RMIT University: Testing the usability and applicability of.

Case Study #25

RMIT University: Testing the usability and applicability of Australian multilingual public service communications

Project overview

RMIT University partnered with LOTE to lead a transformative project for the Department of

Health and Aged Care. The initiative aimed to explore effective communication in CALD

communities. The project had two main goals:

1\. Finding efficient ways to deliver crucial health information to CALD populations.

2\. Conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis to identify methods with optimal efficacy

and value.

LOTE formed a dedicated four-member team to meet RMIT\'s needs. This included a thorough

translation comparison study, rigorous community testing, data analysis using the Qualtrics

platform, and synthesising these findings into a high-level report.

The solution

Our role in this project included delivering:

• A Translation Comparison Study. LOTE conducted a translation study

with

NAATI-accredited translators across 7 major language groups, using 4 approaches:

○ human translation of the original text

○ human translation of a Plain English versions

○ machine translation with human post-editing

○ transcreation.

• Community testing. LOTE engaged a diverse panel of community testers,

representing

various backgrounds and language proficiency levels. They provided crucial feedback

on translation suitability and assessed message resonance with target CALD

communities.

• Data collection and analysis. LOTE\'s research team gathered and

collated crucial data

from community testers and project translators, forming the foundation for informed

Decision-making.

Our impact

LOTE\'s partnership in this project profoundly impacted public service communications in

several vital areas.

Collaborating with RMIT University enabled LOTE to uncover valuable insights for the

Department, laying a crucial foundation for enhancing CALD community communication.

The project\'s findings will contribute to ongoing efforts to improve communication strategies,

bridging gaps and promoting effective engagement. This collaboration met immediate

research goals and established a foundation for future research support with universities,

positioning LOTE to contribute to evolving communication strategies as new research

needs arise.

Relevant capabilities demonstrated

Our work on this program demonstrates our:

• Ability to effectively engage and communicate with diverse

communities, spanning

various languages and cultural backgrounds

• Translation project management proficiency and ability to train and

lead a substantial

team of translators on a complex project, guaranteeing accuracy and consistency in

our outcomes

• Ability to collaborate with experts on complex projects, yielding

mutually beneficial

results

• Expertise in community testing and ability to orchestrate and oversee

community

testing panels comprising a wide range of language groups, collecting invaluable

insights to enhance communication strategies.