méchanisation

12:13 Aug 27, 2019 

Thank you again for the further context. It's interesting what you say because when I looked inside my 1967 edition Harrap's French/English dictionary(!), which I sometimes use in these circumstances it did give more of a clue. As you say, "the use of machines in office work" or simply "working techniques". Along with Daryo's reminder that older terms may still be in more general use in DRC, and just to focus on the context of this term, it really had to be that (a payroll system). Of course, we knew it related to pay in some way but it's trying to fit what might seem like a slightly outmoded term to the concept. It wasn't obvious as a stand-alone term. Given this point was one of the report outcomes/recommendations for further aid/funding, it was important to get it right. Thank you again!

11:55 Aug 27, 2019 

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I also found this later on: De plus, les méthodes actuelles de mécanisation des paies prévoient l'impression du chèque de règlement en annexe au bulletin de paie. ( http://archives.assemblee-nationale.fr/6/qst/6-qst-1979-01-1... ) It dates back to 1979 and is about France and not the DRC - so may not be directly relevant to your question, but it gives an example of what mécanisation could be about. As a phrase, mécanisation des bureaux, i.e. using machines where you didn't use to, was certainly widely used from the 1950s to the spread of IT (early 90s?). In any case, I agree with Daryo re IT and I think your author would have used the word informatisation if IT is what they had in mind.

11:33 Aug 27, 2019 

Thanks again for all your help, you really encouraged me to think more about the context of this term. Best wishes, Louise

13:00 Aug 21, 2019 

I do agree with what you say and it's why I'm questioning the terms suggested (although this would be the translation in the purest sense). In a context where basics such as drinking water and school fees aren't being met, it's hard to imagine how any kind of automation or computerisation is going to be implemented. Nonetheless, it could be wishful thinking on the part of the author of the report. I think I'll just have to double-check the term with the organisation to see if there is some localised meaning. Thanks again for all your input.

09:44 Aug 21, 2019 

someone sitting at their desk, surrounded with all the modern comfort, might not be the same as when living in some remote parts of DRC, just after a conflict.

As you said yourself "I just don't know how feasible this would be in more remote parts of DRC" - and I'm not convinced IT equipment would be such a huge priority (maybe getting some drinkable water and any electricity at all - using some kind of "mécanismes" - would come first?). But it's no more than a hunch / guessing.

22:30 Aug 20, 2019 

Thanks Daryo,

Yes, that certainly explains some of the tricky terms in this document. I could go back to the organisation in question. I'm not honestly sure if the PM is from DRC. However, I imaging the author is. It did occur to me that it could be more of a localised term. I have a feeling the meaning is somewhere between the possibilities raised so far. It could be to do with making the schools/security units automated, however, I just don't know how feasible this would be in more remote parts of DRC.

22:18 Aug 20, 2019 

I'm just trying to give some "outsider's view", a bit of "réflexion à haute voix".

To make it more "fun" DRC being an ex-Belgium colony, they are probably using some historical / outdated version of Belgium French. It's quite possible that their version of "mécanisé" is what it meant in Belgian French about 100-odd years ago!

Apart from looking for clues in the rest of the document(s), the other solution I see is to ask someone from DRC what it means. Or someone from this international organisation.

21:36 Aug 20, 2019 

Hello Daryo,

Many thanks for your suggestions, that's really helpful. I know from other parts of the report (and across this set of reports) that teachers are not paid (in fact the parents have to pay the school fees). I think it's also pretty likely the security forces may not be paid on occasion as well, although the report doesn't specify this. However, it does specify that they exort and harass the local population, imposing arbitrary taxes, etc. One might assume this could be down to the lack of a regular pay cheque. The country in question is DRC, to provide a bit more context.

21:26 Aug 20, 2019 

Teachers just abandoning schools is more likely to be caused by lack of electricity, water and other basics.

Lack of IT equipment as the reason to just abandon a school? Even in the most developed countries, not very likely ...

20:12 Aug 20, 2019 

without knowing the rest of the text you could interpret

"Recenser, mécaniser et payer les salaires de toutes les unités de sécurisation déployées dans les différents villages."

as

-- Recenser les salaires
-- mécaniser les salaires et
-- payer les salaires
[de toutes les unités de sécurisation déployées dans les différents villages.]

OR you could interpret it (as much, if not MORE plausibly!) as:

-- Recenser toutes les unités de sécurisation
-- mécaniser toutes les unités de sécurisation et
-- payer les salaires de toutes les unités de sécurisation [déployées dans les différents villages.]

Whatever you might think of it, one of the methods for "conflict resolution" is to turn private militias into state funded troops, which makes the second interpretation in fact quite plausible.

as for

Certaines écoles restent non mécanisées et les enseignants les abandonnent.

not knowing the overall level of development in that conflict zone, you could see "mécanisé" as "using IT (automated data processing)" or more down to earth the school having some basic "mechanical equipment" as say power generators or water pumps or ... you would expect that that would have far more impact!!!