fassent du terrain

English translation: have on-the-ground experience

12:22 Dec 18, 2006
French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Nuclear Eng/Sci / Human factors
French term or phrase: fassent du terrain
Evaluation of the efficacy of expertise in the field of human factors field...TIA, Jason.

Enfin, l’efficacité de l’expertise-apprentissage est une fonction croissante des nouveaux savoirs acquis par l’expert. Elle dépend beaucoup de la relation que noue l’expert avec l’exploitant. C’est particulièrement le cas dans le domaine des facteurs humains où les savoirs sont incomplets, fondés sur des chaînes de causalité instables, et singulières (les lois dépendent souvent d’un contexte géographique, historique) [1]. Un côtoiement exigeant avec « le terrain » est nécessaire. Ce sentiment est partagé par plusieurs responsables que nous avons rencontrés à XXX: « ce qui est important, c’est que les spécialistes XXX ***fassent du terrain***. » Il s’inscrit dans la tradition française du « french cooking », comme le témoigne XXX, ancien Président du groupe permanent : « Je crois que ce qui est important en matière de sûreté, c’est que les gens qui font la sûreté sont des gens qui connaissent. (…) La sûreté, c’est de la technique. C’est d’abord et avant tout de la technique. Donc la connaissance de toute la technologie des installations. » [3] L’acquisition de cette connaissance rend nécessaire l’instauration d’une relation étroite entre l’expert et l’exploitant.
Jason Willis-Lee
Spain
Local time: 06:28
English translation:have on-the-ground experience
Explanation:
I would translate the sentence as "the thing that is important is for them to have on-the-ground experience".
As an alternative, you could also talk about "hands-on experience" or "frontline experience".

They want the guys to know what they are talking about because they've been there and done it themselves.
Selected response from:

Philip Watterson
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:28
Grading comment
Thanks Phil...
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2have on-the-ground experience
Philip Watterson
4 +1field-proven experience
Glen McCulley
4descend from their clouds
Roddy Stegemann
4get out into the field
Bourth (X)
3get down on the shop floor
Claire Cox
3to get hands-on experience
MatthewLaSon


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
have on-the-ground experience


Explanation:
I would translate the sentence as "the thing that is important is for them to have on-the-ground experience".
As an alternative, you could also talk about "hands-on experience" or "frontline experience".

They want the guys to know what they are talking about because they've been there and done it themselves.

Philip Watterson
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks Phil...

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Odette Grille (X)
12 mins

agree  Silvia Brandon-Pérez
1 hr
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
descend from their clouds


Explanation:
Depending on the tone of the article, you might like to start at the beginning, rather than finish at the end.

Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 22:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
field-proven experience


Explanation:
another option, but everything put forward by PhilW is good too

Glen McCulley
Local time: 06:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Odette Grille (X)
0 min
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37 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
get out into the field


Explanation:
From previous translation experience in human-factors in the nuclear industry and public transport systems (safety analyses), I'd say they mean not that the HF specialists should have on-the-ground experience in NPP operation or transport management, say, but that they have to climb down from their ivory towers and get out into the field and see first hand what the work involves and how people do it (or not).

It appears to have come as a revelation to some of these HF experts some years ago that people do not run on clockwork, that just because an instruction says "Do this" they will "Do that". If they slept badly, if they had a fight with their spouse at breakfast time, if their child is sick, if the pranged the new car, etc. their minds will not be 100% on their work, they will not respond as quickly as ivory-towers will expect, they will not ... necessarily do what people think they will and expect them to.

So getting out there and seeing what people's habits and reactions are is all-important. This can be done in real-life situations, but prob. more effectively in simulators - and even then, the fact that it is a simulator modifies behaviour (who has never crashed his Flight Simulator just for the hell of it?).

Bourth (X)
Local time: 06:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 218
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
get down on the shop floor


Explanation:
Another alternative - I think the problem is to link "fassent du terrain" with the terrain in the previous sentence, so whilst the other options work, I'm not sure whether they link in.

See:

health & safety information, Work Life BalanceHealth and safety in the workplace; a website by NHS Health Scotland. ... management and shop floor; supportive environment to achieve a more balanced life ...
www.safeandhealthyworking.com/main-section/workplace-topics... - 53k - Cached - Similar pages

NIOSH Program Portfolio : Global Collaborations: Publications ...NIOSH - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ... basic information and training tools at the "shop floor" level by workers and employers. ...
www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/global/pubs.html - 32k - Cached - Similar pages


Information Technology for Manufacturing:Design engineers may not understand very well what is actually happening on the shop floor; expert system shells have been useful for presenting operators ...
fermat.nap.edu/books/0309051797/html/84.html - 90k -


Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 135
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1 day 16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to get hands-on experience


Explanation:
Hello,

I agree with Bourth, for the most part.

faire du terrain = are getting actual experience (in the field)

Literally, "to get out into the field/terrain."

I hope this helps.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 01:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
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