SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Sources Sought for Sign Language Support Services
- Notice Date
- 11/18/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541930
— Translation and Interpretation Services
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Center medical Intelligence, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, 21702, United States
- ZIP Code
- 21702
- Solicitation Number
- DIA403006A
- Archive Date
- 12/24/2009
- Point of Contact
- Michael,
- E-Mail Address
-
michael.worthington@dia.mil
(michael.worthington@dia.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is not a Presolicitation or Solicitation announcement. This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY. The purposes of this sources sought notice is to gain market knowledge of potential small business sources and their size classification; HUBzone, 8(a), Small disadvantage Business, Woman Owned business, Veteran owned Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business relative to NAICS Code 541930, with a small business size standard not to exceed $7.0M. Responses to this sources sought synopsis will be used by the Government to make appropriate determinations about potential SOURCES ONLY. No solicitation is currently available at this time. After review of the responses to this sources sought announcement a synopsis and/or solicitation or combination of both announcements may be published at a later time. Responses to this notice shall include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to North American Industrial Classification Code (NAICS) and must respond to the following questions: 1) Is your business a small business under NAICS code 54930? 2) Does your firm qualify as a small disadvantage business? 3) If disadvantaged specify if your firm is certified under Section 8(a) of Small Business Act or self certified? 4) Are you certified HubZone firm? 5) Are you certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned or Veteran Owned business? 6) Are you woman-owned? 7) Is your business a large business? Please provide a capability statement addressing your organization's ability to perform as a prime contractor the work described in the draft SOW below. Index your firm's capabilities to the tasks in the draft SOW so that your firm's capabilities can be readily assessed. This is not a request for proposal and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. Please provide responses in writing no later than 09 Dec 2009 to: Michael.worthing@dia.mil. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses to this sources sought announcement will not be considered as a response to any solicitation, request to be added to a prospective offerors list, or to receive a copy of any solicitation. No solicitation is currently available at this time. DRAFT SOW DRAFT SOW DRAFT SOW DRAFT SOW DRAFT SOW DRAFT SOW 1. Background: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, requires federal agencies to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees or applicants with disabilities, unless it causes an undue hardship. Therefore the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has a requirement for a contract vendor qualified to provide both classified and unclassified sign language interpreting services to deaf /hard of hearing employees, applicants, and visitors. This acquisition of language support services is central to the accommodation process. The language support services required include, but are not limited to American Sign Language (ASL), English Interpretation, transliteration, contact sign/Pidgin Signed English (PSE), Oral transliteration, the Rochester Method, Close Vision, and Tactile Sign Language. DIA's Equal Opportunity Office (EO) will manage this contract. 2. Program Objectives: 2.1 This contract shall be a minimum of 2880hours up to 4,450 hours of interpreting services for a fixed rate per hour during the period of performance. The number of interpreters required for any given day of the week may vary from 0-5. 2.2 The Contract interpreters shall provide clear, accurate interpretation of information in a variety of settings allowing deaf/ hard of hearing employees to fully engage in work activities and obtain equal benefits and privileges of employment. These settings include, but are not limited to staff meetings, one-on-one interactions, trainings, conferences, team building activities, interviews, video remote interpreting, and townhall meetings. 2.3 The Contractor shall provide the appropriate number of interpreters who hold a Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance based on daily requirements made by the EO Office. 2.4 The Contractor shall not be paid for lunch for assignments of 8 or more hours. Interpreters can be paid for working lunches when they are required to provide interpreting services as a part of their official assignment. 2.5 In the event uncleared personnel are utilized, the Contractor must submit all pertinent information (Full Name, Social Security Number, automobile make, model and tag number) at least 2 business days in advance of the assignment. 2.6 The Contractor shall collaborate with EO office personnel to develop customer satisfaction performance measures and metrics. Results of metrics will be addressed by activities such as: developing solutions to language barrier issues; reducing number of unfilled requirements, and satisfying customer in terms of quality and timeliness. 