The first recommendation is to make the Translation Bureau the sole government agency responsible for translation services within the federal public service. If it were responsible for managing translation on behalf of all departments, the Bureau could plan in the medium and long term, something it cannot do currently because of the permanent state of uncertainty.
It could also start to hire employees again. This would also lead to a reduction in the administrative costs associated with awarding translation contracts and would ensure that language expertise is maintained.
Moreover, entrusting the Bureau with the responsibility of overseeing the management of all the government’s translation would make it possible to eliminate the phantom translation units or the phantom translator positions that exist in some departments that the Bureau is aware of, thereby also achieving savings.
The Bureau plays an important cultural role. It would be good for it to report to Canadian Heritage from now on rather than Public Services and Procurement Canada, because the latter department provides solely utilitarian services, wheras Canadian Heritage has a cultural role to play.