Department of Conferences and Meetings Management

August, 2013

RESOLUTION CP/RES. 982 (1797/11)RESOLUTION CP/RES. 982 (1797/11) UPDATE OF COSTS OF CONFERENCES UPDATE OF COSTS OF CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS FUNDED BY THE OASAND MEETINGS FUNDED BY THE OAS

ContentsContents• Resolution approval• Mandate• Current rates• New meeting costs and rates• Reasons for update of rates• Cost comparison• Recommendations

Approval of Resolution CP/RES.982Approval of Resolution CP/RES.982

The OAS Permanent Council approved resolution CP/RES.982 on March 30, 2011 mandating new rates for conference services.

The new rates are in effect since July 1, 2011.

Mandate of Resolution CP/RES.982Mandate of Resolution CP/RES.982

“10. To instruct the General Secretariat to review the costs outlined in operative paragraph 8 of this resolution every two years, and to report to the Permanent Council, before November 30 of the review year, on whether they should be updated. Updated figures shall then be incorporated into the budgeting system, and the various areas, entities, and organs of the Organization shall take them into account when estimating the costs of their meetings and conferences.”

Current Rates for Conference ServicesCurrent Rates for Conference Services

Services per day Current Rate US$

Interpretation (6 hours shift) $550.00

Translation $450.00

Room Assistant $130.00

Control Operator $130.00

Equipment, materials and coffee

$350.00

Reasons for an Update of RatesReasons for an Update of RatesIn order to comply with the mandate of resolution CP/RES.982 and to keep the OAS competitive with other Washington D.C. based international organizations that are paying higher rates to translators and interpreters, it is important not only to revise our rates periodically but to offer updated rates to maintain high quality language services (interpretation and translation).

Cost of living in the Washington D.C. area increased 3.02% during the last couple of years.

Cost Comparison between the OAS and Other International Cost Comparison between the OAS and Other International Organizations for Interpretation Services in 2013Organizations for Interpretation Services in 2013

ORGANIZATIONGROSS RATE

WORK HOURS

% GAP OAS

OASOAS $550.00$550.00 6 hours6 hours

IADB (August, 2013) $630.00 6 hours 14.55%

World Bank (July, 2013) $620.00 6 hours 12.73%

IMF (July, 2013) $660.00 6 hours 20.00%

PAHO (with a 25% tax reimbursement) $628.00 6 hours 14.18%

U.S. State Department (August, 2013) $630.00* 8 hours 14.55%

United Nations (August, 2013) $639.00 6 hours 16.18%

CSI – Conference Systems Inc. $990.00 6 hours 80.00%

American Language Services $660.00 8 hours 20.00%

* U.S. State Department pays a higher rate to the team leader

 

Cost Comparison between the OAS and Other Cost Comparison between the OAS and Other International Organizations for Translation Services International Organizations for Translation Services

per Word in 2013per Word in 2013

ORGANIZATIONORGANIZATION RATE PER RATE PER WORDWORD

OAS $0.19

PAHO $0.19

World Bank $0.20

IMF $0.17

U.S. State Dept. $0.19

Rate Changes for Contracts CP/RES.982Rate Changes for Contracts CP/RES.982

SERVICESSERVICESCurrent Rates Current Rates

20112011Proposed Proposed

Rates 2014Rates 2014ChangeChange

$US$USIncreaseIncrease

%%

Interpretation Services $550.00 $570.00 $20.00 3.6%

Translation Services p/day $450.00 $460.00 $10.00 2.2%

Translation Services p/word $0.19 $0.20 $ 0.01 5.3%

Translation Services p/1000 words $190.00 $200.00 $10.00 5.3%

Room Assistants $130.00 $135.00 $5.00 3.8%

Control Operators $130.00 $135.00 $5.00 3.8%

Overtime $38.00 $40.00 $2.00 5.3%

Translation Services per day and Room Services Translation Services per day and Room Services Adjusted by the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Adjusted by the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumer (CPI-U) of Washington D.C. – BaltimoreConsumer (CPI-U) of Washington D.C. – Baltimore

ServicesServicesCurrent Current

RateRate

CPI–U CPI–U 2011-2011-20132013

Proposed Proposed adjustment adjustment

based on based on CPI-UCPI-U

% Change % Change US$ US$ ChangeChange

Translation p/day

$450.00 3.02% $460.00 2.2% $10.00

Interpretation p/day $550.00 3.02% $570.00 3.6% $20.00

Room Services $130.00 3.02% $135.00 3.8% $5.00

Updated Costs per Meeting for 2014 at Updated Costs per Meeting for 2014 at Headquarters and Away from HQHeadquarters and Away from HQ

SERVICESSERVICESCurrent Current

Rates 2011Rates 2011Proposed Proposed

Rates 2014Rates 2014ChangeChange

$US$USChangeChange

%%

1-day meeting $18,685 $19,265 $580 3.01%

2-day meeting $33,558 $34,741 $1,183 3.40%

3-day meeting a $48,379 $50,165 $1,786 3.56%

 

RecommendationsRecommendations•Procurar programar reuniones de manera tal que los equipos de interpretación puedan ser compartidos ente reuniones que se lleven a cabo en un mismo día;

•Respetar el calendario de reuniones con el fin de evitar cancelaciones o reasignaciones de último minuto tanto de intérpretes, como de asistentes de sala y operadores de controles;

•Limitar la extensión de los documentos a ser traducidos;

•Procurar puntualidad para evitar el pago de horas extras;

•Respetar las reglas de procedimientos;

•Limitar al máximo las excepciones;

•Limitar los servicios de interpretación para las reuniones informales y grupos de trabajo.

RecommendationsRecommendations• Consider obtaining the services of a precision writer/editor to correct and summarize your original documents before sending them to translators. This will save funds and provide better written documents for your meeting.

• Please comply with the guidelines for holding eco-friendly meetings in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment when holding OAS meetings. Please refer to the “Guide to Holding Eco-Friendly Conferences and Meetings.”

Where to Get More InformationWhere to Get More Information

CP/RES. 982 - Update of Costs of Conferences CP/RES. 982 - Update of Costs of Conferences and Meetings Funded by the OASand Meetings Funded by the OAS

http://www.oas.org/consejo/resolutions/res982.asp

Guide to Holding Eco-Friendly Conferences and Guide to Holding Eco-Friendly Conferences and MeetingsMeetings

http://scm.oas.org/eco/ecoguia.pdf

Thank You!Thank You!