The start of a new fiscal year is a natural point for agencies to look ahead and adjust. It’s a chance to revisit past performance and plan for stronger communication moving forward.
Language access continues to play a larger role in public service delivery. As more households engage with state programs in languages other than English, agencies are under more pressure to communicate clearly and consistently.
This post shares a few ways to strengthen your language services strategy early in the year, so your teams are better prepared and your outreach efforts reach the full communities you serve.
Review Past Usage and Identify Gaps
Before building a plan for the year ahead, it helps to understand how language services were used over the past year. Interpreter requests, translation volumes, and turnaround times can all reveal where support was consistent and where it fell short.
Look for patterns. Were there delays in high-demand languages? Did some departments struggle to access services on time? Gaps like these can signal where additional support or process updates are needed.
Use this information to guide budget discussions and resource planning. Small adjustments now can prevent bigger challenges later in the year.
Align Language Access with New Initiatives
New programs often come with updated forms, fresh outreach, and changes in how the public interacts with your agency. It’s the perfect time to build language access into those efforts from the beginning.
If your team is launching a new service or expanding an existing one, plan for translated materials and interpreter availability alongside the core communication strategy. Digital updates, printed notices, and community engagement efforts all benefit from early coordination.
Preparing now gives your teams more control and reduces the pressure to find solutions at the last minute. It also sends a clear message that your agency is ready to serve every household.
Streamline Internal Processes
Even with the right services in place, language access can fall short if staff don’t know how to use them. The start of the fiscal year is a good time to revisit internal workflows and make sure teams have what they need to request support quickly and confidently.
Consider updating reference materials, making access tools easier to find, or offering brief refreshers for departments that use these services often. If you’re onboarding new staff or launching training initiatives, include language access as part of that process.
When the steps are simple and familiar, staff are more likely to follow them—and the people you serve are more likely to get the support they need.
Strengthen Vendor Partnerships
Strong vendor relationships make it easier to respond to changing needs throughout the year. This is a good time to revisit your contracts and take a closer look at how your current language service provider is performing.
Review the basics: availability, turnaround times, quality, and reporting. Then consider how well your provider adapts when demand shifts or new requests come in. If you’re expanding programs or serving new populations, you’ll want to be sure your partner can keep pace.
A little time spent on this review now can set the stage for smoother collaboration and fewer surprises down the line.
Improve Community Outreach and Engagement
Public-facing programs work best when communities feel informed and included. To support that, it helps to look at who your outreach reached last year and where there may have been gaps.
If certain language groups are growing or consistently underrepresented, now is the time to adjust your strategy. Translated materials and interpretation during public meetings, hearings, or surveys can lead to better participation and feedback.
When campaigns and events are planned with language access from the start, communication feels more intentional and more communities are able to take part.
Planning Ahead Strengthens Public Access
Starting the fiscal year with a clear language access plan helps agencies avoid rushed decisions, missed deadlines, and communication gaps later on. Reviewing past performance, setting priorities, and making small adjustments now can lead to more consistent support throughout the year.
Even simple steps like refreshing internal guides or identifying high-impact materials for translation can make a difference when things get busy.
Propio partners with state agencies to build language access strategies that match budget goals, timelines, and community needs. Let’s get your team ready for the year ahead.
