# Terms of reference



## Teablue

*Moderator Note: Several threads were merged to create this one.*

Hello.
If I want to talk aboout the terms of reference of a Committee do I translate it as "Charte" in French or is there a better translation? 
Thank you


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## Amityville

I understand 'terms of reference' to mean the building blocks of an argument or thesis. The terms you refer to.
""Politics of freedom" ? Who knows what that means. Define your terms of reference." 
I'd be interested to know what this is in French. Termes référentiels ? Terms de référence ? I have a feeling they mean something else, something more approved of, like an agreed standard ? 
'Charte' - that's something else again - possibly more akin to a mission statement. But please provide more context Teablue.


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## ecureuil

what is the equivalent in french of "terms of reference"


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## liligiulia

modalites de reference 

je pense , sans contexte c'est pas evident !


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## gustave

cahier des charges


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## ecureuil

un peu de contexte, il s'agirait d'un document listant des critères de conformité à remplir servant de référence pour une auto évaluation officielle


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## ecureuil

Cahier des charges est super mais un peu trop technique dans mon contexte


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## hunternet

caractéristiques de base / recommandations ?

J'avoue que ton contexte (document listant des critères de conformité à remplir servant de référence pour une auto évaluation officielle) est tout sauf précis. Une évaluation de quoi ? d'un bâtiment ? d'une entreprise ? d'un sachet de bonbons ?


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## ecureuil

Dans le contexte européen, il s'agit pour des infrastructures de paiement de s'auto évaluer pour être "conformes" à un certain nombre de règles et de critères (conditions d'accès, interopérabilité, transparence ...... )regroupées dans un document officiel, le fameux terms of reference


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## hunternet

--> conditions de mise en conformité ?


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## Micmique

Spécifications?


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## ecureuil

merci de vos propositions, la traduction exacte est difficile à trouver car le document doit servir de cadre de référence, moins précis qu'un cahier des charges ou des spécifications, c'est autre chose qu'un guide de bonnes pratiques, un peu différent d'une charte ..... merci en tous cas. Je vais m'arrêter sur "cadre de référence".


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## Bocklin

"Terms of reference", when referring to a contract or the document defining what a given task is or how it should be executed is often translated as "*cahier des charges*".


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## edwingill

I think terms of reference in your context is synonymous with 'remit' = attributions.


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## kiwi-di

Another use for _terms of reference_ relates to official enquiries (often into something scandalous) - where those enquiring are given _terms of reference, _which are the guidelines for their investigation.


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## Teablue

Thank you for your replies. What I want to include in the Terms of Reference is the mission of the committee and its main responsibilities, membership and functioning. In that context which of your proposed translations would be better? Thank you.


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## Moon Palace

Then I think 'cahier des charges' is what is best. It includes the constraints related to how the committee is supposed to work, the product of their work and so many other things which are decided on when the committee is created.


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## Teablue

Many thanks


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## kiwi-di

kiwi-di said:


> Another use for _terms of reference_ relates to official enquiries (often into something scandalous) - where those enquiring are given _terms of reference, _which are the guidelines for their investigation.


I was having a long discussion with my French teacher this afternoon  about differences and similarities in the French/Oz-NZ justice systems and the influence of political power on the justice system(s).

I was trying to say that in our system, governments often set up enquiries when they have little option (because of pressure from the people) but they set the _terms of reference_ in such a manner that very often nothing is achieved by the enquiry because it's prevented from going into matters the government doesn't want it to uncover.

I still don't know (and he couldn't offer much assistance) what is the correct translation for terms of reference in this context.   (It didn't help that after three weeks of being in Francophone countries and speaking almost nothing but French, I couldn't think of the English for what I was trying to say until I got home!)

Is it _cahier des charges_ in this context - or something else?


