The real cost of manual scribing
$600 to $1,200 a day. Plus two days of processing. Plus risk.
Professional Government scribes typically charge $80 to $150 per hour. A full-day interview session costs $600 to $1,200 before logistics. A bulk round requiring scribing across multiple panels over multiple days can cost $20,000 to $50,000 in direct scribe fees alone.
The time cost is additional. Assembling, reviewing, and distributing scribed notes after the interview adds two to three days to the recruitment timeline. The risk cost is harder to quantify: record quality varies between scribes, inconsistencies across a round are common, and the completeness of the record depends on the individual’s skill and endurance across a long day.
The question is not whether manual scribing works. It does. The question is whether the combined cost of fees, time, and risk still represents value for money when automated alternatives exist.