MODIFICATION
R -- Language Access Services: Translation and Interpretation
- Notice Date
- 4/13/2016
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 541930
— Translation and Interpretation Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Office of Administration, 6011 Executive Blvd, 5th Floor, Rockville, Maryland, 20852-3804, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20852-3804
- Solicitation Number
- NIHOD2016090
- Archive Date
- 5/14/2016
- Point of Contact
- Sharmaine S. Fagan-Kerr, Phone: 3015943744
- E-Mail Address
-
sharmaine.fagan-kerr@nih.gov
(sharmaine.fagan-kerr@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- 4/04/2016 SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Number: NIHOD2016090 Project Title: Language Access Services: Translation and Interpretation The National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Office of Director/ Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUB Zone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code 541930 should not submit a response to this notice." Project requirements. The contractor will be required to provide Translation and Interpretation Services. Anticipated period of performance. The period of performance is expected to be for one twelve Month base period and Four twelve Month Option periods. Expected award date is 7/31/16. a.Other important considerations. Respondents should show their abilities to provide the technical aspects of the SOW and also the capability to provide the expected administrative work on the contract. Include the following in your responses :(a) Staff/Company experience and their capability to provide translation and interpreting services as it related to this SOW, (b) Corporate Experience/Capability ;(c) Licenses, Insurance and Warranties,(d) Record keeping and contract administration capabilities; (e) The contractor should provide information as to whether they have been contractors on prior Government contracts. Submission of Capability Statements and Delivery Instructions: In 15 pages or less, respondents should submit a capability statement of their organization which demonstrates their ability to supply the services described in the statement of work. They should also include any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the acquisition requirements. Responses must reference the sources sought number NIHOD2016090 and include the following: (1) Name and Address of the Company, (2) Size and type of business, pursuant to the applicable NAICS code 541930 (3) Point of contact with name, title, phone, fax and email, (4) DUNS number, (5) Contractors' capability statements should address the services required in the statement of work and any other important or unique considerations relevant to the services required (6) List the organizations to whom similar types of services have been previously provided. ALL INFORMATION SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. THE CLOSING DATE FOR RESPONSES IS DUE on April 29, 2016 @ 10:00 AM EST. All questions and/or comments must be emailed to Sharmaine Fagan-Kerr at Sharmaine.fagan-kerr@nih.gov on or before April 25 2016. Questions will not be taken over the phone. (a) When mailing your capabilities through the U.S. Postal Service use the following address: National Institutes of Health, Office of Logistics and Acquisition Operations, (OLAO), 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 625B, Bethesda, MD 20892. ATTN: Sharmaine Fagnan-Kerr. (b) When hand delivering, or using a courier service such as: UPS, Federal Express, etc., use the following City, State, and Zip Code: Rockville, MD 20852. Responses by Facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted. Three (3) copies of the capability statement will be required if mailed or delivered by Courier. Otherwise virus free capability statements will be accepted via email as long as they are received by the deadline. Emailed capability statements must be sent to Sharmaine.fagan-kerr@nih.gov Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality - No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). SOURCES SOUGHT STATEMENT OF WORK for NIH/Language Access Services: Translation and Interpretation Introduction The National Institutes of Health (NIH), an Operating Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the nation's medical research agency supporting scientific studies that turn discovery into health. NIH is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. The overall NIH goals are: •to foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis for ultimately protecting and improving health; •to develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will ensure the Nation's capability to prevent disease; •to expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation's economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research; and •to exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science. In realizing these goals, the NIH provides leadership and direction to programs designed to improve the health of the Nation by conducting and supporting research: •in the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and cure of human diseases; •in the processes of human growth and development; •in the biological effects of environmental contaminants; •in the understanding of mental, addictive and physical disorders; and •in directing programs for the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information in medicine and health, including the development and support of medical libraries and the training of medical librarians and other health information specialists. Purpose In accordance with Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), 65 Fed. Reg. 50,121 (Aug. 16, 2000), federal agencies must take reasonable steps to help ensure that Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals can have meaningful access to federal programs and activities. The NIH Language Access Plan establishes a strategy for ensuring meaningful access to