Attachment 7 - RFQ 15JA0525Q0000024 Questions and Answers.pdf

Attachment 7 – Questions and Answers

1. On pages 6 and 7, items 16 through 20, for provided material, English and non-English, the total amount of hours is 100,000 for the year; given that an hour of material is generally 60 pages of transcript, that would be over 5,000,000 pages per year of provided material. Can we get approximate historical data from last year on how many hours of material were actually transcribed?

Answer: (3 business days) = 24 hours (5 business days) = 40 hours (10 business days) = 80 hours Note: Average workday is 8 hours See Attachment 7 - 15JA0525Q00000024 P0001

2. On page 7, item 19, the solicitation states non-English transcription, will there be languages other than Spanish that we need to be aware of?

Answer: No

3. Attachment 1, page 3, states three Spanish-speaking court reporters for both Criminal and Superior Court– so does that mean six total, or three is sufficient between the two courts?

Answer: After further discussion, the district does not require Spanish speaking court reporters.

4. Are the Spanish-speaking court reporters going to be asked to do official court translation during testimony?

5. Regarding depositions, Attachment 1 - Statement of Work; Page 15; Number 1 "When the Contractor hosts the remote depositions—... Shall load them [exhibits] to the presentation application before the deposition." Is there a specific presentation application required/preferred by USAO?

Answer: No. Normally, there is only a thumb drive and monitor for presentation

6. Attachment 1 - Statement of Work; Page 15; Number 5 "Provide technical support to assist with issues during the deposition." Is contractor required to provide separate personnel aside from the court reporter to be present during depositions to provide technical support? If so, can a line item be added for pricing?

Answer: No, the only technical support required is for the court reporter to bring and set up the recording devices and take notes

7. Is the intent of this requirement to mandate bilingual court reporters for live, in-court proceedings, or would it be acceptable to fulfill Spanish-language needs through transcription services from recorded audio?

Answer: After further discussion, the district does not require bilingual court reporters, just the ability to have the transcription translated from Spanish to English

8. Has there been a change in policy, operations, or case volume that now necessitates in-court bilingual court reporters instead of utilizing transcriptionists as needed?

Answer: After further discussion, it was agreed that bilingual court reporters are not required in court. The district only needs the transcription translated from Spanish to English.

9. Would the agency consider modifying the requirement to allow Spanish transcriptionists to be utilized on an as-needed basis, rather than requiring in-court bilingual court reporters at all times?

Answer: Yes. The district will accept either non-bilingual or bilingual transcriptionist key personnel resumes.

10. If Spanish-speaking court reporters are expected to provide translation services while simultaneously performing their court reporting duties, will a separate line item be added to the pricing table for this work? Translation requires a distinct skill set from traditional court reporting, so we need to make sure this is accounted for when providing pricing.

Answer: After further discussion, the district does not require a separate line item for Spanish speaking court reporters. See modified answer to 8 and 9 above.

11. In addition to the questions outlined above, will you consider adjusting the quantity of 20,000 hours listed for transcription-only services? Based on historical usage, this figure appears to be significantly higher than what has typically been required, and we believe a more realistic estimate would allow for a more accurate and cost-effective proposal.

Answer: See answer to question 1 – Modified RQS – 15JA0525Q00000024 P00001

12. Who is the current vendor(s), what is their contract number and what are their prices?

Answer: 15JA05-20-D-00000004, Free State Reporting, Inc.

13. Can a vendor bid on just the non-classified/clearance work?

14. What percentage of the grand jury work requires cleared court reporters/transcribers?

Answer: 2 of the court reporters must be able to attain a top secret clearance to provide support for national security indictments when needed.

15. What percentage of the deposition work requires cleared court reporters/transcribers?

Answer: The district does not require court reporters to have a top-secret clearance for depositions. They only need to be cleared with the appropriate the background check.

16. What percentage of the grand jury work gets transcribed?

Answer: District Court: Every grand jury proceeding is transcribed, without request.

Superior Court: Every grand jury proceeding is transcribed (though it is with a request)

17. What percentage of the deposition work gets transcribed?

Answer: 100%

18. What percentage of the grand jury work is held remotely/virtually?

Answer: None

19. What percentage of the deposition work is held remotely/virtually?

Answer: 50%

20. Can a vendor sell copies of the depositions to parties in the case?

Answer: The district interprets …sell copies of the depositions to parties in the case as the Plaintiff and Defendant only. To that extent, the district will only be responsible for the transcript that we procure. Any other party is responsible for their own request and cost.