Preparations for the Mission d. Interpreters Translation is a very sensitive issue. It would of course be preferable if the team members and the examinee spoke the same language, but working with an interpreter is often inevitable. Careful recruitment of an interpreter is needed. The interpreters must be vetted to make sure that they possess the right professional qualifications and are independent and not intimidating to the examinee, so that an enabling environment is created in which the alleged victim feels secure to open up. Considerations should include professionalism, independence, gender (see Chapter 2), political affiliation, cultural and social background, etc. Whether to recruit an interpreter locally or bring an interpreter from abroad needs to be evaluated carefully, and depends on the specific context of the mission and the situation in the host country. Considerations should include command of the same local dialect as the examinee, risks for and pressure on the interpreter, influence exerted by local authorities or third parties, interpreter’s own exposure to alleged atrocities, etc. An external interpreter may be neutral and better trusted by the alleged victim than a local interpreter. This is particularly true when the alleged victim may be interviewed while still in detention. Possibilities of making use of interpreters working for rehabilitation centres or international organisations and NGOs in the host country should be explored. 20 Local offices of the UN, EC delegations or embassies as well as the secretariats of international monitoring bodies such as the CPT, UNCAT or SPT might be helpful in providing references to reliable interpreters. Preferably, the interpreter should be identified well in advance of the mission to allow for joint preparations together with the team. In any case, the interpreter should be thoroughly briefed prior to and debriefed after the engagement, and ethical standards should be included in the employment contract. This is particularly important in cases where the interpreter is not a trained professional (see Annex 4). Further guidance can also be found in the ‘Use of interpreters’ paragraph 150-154 of the Istanbul Protocol17 and in the OHCHR Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring18. e. Preparation for psychological evaluation19 There should be agreement among team members on the choice of tools to be used for the psychological evaluation. If the team decides to use questionnaires, they should be validated for the purpose and the context, and preferably be available in the local language. Some questionnaires may be very useful, while others may be culturally inadequate. In several countries studies have been conducted on the sensitivity and validity of specific questionnaires. This information should be collected through national and international professional bodies.