notice is available before the service is required. This affects the type of service that can be arranged and the modalities available.
The more notice you can provide, the greater the likelihood of securing an interpreter with the appropriate credentials, experience and modality preference.
| Booking Type | Timeframe | Description |
|---|---|---|
Planned | More than 24 hours notice | Allows for preparation, credential matching, and pre-engagement information. Suitable for most appointments. |
Short notice | 2 to 24 hours notice | For urgent but non-emergency needs. May allow for on-site, phone, or video interpreting depending on availability. |
On-demand | Immediate need (less than 2 hours notice) | Used in real-time situations, where the need for an interpreter might be unanticipated. Typically delivered via phone or video. May require a project setup for integration with agency systems. |
Minimum engagement periods
Minimum engagement periods apply to all interpreter bookings and vary by service type and modality. These periods ensure interpreters are fairly compensated for the casual nature of the work and ultimately help sustain the workforce.
The minimum engagement period is like a ‘call out’ fee and does not mean an interpreter needs to be with your service for the whole period of time. Agencies may create “multi bookings” which mean you book an interpreter for 2 or more assignments within the one engagement period. Some language categories may require longer period than those specified here.
Further information on this for agencies is available in the PSP Buyer’s Guide on the Queensland Government Arrangements Directory which can be accessed by government employees. Non-government employees cannot access this link as it contains commercial-in-confidence material.
| Service type | Modality | Minimum engagement time |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand (including emergency priority) | Phone | 15 minutes |
| Video | 30 minutes | |
| Short Notice (2 to 24 hours notice) | Phone | 30 minutes |
| Video | 30 minutes | |
| Onsite | 90 minutes | |
| Planned – Short | Phone/Video | 30 minutes |
| Onsite | 90 minutes | |
| Planned – Long | All modalities | 210 minutes |
Interpreter availability
For rare or new and emerging languages, interpreter supply may be limited. Agencies may need to:
- contact multiple providers
- be flexible with modality – for example, use video or phone
- adjust expectations around credential levels.
This is the same for languages where there is a shortage relative to demand.
The inability to supply a language will be tracked through activity reporting provided by language service providers.
What to do if you cannot source an interpreter through the Preferred Supplier Panel
- Find out if your client speaks any other languages.
- Explore options outside the Preferred Supplier Panel arrangement, such as the National Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS). It's okay to go outside the arrangement if you cannot get a service that you need through the panel.
- Find out if any language services providers can source an interpreter from overseas, or source one directly yourself.
- As a last resort, engage a friend or community.
Language dialect and kinship or community ties
While dialects may not always be formally listed by language service providers or NAATI, they can significantly influence communication in some languages. For example, Arabic has numerous dialects, such as Egyptian, Levantine, and Gulf Arabic, that differ in vocabulary, pronunciation, and usage. These differences can affect the clarity and effectiveness of interpretation, especially in sensitive or complex conversations.
If you're unsure about the specific language or dialect required, consider consulting Ethnologue, a comprehensive international database that provides detailed information about languages and their variants. This can help ensure the interpreter matches the client's linguistic needs more precisely.
In small migrant communities, clients may feel uncomfortable working with an interpreter they know personally or who may be connected to their social network. This can raise concerns about privacy, confidentiality, or perceived bias. In such cases, it may be more appropriate to engage a telephone or video interpreter from outside the local area, such as from interstate, to maintain neutrality and client trust.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, kinship systems and community relationships play a vital role in communication and trust. Language service providers should assess these ties carefully before assigning an interpreter, as kinship obligations or community dynamics may affect the appropriateness of the match. Ensuring cultural safety in these contexts is essential for respectful and effective communication.
Interpreter credentials and competency
All interpreters must hold a credential issued by NAATI. The level of credential should match the complexity of the assignment.
| Credential type | Description | Use case |
|---|---|---|
Recognised practising | For low-demand or emerging languages where testing is not available | Basic community interpreting |
Certified provisional | Entry-level generalist certification | Non-specialised community settings |
Certified interpreter | Advanced certification | Most community and complex settings |
Certified specialist (health/legal) | Domain-specific expertise | Complex legal or health contexts |
Certified conference interpreter | High-level, simultaneous interpreting | Summits, negotiations, high-stakes meetings |
For Category 1 (First Nations languages) and Category 3 (Auslan and Deaf Interpreting), alternative or emerging credential frameworks may apply.
Technology, equipment and data management requirements
For phone and video interpreting, both agencies and language service providers have responsibilities to ensure high-quality, secure communication.
Agencies should ensure that frontline staff or meeting locations have reliable internet, secure devices (such as tablets or computers), and appropriate software or platforms.
Language service providers are responsible for ensuring:
- interpreters use high-quality, secure devices with functioning audio/video and stable internet
- interpreters work in private, quiet environments free from distractions and background noise
- devices are free from malware and equipped with current antivirus software
- public Wi-Fi is avoided unless accessed via a secure VPN
- all data is treated as highly sensitive, in line with Queensland Government cybersecurity policies.
These standards help protect client confidentiality and ensure interpreters can deliver services effectively.
Complexity and sensitivity of the subject matter
Although interpreters maintain neutrality and may seem unaffected by the content of discussion, they are not trained to process difficult and sensitive communication and often experience vicarious trauma when doing so.
Agencies should assess whether the appointment involves:
- complex content – for example, legal, medical or technical terminology
- sensitive or high-risk topics – for example, trauma, child protection or end-of-life care.
Complex content
Where possible, provide interpreters with background information and consider pre-engagement briefings to improve quality of the communication.
Sensitive subject matter
A pre-engagement brief can help an interpreter be prepared for a tricky or sensitive discussion.
The language services industry strongly recommends that agency services offer post-engagement check-ins for sensitive assignments, to support the interpreter’s psychosocial safety in the workplace. All language service providers are required to make employee assistance available to interpreters. When a government service indicates an assignment is sensitive, they will know when to offer this and how often their contracted or employed interpreters are being exposed to sensitive topics and information.
Assessing complexity and sensitivity is the role of the service engaging an interpreter based on their understanding of their own service. Interpreters and language service providers do not assess or determine whether an assignment is complex or sensitive.
Onsite parking availability
Parking can be a considerable out-of-pocket expense for interpreters. In their booking, agencies should indicate whether free or subsidised parking is available, or if parking will be difficult to get, and provide information on public transport options, where they exist.
Travel incentives and allowances
Driving to an onsite assignment can be time consuming and result in considerable out-of-pocket costs for interpreters. Travel incentives and allowances support equitable access to onsite interpreting across Queensland. Agencies may need to pay additional costs depending on the location of the assignment and how far the interpreter needs to drive or travel there.
- Interpreters may be eligible for a travel incentive if they travel more than 30 km to an assignment outside a 25 km radius of Brisbane City General Post Office.
- For longer distances or air travel, travel and accommodation may be required.
- All travel arrangements must align with the Language Services Travel Arrangements Policy, which sets a baseline for reimbursement.
Incentives are designed to be fair for interpreters and the public purse. Further information is available in the Language Services Buyer’s Guide on the Queensland Government Arrangements Directory.