Q and A Number 2 - 19GE5020R0030.pdf

Interpreting and Translating Services – IDIQ Contract Embassy of the United States of America

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Solicitation Number 19GE5020R0030

Questions and Answers #2

Q19: At this time does the Government anticipate COVID-19 complications delaying either the award or start date of this contract? Will the Government keep industry updated on any developments or delays associated with this solicitation?

A19: The Proposal Due Date has been extended to May 19, 2020, in part necessitated by

COVID-19. The Government will certainly make every effort to keep industry updated.

Q20: Will the Government confirm if travel and travel expenses that are reimbursed by the

Government can be burdened with G&A costs? It is understood that all travel expenses should exclude profit or fee.

A20: No. Please see paragraphs C.19 (c) and (d). G&A cost should only be burdened to the main interpreting and translating CLINs.

Q21: Will a page that has over 250 words of English text as counted by the Microsoft applications be considered as 2 pages?

A21: It is intended that page count will be calculated as follows: the document’s total word count will be taken, and that number divided by 250. The result will then be rounded up to come up with the document’s total page count.

The forthcoming RFP amendment will better define “page count” as is described above.

Q22: Can the government provide an estimated breakdown between the 2,000 requested hours of simultaneous and consecutive interpretation? These two services are often priced very differently, and this information would be helpful to industry.

A22: The Government recognizes that these two services are priced differently, therefore the forthcoming RFP amendment will break Interpreting of Events/Conferences into two (simultaneous and consecutive) and provide estimated quantities for each.

Q23: Historically, how many hours of Simultaneous interpretation is used per year?

A23: We have not asked for simultaneous interpretation in the past, but it is expected that there will be a requirement in the future.

Q24: Will the Government confirm that this clause references Saudi Arabian security clearance and not US SECRET or above security clearances? How long does this process typically take? Will the Contractor be held accountable for Government delays caused by this process?

A24: There is no requirement for U.S. Government security clearance on this contract, however, the Government may ask for background checks and will need the necessary information from offeror staff. The Saudi ministries MAY require clearances. If they do, no employees of the offeror will be permitted to work on sensitive materials until they comply with the Saudi requirement. As this is a multi-award contract, if a contract holder does not have a “cleared” linguist available at time of order, then the task order will go to another contract holder.

Q25: Will the Government confirm that the award process for task orders with an estimated value greater than $250,000 requires an additional round of lowest priced competition between contract holders? If so, how should industry be expected to provide their most competitive pricing at this RFP stage only to be asked to do so again at a later date?

A25: In accordance with FAR 16.505, orders valued at over the $250,000 must be awarded on a competitive basis. The government estimates that almost all of the orders will be valued at under $250,000.

Q27: How many pages of translated documents are required to be delivered in one 8-hr day (by

5:00 pm)? This will determine the number of translators needed to support large requirements.

A27: The Government will provide a “needed-by” date with each task order. In the past it has been very seldom that the government expected a fast turn-around with a translation. It is the Government’s intention that the level of effort for the pricing of translations be one translator per document per day. The Government will use the industry standard of 1000 words per day per translator.

Q28: Will the Government provide a copy or a detailed explanation of the OPM-MOI language competency test so that industry has awareness of the level of competency required and can recruit and price appropriately? Will these tests be graded on the Interagency

Language Roundtable (ILR) scale? If so, what levels certifies a passing score for Gulf

Arabic?

A28: The paragraph stating that OPM-MOI will conduct competency testing and maintain a listing of OPM-MOI certified linguists will be removed. The onus of ensuring that the linguists performing on the contract are properly qualified (IAW para C.12.3) will instead be borne on the contractor. The Government will use the

Quality Assurance and Surveillance Plan, described in para C.11, to monitor the contractor’s performance, and para C.9.3 to withhold awarding further orders until performance issues are resolved.

Q29: Will the Government confirm that all Interpreters and Translators require evidence of successful completion of professional training regardless of secondary education?

A29: Yes.

Q30: Is the information on three years of experience required to be submitted within the bid or upon award and prior to performance by any given interpreter or translator?

A30: Time of award.

Q31: Will the Government assess the reasonableness of each offeror’s DBA unit cost to ensure

Offerors are not submitting artificially low rates in order to enhance cost competitiveness and that the price being quoted to the Government will, in fact, provide the appropriate level of coverage required for the number of personnel supporting this contract?