individuals who are LEP to NIH administered programs and activities. This initiative is aimed at public contacts and NIH Program beneficiaries, not the NIH workforce. The goal of the NIH and its Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is to provide meaningful access to individuals of the public who do not speak English as their primary language, who have limited ability to read, write or understand English and interact with the NIH Institutes/Centers (ICs) via any medium, including, but not limited to, websites, email, phone, social media and in-person contact. The NIH is looking is to provide Language Access Translation and Interpretation Services to each of its 27 Institutes and Centers in addition to subcomponents within the Office of the Director that interface with members of the general public: •Oral language assistance •Translation of written materials •Translation of Digital information/Web Content (including social media, infographic platforms, multimedia, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, electronic books and others) •Other translation and interpretation support as outline below and in individual task orders. Scope NIH requires a variety of services in the languages most frequently encountered by respective ICs. Internal survey data conducted by EDI to date shows the following languages to be the most often encountered across NIH: Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese. Other languages identified across several NIH components include Afrikaans, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Farsi, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Vietnamese, Navajo, Polish, and Tagalog. In addition, there are 90 other languages encountered at the NIH that shall require contracted support on an occasional basis. (See appendix 1 for listing) Period of Performance The duration of this order is for one year from the date of the award with four option years. All work products produced through this contract are the property of the Federal Government. All tasks issued under this acquisition will begin within 15 days after date of award or as otherwise specified by the Government's designated Contracting Officer. Tasks I.Interpretation Contractor shall: 1.Provide oral language assistance services using qualified and certified interpreters or staff whose proficiency in non-English languages has been well documented, (including but not limited to executing second checks for translations) to ensure that individuals have an equal opportunity to participate in the services, activities, and program administered by the NIH. Interactions shall be in the form of in both face-to face and telephone encounters. 2.Provide support services to component NIH Institutes, Centers, and offices by providing oral multilingual interpretation services for a wide range of meetings and events, including but not limited to intake sessions, interviews, meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, litigation proceedings, briefings, training events, hearings, and other occasions where the Government requires communication support from one source language into a second language. 3.On a per call basis, Contractor shall provide consultation and planning assistance to requesting agencies for conference interpretation services to determine interpretation team requirements and equipment requirements. Incidental items may include equipment requirements. Services shall be performed by qualified, professional, experienced interpreters who possess a high level of interpretation skills and proficiency in both the English language and the non-English speaker's language in order to interpret the speaker's meaning completely and accurately. Specifically, interpreters employed by the Contractor shall be: 1.Knowledgeable of specialized vocabulary including basic scientific language (i.e., terminology) in both English and the foreign language typically used in systems including, but not limited to, health care systems, social service systems and legal systems. 2.Knowledgeable of the Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters and protocol of court interpreting, indicated by the interpreter's signature on a copy of the Code of Professional Responsibility; 3.Able to speak English and the foreign language fluently, including high-to-low levels of language register, regional and cultural colloquialisms, and slang expressions, and do so with clear and intelligible pronunciation; 4.Able to interpret in a manner that is factually and conceptually accurate without changes, omissions, or additions; 5.Able to preserve the tone and emotional level of the speaker, as well as manage the delivery, speed and length of the statement (projection, pace and pausing) of the speaker; 6.Able to maintain appropriate speed and projection while rendering interpretation, and request and incorporate clarification of speaker's statements only when justified. Certification of Interpreters The Government expects that all work performed under this contract meets widely accepted standards for interpretation in each language required. Contractor shall ensure that oral language interpreters under this acquisition are evaluated based on official qualifications which include fluency/expression, comprehension, and specialized vocabulary criteria and that meet widely-accepted and agreed-upon certifications. While there is no official licensing in the United States for general interpreters, contracted interpreters selected to satisfy this requirement shall have a minimum of three (3) consecutive year of professional experience in the field of oral interpretation, one or all of the following certifications and/or qualifications (depending on the services required by the covered entity): 1.Interpreter Certification from an Accredited University or Institution. 2.Community Interpreter Certification from an Accredited Organization. 3.Legal Interpreter Certification from an Accredited Organization. 4.Medical Interpreter Certification from an Accredited Organization. 