2.7 The Contractor shall perform interpreting related tasks to include, but are not limited to: - Daily monitoring the two Interpreter_Requests email boxes - Short and long-range scheduling - Maintaining a customer profile for each client (including language preference, description of the workplace, terminology, and contact information) - Calculating time utilized (actual interpreting vs. total hours requested) - Maintaining logs for on-call assignments at remote sites - Entering data into the interpreting services database - Preparing metric reports of interpreting service 2.8 The Contractor must seek prior approval from the CO and/or confirmation from the COR to continue services in the event an assignment exceeds the requested time. 2.9 The Contract interpreters may be required to support assignments in multiple locations in the NCR during the course of one shift. The contractor will be responsible for providing his/her mode of transportation to and from the various locations, unless otherwise specified. The contractor may utilize DIA shuttles with the appropriate credentials. 2.10 When possible, DIA will provide the following property to interpreters for use: office space, furniture (including desks and chairs), supplies, computer access (classified and unclassified systems); telephones (secure and open lines); voicemail; photocopy machine; fax machine; and videophone. Contractor's use of government provided property shall be for official business purposes only. 2.11 Cancellation of interpreting services must be submitted by the government to the Contractor at least 1 business day in advance of the scheduled performance time. 2.12 In the event an interpreter arrives to an assignment that has been cancelled, the interpreter may be reassigned to cover other assignments. 2.13 The Contract interpreters will not report to work if the federal government is closed, per direction and posting from the Office of Personnel Management, due to inclement weather or emergency. No cancellation fee or charges shall be assessed. 2.14 The Contractor shall invoice on a monthly basis. The invoice shall include the number of hours provided and list each assignment requested. 3. Personnel: The Contractor shall provide a workforce possessing a current recognized certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Interpreters must be proficient in sign-to-voice and voice-to-sign transliteration and interpretation. Additionally, a certified and qualified interpreter must have a minimum of one year of paid professional experience as an interpreter. Paid professional experience is defined as providing interpreting services on a full-time or part-time basis in a professional capacity for the purposes of gainful employment. This experience shall not include time when the interpreter was in training, mentoring, or fulfilling an internship requirement. Further, all contract employees of this contract must adhere to the RID Code of Professional Conduct, as well as other federal regulations stated in this document. 4. Hours of Operation: Normal duty hours are between 0700-1800 hours, Monday through Friday. However, DIA is a 24-hour operation and may include shift work (day/swing/ midnight), weekends and shifts that are 8,10,or 12 hours in length. 5. Security Requirement: The Contractor must possess a Top Secret, Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) facility clearance. Contract interpreters must possess TS/SCI clearance and be eligible for special access programs (SAPs). Contract interpreters must have appropriate clearances as required by the assignment. Assignments that do not require clearances will be handled on a case-by-case basis. 6. Place of Performance: Local travel within a 50 mile radius of the NCR shall not be reimbursed. Local area travel that are within, but are not limited to; the Defense Intelligence Analysis Center (DIAC), the Pentagon, Clarendon, Reston, Virginia, College Park Maryland and other locations in the National Capital Region (NCR). However, transit costs associated with TDY or deployment will be covered under the Joint Federal Travel Regulation. 7. Travel: DIA has a global presence and travel beyond the NCR may be required. As such, interpreters may be required to travel to locations CONUS and OCONUS. Possible locations are, but not limited to; England, Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Hawaii, and various places in the continental US. DIA will reimburse travel expenses according to the Joint Federal Travel Regulation. 8. Period of Performance: The period of performance for this contract shall begin on or about January 1, 2010 for a twelve (12) month base year and four (4) twelve (12) month option years for a total contract of five years in duration.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/788110740a107aa3a81f4197fb9977af)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Virginia Contracting Activity, WASINGTON, District of Columbia, 20340-5100, United States
- Zip Code: 20340-5100
- Zip Code: 20340-5100
- Record
- SN02006160-W 20091120/091118235131-788110740a107aa3a81f4197fb9977af (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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