RFQ 19PK3325Q7039.pdf

SBU - CONTRACTING AND ACQUISITIONS

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

1. REQUISITION NUMBER PAGE 1 OF

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE

DATE

4. ORDER NUMBER 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

19PK33-25-Q-7039

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

2/26/2025

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME

Jimmy Don Canada

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (No collect calls)

051- 201-5752

8. OFFER DUE DATE/ LOCAL

TIME

03/25/2025 1500Hrs

9. ISSUED BY CODE GSO 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: ____ % FOR:

Contracting Officer

U.S. Embassy, Islamabad

Islamabad

SMALL BUSINESS WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELLIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM NAICS:

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

EDWOSB

8 (A) SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINAT-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS 13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE FM 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

U.S. Embassy, Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna-5, Islamabad, Pakistan

17a. CONTRACTOR/

OFFERER

TELEPHONE NO.

CODE FACILITY

CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

Financial Management Officer (FMO)

U.S. Embassy, Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna-5, Islamabad, Pakistan

CODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN

OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK

BELOW IS CHECKED SEE ADDENDUM

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

Prices detail on page 04-05

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a.SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b.CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN ___01_

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER ALL

ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL

SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED HEREIN.

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. _________________ OFFER DATED

____________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY

ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO

ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) 31c. DATE SIGNED

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: _______________________________

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER NUMBER 35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

36. PAYMENT 37. CHECK NUMBER

PARTIAL FINAL

COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NO. 39. S/R VOUCHER NO. 40. PAID BY

41.a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT 42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41C. DATE

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC’D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 - THE SCHEDULE

• SF 1449 cover sheet

• Continuation To SF-1449, RFQ Number 19PK33-25-Q-7039, Prices, Block 23

• Continuation To SF-1449, RFQ Number 19PK33-25-Q-7039, Schedule of

Supplies/Services, Block 20 Description/Specifications/Work Statement

SECTION 2 - CONTRACT CLAUSES

• Contract Clauses

• Addendum to Contract Clauses - FAR and DOSAR Clauses not Prescribed in Part 12

SECTION 3 - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

• Solicitation Provisions

• Addendum to Solicitation Provisions - FAR and DOSAR Provisions not Prescribed in

Part 12

SECTION 4 - EVALUATION FACTORS

• Evaluation Factors

• Addendum to Evaluation Factors - FAR and DOSAR Provisions not Prescribed in

Part 12

SECTION 5 - REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Offeror Representations and Certifications

• Addendum to Offeror Representations and Certifications - FAR and DOSAR

Provisions not Prescribed in Part 12

SECTION 1 - THE SCHEDULE

CONTINUATION TO SF-1449

RFQ NUMBER -19PK33-25-Q-7039

PRICES, BLOCK 23

U.S. Embassy Islamabad requires services of a company to provide both Urdu and English language instructors to meet student’s professional needs as they interact with the Urdu-speaking public and English-speaking staff at the U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan in accordance with Statement of Work (SOW). The contract type is a firm fixed price contract for language instructor services paid at the monthly rate below. These rates include all costs associated with providing the requested services in accordance with labor, insurance (see FAR 52.228-4 and 52.228-5), overhead, and profit.

1. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

(a) The purpose of this firm fixed price contract is to provide Language Instructor Services for

U.S. Embassy Islamabad, Pakistan in accordance with Section-1 Statement of Work.

(b) The contract will be for a one-year period from the date stated in the Notice to Proceed, with two one-year optional periods.

2. PRICING

Pricing and Payment shall be made in the local currency (PKR); however, foreign firms may submit proposal in USD and will be paid in US dollars.

2.1 Base Year Prices:

The Contractor shall provide the services shown below for the base period of the contract, starting on the date stated in the Notice to Proceed and continuing for a period of 12 months. The fixed unit prices and estimated quantities are:

S/ No

Description of Services Monthly Price

No. of Months

Annual Price

Services of Urdu language instructors to teach non-Urdu speaking personnel in accordance with Statement of Work

(SOW).

2 Services of English language instructors to teach non-English speaking personnel in accordance with Statement of Work

(SOW) & Attachment 01.

Grand Total Price for Base Year

2.2 First Option Year Prices:

The Contractor shall provide the services shown below for the first option year of the contract, starting one year after the date stated in the Notice to Proceed and continuing for a period of 12 months. The fixed unit prices and estimated quantities are:

S/ No

Description of Services Monthly Price

No. of Months

Annual Price

Services of Urdu language instructors to teach non-Urdu speaking personnel in accordance with Statement of Work

(SOW).

2 Services of English language instructors to teach non-English speaking personnel in accordance with Statement of Work

(SOW) & Attachment 01.

Grand Total Price for Option Year 1

2.3 Second Option Year Prices:

The Contractor shall provide the services shown below for the first option year of the contract, starting two years after the date stated in the Notice to Proceed and continuing for a period of 12 months. The fixed unit prices and estimated quantities are:

S/ No

Description of Services Monthly Price

No. of Months

Annual Price

Services of Urdu language instructors to teach non-Urdu speaking personnel in accordance with Statement of Work

(SOW).

2 Services of English language instructors to teach non-English speaking personnel in accordance with Statement of Work

(SOW) & Attachment 01.