5.The Translators and Interpreters Guild Certification. 6.Federal, State or the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) certification. 7.Judiciary Interpreters and Translators Certification Examination (JITCE) certification will be accepted. 8.Passage of one or all of the following levels of State Department examination: (1) Escort; (2) Conference; and (3) Seminar. The Government may verify the qualifications of any interpreter. All vendors selected must contact the agency issuing the task order within twenty-four (24) hours to collect instructions on oral interpretation services required unless otherwise instructed. The covered entity requesting the task order shall specify the need for interpretation (e.g. medical, legal, community-based, etc.) to be matched appropriately with a qualified interpreter. Only interpreters that have specific qualifications (e.g. training/certification) in legal and/or medical interpreting will qualify for task orders requesting a medical and/or legal interpreter. A court interpreter shall not, for example, conduct medical interpretations for an entity unless qualified to do so (i.e. has training in medical interpretation and terminology). Community interpreters will not be used for medical and/or legal interpretation. Contractor(s) shall forward a copy of their "certification(s)" and resumes with each task order. Individual ICs shall submit task orders to the Contractor specifying the language requirement, task requirements, deliverables, location and duty station for work to be performed, dates and times, and contact information. Each task order shall specify required delivery. The Contractor shall adhere to each specified delivery requirement. II.Translation Languages required for the purpose of translations shall include, but are not limited to, Spanish, Chinese (traditional), Vietnamese, Amharic, French, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese. Contractor shall: 1.Provide translation of a wide range of materials, including but not limited to print and electronic media, in such a way as to make them accessible in various formats into languages other than English as specified in individual tasks orders that are culturally appropriate, easy to understand by target audience and written using plain language elements and standards as defined by the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN). Examples of translated materials include but are not limited to the following media: •Health, medical and scientific information slated for broad public dissemination, including public outreach and educational materials, brochures, fact sheets, guidance and policies, and articles •Web content and web applications •Social media content •Audiovisual files, such as videos and web-based training modules •Press releases, backgrounders, and summaries of published medical and scientific research •Materials related to publicly-funded research, including materials related to consent and participation in research studies and materials developed to address human protection from research risk •Talking points and presentations 2.Provide digital information/web content translation by translating public website content and electronic documents. Translation of web content may include web pages that contain important information intended for the general public. 3.Provide written translation services as required and specified in task orders. Services shall include but are not limited to translation of vital documents, proofreading, editing, and desktop publishing, all in the required media format (e.g., hardcopy and electronic media). Work shall be accomplished by technically and linguistically qualified and experienced certified translators. Translations shall reflect an overall approach (e.g., tone and style) appropriate for the target audience Translations shall be accurate, clear and sensitive to the cultural, political, and social environment of the target reader/audience. 4.Translate for NIH Institutes and Centers a wide range of vital documents in the following disciplines, in accordance with the requirements and timeframes established in individual task orders: Business documents, legal, medical and technical documents, manuals, and other materials as defined. 5.Provide high quality, technically accurate, and audience-appropriate translation of English language documents in the following formats: electronic and CD ROM copies of final versions of translated documents into HTML, TEXT, Word, PDF, Publisher, Quark or other versions, as requested. Translators shall provide grammatically correct translations which preserve the original syntax, writing style, and factual information of the original documents. Each translation will be proofread and checked for quality via a testing protocol. Contractor shall continually monitor and evaluate translators for accuracy listening/recall, speech flow, and appropriate intervening. The Government may require translators to also have expertise in a specific subject matter area, i.e. legal, health, medical, etc. and/or provide appropriate certification, i.e. ATA certification, ACTFL, ALTA, Defense Language Institute, State/Federal Courts, US State Department, etc. See Certification, below. Individual ICs shall submit task orders to the Contractor specifying the language requirement, task requirements, deliverables, location and duty station for work to be performed, dates and times, and contact information. At the time a technical directive is issued, the Government's project officer shall assign and provide timelines and deadlines for translated materials, including an outline for any revisions to be made. Translation task will likely require work to be accomplished on a quick turnaround for shorter documents (i.e. up to 1,500 words of material), while other tasks will allow for a longer turnaround time (for longer documents (more than 1,500 words) of material. The Institute contact will work with the vendor on establishing an appropriate turn-around time through