As a government agency, the mandate to better the lives of your constituents, state, or country is a considerable one. There are a lot of things to consider and prioritizing them can be difficult. One way to gain an advantage on policy making, negotiations or implementing local laws is to speak the native language, and understand the culture, of the people you’re speaking to. This goes beyond translation and interpretation, this is localization.

As a Language Services Provider (LSP), we work with government agencies and know that they’re always looking to do the best for the people they serve, but often under difficult circumstances.

If you’re in one of those agencies, getting an LSP that you trust on board can not only make your life easier, but keep you in line with local, federal and international laws.

Let’s take a quick look at the top reasons a government agency should see localization as a priority.

4 Reasons Government Agencies Need to Prioritize Localization

1. To Fulfill Your Legal Commitment

Governments have a requirement to communicate in the native language of the people they serve. As a US agency, that requirement can vary from state to state, county to county. Sure, English is the country’s official language, but in California nearly half of the population speak a language other than English at home.

Agencies that are serving these people need to not only understand what languages they need to speak to them in, but what cultures they come from and the customs of those cultures.

2. To Better Understand Your Community

Why do you need to understand the cultures? Because these are the people that rely on you to protect the lives of their families. And in turn, you rely on them to keep you in power at the polls and keep your projects funded.

Ultimately American citizens, and those who legally reside in the country, have equal rights with anyone else regardless of the language they speak.

Legal obligations dictate that government agencies must be accessible and clear in their communication. It's their responsibility to ensure that their policies and information are comprehensible to everyone, not the other way around.

3. To Gain the Public's Trust

Without trust, the public services will always struggle to provide their community with what they need. But how do you gain trust in a world where people’s default position is to question the reasoning and ethics of their elected offices?

Localization is one of the best ways. By localizing, you’re sending a message of acceptance to the people and showing that you’re willing to integrate their culture into the overall fabric of the area.

4. To Proactively Govern Your Community

So much of governing a population is about having your finger on the pulse of your community and being able to see issues before they arise.

To be prepared for any eventuality and then to be able to react swiftly and appropriately to the needs of the people when times are tough, and they need the support of their public servants.

Governments with the right localization strategy are able to do this because they have created an inclusive culture. They understand their electorate and know how to communicate with them quickly and effectively.

The Potential Consequences for Getting it Wrong

We never like to focus on the negative, but it is worth pointing out some of the hazards of not having a linguistic plan in place.

• People are less likely to engage with you and your priorities.
• Morale within the agency suffers when engagement is reduced or negative.
• You waste time, resources and budget on efforts that won’t get the right public attention and traction.
• Public funding may be reduced due to poor comms with your community.
• Your agency’s brand and reputation is reduced.

The Upside of Getting it Right

Turn the coin over and talk to your audience, in their language, understand their concerns and integrate the way you work into their way of life, and the benefits can be considerable. You’ll have:

• Better run public services.
• An increase in the understanding and adherence of laws.
• A more inclusive community, regardless of different immigrant populations.
• Enhanced communication leading to better use of public funds and resources.
• A general increase to the safety of the public.
• A strengthening of the reputation of government and public service providers.

How do You do it?

Our best advice, having helped a lot of government agencies over the years, is to partner with a LSP that you trust and let them guide you through the process.

With the right LSP you can be covered legally, morally and focus your time and resources on how best to positively impact the community you operate in.

Get A Quote For Your Localization Needs

Are you a government agency seeking expert assistance in localization? We invite you to discuss your needs with us.

Our consultations are complimentary and come with no strings attached.

Choose LinguaLinx for seamless and accurate translations. Our adherence to ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 standards, coupled with over two decades of translation expertise, ensures your message is conveyed perfectly. Trusted globally, we are committed to delivering excellence in every project.