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## Moon Palace

Hello Kiwi-di 
I've been skimming through many websites, checking the discussion we had had on 'terms of reference', and now I think we can distinguish between two things:
'le cahier des charges' is an originally economic word, whose scope is now much wider and has reached many different fields, generally meaning the list of constraints, or the framework you set up for an upcoming task. 
'la mission (de la commission)' is what defines the aim of the commission. For instance, that has been used to refer to the works of the Attali Commission lately. 
Now, the example you give is a bit weird from my French viewpoint: I have been on the websites of the French Senate and House of Representatives, and whenever there is an inquiry commission which is set up, it just doesn't seem to have a mission apart from that of investigating into the issue at stake. Maybe because they are not supposed to be limited in any way - or so we are made to believe . 
Hope it helps, even though I can feel there is a hole that is not filled yet.


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## kiwi-di

Thanks Moon Palace

A look at this official government site and the Terms of Reference for a specific case (which I discussed in some detail with my teacher) _might_ help.
http://tinyurl.com/36rnd3

As you will see - the Terms of Reference were amended 6 times, but a lot of people still felt they were too narrow to really get to the bottom of the matter.


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## maggita

Hello

I was wondering how to translate the concept" terms of reference" (ToR) in French. As you might know this is the document which describes the purpose and structure of a  mission or a project. For example, it gives information about what the person who will be in charge of managing this project will have to do. I am not sure that we use in French  "termes de référence". Maybe another suggestion?
Many thanks


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## g-emi4

I have never seen this word in English but from what you describe, could it be "une fiche de poste?


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## misel95

hello

If you are speaking about the specific task for one person (in a project team), currently I am using "lettre de mission"
If you are speaking about a project (how to manage this project, the purpose,  the scope, the team, the cost and the planning, etc...), we use "note de cadrage"


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## Céline09

Je proposerais "mandat"...


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## galatée

I know this is an old thread, but in NGO context, "termes de référence" (TDR) is often used in French when talking about agreements, contracts, etc. (in a more general sense than "cahier des charges", which is often used, too).

Hope it can be useful!

Cheers


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## Marcus Agrippa

Antidote indique qu'en tant que calque de l'anglais, _termes de référence_ doit être remplacé par _attributions_, _mandat_ ou _compétence_.


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## Marcus Agrippa

Pour ma part, je serais porté à ajouter *conditions* ou *règles*, comme dans le cas de la phrase qui m'a conduit jusqu'ici : _A document dealing with "terms of reference" for donations outlined various policies_ [...].


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## lastrana

Bonjour, 
ma modeste contribution à quelques années d'intervalle:
je signe moi-même des contrats précisant mes "terms of reference": il y est par exemple indiqué que je dois parler l'anglais et le français, traduire dans une langue aérienne et claire des textes rédigés dans une langue de bois incompréhensible  (j'exagère un peu...) etc. La traduction de "terms of reference", comme indiqué précédemment, varie selon les contextes:
- cahier des charges (technique ou commercial, en général pour passation de marchés avec appel ou non à la concurrence)
-spécifications ou caractéristiques techniques (appareil, construction, etc.)
-mission, exposé (ou descriptif) de mission, attributions, fonctions
- mandat (dans le cas d'organisations internationales, ONU notamment)
-statuts
La liste pourrait sans doute être allongée...


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## LivingTree

In Canada, parliamentary committees, and commissions of inquiry established by Parliament (to investigate specific matters), have "terms of reference".

The French term used is *mandat*.

(Unfortunately, "mandate" is being used with increasing frequency in this situation in Canadian English, but it is incorrect.)

Example from the official manual on parliamentary procedure:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/procedure-bo...4315-4EE2-B4F5-119ED7992568&Language=E&Mode=1


> In  addition to the *terms of reference* set out by the House itself, this Committee’s mandate is in part described by an act of  Parliament.



http://www2.parl.gc.ca/procedure-bo...FF65-460D-9F9F-19061A2E43A7&Language=F&Mode=1


> Outre  le *mandat* fixé par la Chambre même, le mandat plus général de ce comité est  fixé en partie par une loi du Parlement


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