the task order. Contractor shall provide translation services on their own premises. Each task order shall specify required delivery. The Contractor shall adhere to this specified delivery requirement. Contractor shall contact the Government's Project Officer within twenty-four (24) hours following the issuance of each task order to collect documents to be translated. Unless otherwise specified and agreed upon, Contractor shall complete assigned written translation tasks no later than thirty (30) calendar days from the date of award unless otherwise instructed. Qualification Requirements of Translators: The Government expects that all work performed under this contract meets widely accepted standards for translation in each language required. There is no official licensing in the United States for general translators, therefore, Contractor(s) selected to satisfy this requirement shall have at least two or all of the following recognized language or translation certifications/qualifications: 1.Translator Certification/Degree from an Accredited University or Institution. 2.American Translators Association (ATA) Certification. 3.American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) certification 4.The Translators and Interpreters Guild Certification. 5.Defense Language Institute, State/Federal Courts 6.Expertise in a specific subject matter (i.e. legal, medical, etc.) 7.Successful completion of the translation examination administered by the Office of Language Services, Translating Division of the U.S. Department of State. 8.Should no certification exist for a specific language requested by the entity issuing the task order, the translation vendor shall provide a translator who has a minimum of 3-5 working years of experience performing professional written translations to/from English and the requested language. Contractor(s) are required to forward a copy of their certification(s) and resumes with each bid, including their technical area of expertise (e.g. legal, medical, educational, etc.). A.Quality Controls: The Contractor shall develop, maintain, and update a Quality Assurance Plan as agreed upon with the Governments Project Officer(s) and the program office issuing individual task orders. Any changes to the plan must be approved by the Government before being implemented. The Contractor's Quality Assurance Plan shall, at a minimum, address the following: 1.Detailed description of the quality assurance measures employed to meet all requirements of this IDIQ. 2.Maintenance of a hard-copy Master File for each interpreter (an electronic format Master File may also be maintained, but not in lieu of the hard-copy). The Master File is a critical factor within the overall Quality Assurance Plan and must contain, at a minimum, the following information for each interpreter and/or translator: résumé, copy of certification, and signed Code of Professional Responsibility statement. Contractor shall provide access to interpreter/translator's Master File and/or a copy of the interpreter/translator's Master File to the Government within two (2) working days after the Government's request. Contractor(s) are required to forward copies of their Quality Assurance Plans with each bid. 3.The quality assurance plan will ensure that oral language interpreters under the centralized contract are evaluated based on official qualifications which include fluency/expression, comprehension, and specialized vocabulary criteria and have recognized certifications. Similarly, translators will provide accurate and grammatically correct translations which preserve the purpose, the register, message, writing style, and factual information of the original documents. Each translation will be proofread and checked for quality via a testing protocol. 4. The government should have 30 days to review and provide feedback to the vendor without incurring any additional cost. Deliverable RequiredMeasures of Success IndicatorsStandards-Criteria for Acceptable Quality LevelMethod of Surveillance The contractor shall provide updates to project tracking databases Monthly reports from systems reflect status of projects100% compliance with government requirements and Technical MonitorCustomer review and observation. Government inspections and acceptance The contractor shall provide monthly updates to ICs colleagues on the status of projects.Delivered by the 30th of every month.100% compliance with government requirements and Technical MonitorCustomer review and observation. Government inspections and acceptance The contractor shall develop spreadsheets and databases to help manage and communicate project status.Delivered as needed by request of EDI staff.100% compliance with government requirements and Technical MonitorCustomer review and observation. Government inspections and acceptance The contractor shall provide monthly status reports of completed and in process projects.Delivered by the 15th of every month100% compliance with government requirements and Technical MonitorCustomer review and observation. Government inspections and acceptance B. Non-Compliance: The Government reserves the right to refuse the employment of an individual interpreter/translator provided by the Contractor due to poor performance or any other reason based on a failure to satisfy the Government's requirements. Once Contractor is notified that a particular interpreter has been disqualified, Contractor shall not employ the interpreter in any Government function unless reinstatement is granted by the Government's Contracting Officer or his or her designated Contracting Officer's Technical Representatives or other designee. Contractor Furnished Property Contractor shall furnish all necessary property, equipment, personnel, and data services to perform the work outline in this Statement of Work. Travel The Government does not anticipate a need for Contractor non-local travel under this acquisition. Reports Unless otherwise agreed upon, Contractor shall provide a Monthly Progress Report to the Project Officer no