La gestión de proyectos (project management) y su implementación en los estudios de traducción e interpretación

Abstract

In a globalized society like today’s the fast pace of information exchange has ended up replacing the old paradigm on which the translator’s work was based. The translator has therefore become a translation project manager whose job it is to meet the client’s expectations. This Doctoral Thesis aims to describe, explore and analyze the translation management training programs which are offered in Spanish universities, as well as their practical implementation in translation agencies. The specific goals will attempt, firstly, to explore the connection between the Translation studies and the Project Management programs with a view to, secondly, show the processes involved in the translator’s training. This training needs to meet the demands of translation agencies as well as those of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). We intend thereby to provide the graduate with guidelines to manage and develop their activity in the market. They may thus gain some field-specific knowledge of business and organizational concepts, which is imperative nowadays. In addition, regarding the methodology used for the achievement of the overall objectives, this work takes as its starting point, in the first place, the analysis of the problematic object, as well as theoretical and practical considerations. Secondly, the conceptual and operational definition of the working hypothesis is performed. The focus is not so much on determining which Translation Studies Theory is good or bad, but rather on finding the one that produces the best results for the success of translation management training programs. Thirdly, statistical and descriptive methods have been used for a situational analysis of the teaching guides on Translation Project Management. In addition, interviews have been conducted with managers of translation agencies in the Region of Madrid. For this purpose a questionnaire including 34 questions was devised, starting from the idea that universities and the private sector (companies or organizations) should be closely linked. Fourthly, the data sources have been applied using methodological triangulation. Primary and secondary data were used according to the principles of systemic constructivist thinking. With respect to the overall goal of this study, its findings indicate that the hypotheses set out have allowed to underline the relevance of project management in Translation Studies and proved that it is the current translator the one who effectively manages the translation process. The translator is therefore not only an expert in languages, but must also plan, organize, implement and control their activity. In relation to the specific goals, the findings clearly show that translation agencies seek to hire those graduates trained in transversal competences and capable of coordinating projects with limited resources. As for the application of the results obtained, the QCDQCPC (Who, When, Where, What, How, Why, How much) method and the recommendations provided are effective solutions seeking to improve the quality in translator training. Their contribution lies in that they provide the proper procedures for effective professional development. With a view to the future, it would be perhaps desirable to carry out a more encompassing study which yields results not subject to limitations of any kind.