Like any supplier of goods or services, a translator potentially bears ethical and legal obligations toward his patron or employer.
[3] A strong focus is on administrative, documentation, review and revision processes, as well as on the functions of different specialists who guide the translation project over its duration.
On May 12, 2009, the Language Industry Association of Canada, AILIA launched the latest standards certification program in the world.
It involved the participation of representatives from AILIA, professional associations, government, academia, purchasers of service, and other stakeholders.
As the document's name suggests, it is a guideline, informing stakeholders about what basic quality requirements are in need of compliance, rather than a prescriptive set of detail instructions for the translator.
There is, however, a view within the translation industry that, while not doing any actual harm, an over-reliance on such standards can give a false sense of security.