A31: Yes.

Q32: Under Subfactor 2: Strategic Plan does the Government mean… “52.212-1 Addendum, Strategic Plan paragraphs a through e.”? If not, will the Government provide the requirements of a Quality Control Plan?

A32: Yes.

Q33: Will the Government confirm there is no requirement to provide a “Transition Plan” as listed in the second paragraph?

A33: Correct.

Q34: During the life of the contract how often may the provider submit new interpreters and translators for testing, certification, and approval? Can this take place on an as-needed basis?

A34: Testing requirement is removed.

Q35: Can internal testing also be completed using the NATO STANAG process as long as scores achieved map across to the ILR levels required inC.12.3.4?

A35: Testing requirement is removed.

Q36: Will the translated PowerPoint material for classroom study be provided to the interpreters ahead of time for preparation? If not, is this a possibility?

A36: Yes, to the maximum extent possible.

Q37: Will translators receive a terminology/glossary style guide to ensure consistency amongst translators?

A37: The Program keeps standard program translations and terminology in a

MemoQueue and will share the lexicon as appropriate. We also keep and intend to share an extensive list of Program acronyms and the way we express them in Arabic.

Q38: Will document translation, especially with PowerPoint documents also required desktop publishing after translation? Are the PowerPoint documents that often require translation heavy with imbedded graphics, pictures, and/or other non-editable content that will require translation? If so, this can add complexity and time to the translation process.

A38: All translations must be in the same format in the target language as it was in the original language. Most source documents with graphics and pictures have editable embedded text. Vendors may reproduce non-editable text in the target language in a

Microsoft Word document .

Q39: To better recruit interpreters and translators with the appropriate specialisms and experience for this work, can you provide the anticipated/most common content topics for translation and interpretation?

A39: OPM-MOI works with the Ministry of Interior and State Security Presidency on bilateral projects in the areas of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Public

Security .

Q40: With LPTA bids we often see offerors attempt to undercut the competition by pricing for the use of a Machine Translation solution, despite the severe shortcomings in quality and security this solution offers. In order to ensure a level playing field and protect the integrity of this program, will the Government confirm that a machine translation solution is not acceptable for this solicitation and that proposing or pricing as such would be deemed not technically acceptable?

A40: This is a performance-based contract. The Government will not specify how the contractor performs the translation, BUT the quality of the end result matters. The

OPM-MOI has linguists on staff and the quality of the translations will be controlled. The prices offered are firm and fixed. Offerors will be held to their prices, and the Government will not hesitate to terminate for cause contractors who consistently submit poor quality work.

Q41: Who are the current incumbents? What are their rates?

A41: The incumbent is Saif Contracting and Commercial Services in Riyadh, Saudi

Arabia. The Government will not disclose the current rates.

Q42: On page 10, C.4.1: it states the Saudi MOI and/or State Security Presidency may require security clearances and background investigations of staff. Can you please specify the level of security clearances and background checks that will be necessary for this contract?

A42: See the response to Question 24 .

Q43: Are translators required to perform document translations on-site?

A43: See C.5.1.

Q44: Page 17, Section C.17: Is the certificate of insurance required to be submitted with the proposal, or will we provide it after being awarded?

A44: The Certificate of Insurance can be provided after award. The proposal

Management Plan shall explain your process for obtaining the required insurance.

Q45: On page 4, Line Item Section: the quantity of interpreting services for training courses during classroom presentations is 2000 days in a year. There are only 365 days in a year, can you please clarify this discrepancy?

A45: “Day” is intended to mean “Man-Day”, one person working one 8-hour day. For example, a five-day training class requiring two interpreters, would have the order quantity of 10 days.

Q46: PWS states that contractor personnel must wear clean, neat and identifiable uniforms, although not necessarily identical. We would like to employ Saudi nationals for these roles. Would it be acceptable for them to wear the traditional Thawb and Abaya? Are there certain circumstances where they could or could not wear their traditional clothing?

A46: Contractor employees may dress as they are comfortable. Both thobes and abayas are always acceptable as would be appropriate Western attire.

Q47: What is the official work week for the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh?

A47: The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh is open Sunday through Thursday 8:00 - 5:00 pm. The offeror is not necessarily expected to conform to this schedule in performing their work; however, task order deadlines will normally be at or before close of business on an Embassy workday. Interactions with the Contracting Officer's Representative should normally be during Embassy working hours.