later than the close of business on the 5th day of each month. The Contractor shall also submit Monthly Status Reports, summarizing all activities performed during each month. All reports required shall be submitted in electronic format. Contractor shall address the following at a minimum in each Monthly Status Report: •Descriptive information about the activities undertaken during the reporting period; •Summary of work accomplished during the previous month; •Milestones and deliverables; •Any issues or problems impacting project progress along with their ultimate resolution. Invoices Contractor shall follow the attached instructions and submission procedures specified in the resultant contract. Government Security Contractor and contractor's partners, subcontractors, and consultants shall meet all security requirements of the U.S. Government for security clearances, special passes, badging, training, and identification. Place of Performance Interpreting and Translation services will be provided to all NIH Institutes and Centers through this contract. In person interpreting services will occur at multiple Government locations principally serving the main NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland and surrounding areas but also remote NIH locations including North Carolina, Arizona and Montana. Work may take place in any of the NIH's leased or owned facilities in satellite campuses and alternative locations, including events venues and offices. Transition of Services Plan Contractor shall participate in transition activities associated with the hand-off of service responsibilities both at contract start-up and 90 days prior to contract expiration. In the start-up activities, Contractor shall be the recipient of information from both the outgoing service contractor and/or from the Government. In the close-out activities, Contractor shall be the information provider to the Government and to any other agents designated by the Government. Contractor shall ensure that all deliverables are identified and available to the Government. Transition - Contract Start up Immediately following contract award, Contractor shall engage in transition activities with the Government intended at familiarizing Contractor with the existing EDI project and assess background information that serves as a valuable resource as the Contractor assumes responsibilities under this contract. Transition - Contract Close - Out The purpose of this section is to provide a plan for a transition from the Contractor to the Government or to a successor for support to the EDI during the final 90 days of Contractor's period of performance. During this period, Contractor shall: 1.Create and deliver Transition Plan for turning operations over to a Successor; 2.Deliver a comprehensive list of all incomplete tasks, both in process and backlogged; 3.Generate and deliver a plan for the completion of work prior to the expiration of the Contractor's contract period of performance; 4.Support knowledge exchange activities. The nominal requirement for this task is that of being available to answer questions, provide passwords/access to accounts and systems, products and documentation, and brief the Successor on the status of work not completed; 5.Provide briefings and other familiarization to the Successor. The Government and its representative will act as a third party in all meetings and communications between the incumbent and Successor specific to knowledge exchange. The Contractor shall provide walk-through for all the deliverables under the effort as well as where the information is stored, and any current information that is under development and 6.Work with a Government-established transition management team to coordinate and oversee the implementation of a detailed transition plan, incorporating input from Contractor, the Successor, EDI staff, and other stakeholders as appropriate. This team shall provide procedures and criteria for ensuring the quality of transferred work, identifying a strategy for the evaluation or remedying problemswith transferred work products, and hold regular meetings to review progress, identify problems, and ensure prompt problem resolution prior to task order completion. Inspection and Acceptance Criteria Roles and Responsibilities Notwithstanding Contractor's responsibility for total management during the performance of this contract and task orders thereof, the administration of the contract shall require effective coordination between the government and the contractor. This section describes the roles and responsibilities of individuals and/or authorized users who shall serve as the primary points of contact for the government and contractor on matters regarding contract administration. The government may modify the roles and responsibilities at any time during the period of performance of the contact. Government Personnel Contracting Officer (CO) The CO is the only person with authority to act as agent of the government under this contract. Only the CO has authority to: a.Direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work b.Modify or extend the period of performance c.Change the delivery schedule d.Authorize reimbursement to the contractor for any cost incurred during the performance of this contract e.Otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) A Contracting Officer' Representative shall be assigned to this contract for the following: a.Monitoring Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the PCO changes in requirements b.Interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements c.Performing technical evaluation as required d.Assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance. End.
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- Place of Performance
- Address: NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- Zip Code: 20892
- Zip Code: 20892
- Record
- SN04083509-W 20160415/160413235058-dd0ee46d711838bc46d28d139ea7dd33 (fbodaily.com)
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