Grand Total Price for Option Year 2

2.4 Grand Total Contract Price

Base Year Total : ___________________

First Option Year Total: ___________________

Second Option Year Total: ___________________

GRAND TOTAL FOR BASE + OPTION YEARS: _____________________

2.4 VALUE ADDED TAX:

Value Added Tax (VAT) is not applicable to this contract and shall not be included in the CLIN rates or Invoices because it is not levied in Pakistan.

3. NOTICE TO PROCEED:

The Notice to Proceed will establish a date (a minimum of ten (10) days from date of contract award unless the Contractor agrees to an earlier date) on which performance shall start.

CONTINUATION TO SF-1449,

RFQ NUMBER 19PK33-25-Q-7039

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES, BLOCK 20

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

1. GENERAL OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

U.S. Embassy Islamabad requires services of a company to provide both Urdu and English language instructors to meet student’s professional needs as they interact with the Urdu-speaking public and English-speaking staff. The contractor shall deliver the instructions to include the development of speaking, listening, and reading and writing skills to adequately carry out the students’ specific job requirements. All instructions shall include job-related language terminology and usage of the designated field of interest.

The contractor shall provide standard survival, beginner, intermediate and advanced language training courses as well as specialized short courses for groups of students to enable them to interact with their colleagues and the public in a range of social and professional situations. The contractor shall be required to develop appropriate training materials and corresponding teaching aids for these courses. The contractor shall also provide guided study, language coaching, and section specific language training sessions (e.g. Consular, Facilities, etc.).

The contractor shall ensure that the curriculum is inclusive and reflects diverse perspectives and cultures. All students, regardless of background, must have equitable access to language training resources and opportunities. The contractor shall ensure that all instructional materials and delivery methods are accessible to students with disabilities.

Instructions shall take place on the U.S. Embassy compound. The sessions shall be one hour in length. For each session, 30 minutes will be allocated for preparation/classroom set up time.

Generally, between one (1) and six (6) students will be part of any class, unless mutually agreed upon by the contractor and the U.S Embassy.

• Advance level language classes are usually offered on individual basis as they are customized to the need of the staff. Specialized training will be designed for staff in language-designated positions or staff who will take a State Department language proficiency test. This can be delivered in group setting if the language training requirements are identical.

• Where language skills are deemed insufficient by the supervisor, the Contractor will be required to provide individualized, customized language training to enhance student’s language proficient to bridge the gap. Contractor will provide detail time bound training plan to the supervisor This can be delivered in group setting if the language training requirements are identical.

Classes can be offered in person as well as virtually (via TEAMS, Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, etc.) as per need of the situation, student, or instructor. The U.S. Embassy requires that the instructors be present on the compound from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM for instructions, lesson/classroom preparation, materials development, and student counseling.

2. MANDATORY PROVISIONS BY THE CONTRACTOR

a. Equal employment opportunity (EEO) requirement

Department of State is committed to upholding the principles of EEO. The contractor shall ensure that all vacancy announcements and program implementation activities adhere to EEO principles.

• All vacancy announcements for instructors “……. provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or marital status.

b. Instructors

Contractor will be required to provide below within reasonable time frame, considering the time required for security clearances, not to adversely affect program deliver.

• Two Urdu language instructors

• Two English language instructors

• and/or a Quality control manager (functional role)

The instructors provided must meet the following qualification criteria

• Must have the minimum educational qualification of a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three years’ experience teaching Urdu language and/or English language in a classroom setting to adult students.

• Two professional references should be provided for each instructor recommended by the contractor. The Embassy HR Office will check references before finalizing the appointment. Instructors will have to undergo a security clearance check before their appointment is confirmed.

• Instructors must be well-versed in all topics to be covered, capable of answering in-depth questions on each topic, and who will provide the required training to provide the student with the skills and knowledge necessary to reach the desired level of language proficiency.

• Must be proficient in the use of MS Office and other Urdu and English related software packages like “In page.” Additionally, since online classes are to be accommodated as well, familiarization with Google Meets, Zoom, Skype, Teams and other similar platforms is also required.

• Must be well-versed in English language skills (level III) – this may be tested by the

Embassy – to draft email correspondence. The contractor will be required to provide performance-related feedback and identify/recommend additional resources to each of the students. They will be required to provide initial enrollment reports, final course completion reports, and ad hoc reports, e.g. program improvement, lessons learned, etc., on an as-needed basis.

• Instructors must be trained in cultural competence to effectively teach a diverse student body.

c. Equipment

In case of conducting online classes, the contractor shall provide resource(s)

(computer/laptop, internet. etc.) to their instructors.

d. Training materials

• Students shall be measured on their language proficiency levels in accordance with the contractor’s developed Language Proficiency Test.

• The contractor shall use the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Language Skill Descriptions

(Attachment 1) as instructional goals.

• For the English language program, contractors shall provide core training materials such as textbooks, online resources and workbooks for use by students to support the training curriculum.

• All materials for both the Urdu and English language programs must be approved by the

U.S. Embassy before purchase or utilization in classroom environment.

• The contractor shall establish and maintain a comprehensive resource library for students, including a diverse collection of books and websites catering to various language categories. The library shall provide multilingual resources, be easily accessible, regularly updated and organized in a logical and use friendly manner.

e. Student Testing

• Initial testing will be used to establish a baseline for the measurement of knowledge and proficiency of each student and may be used in a predictive manner to facilitate personal training plans. The contractor shall have to develop these tests and ensure transparent implementation.

• The contractor shall administer tests on knowledge and proficiency as a required element of evaluating the student's progress in the training module or lesson. The contractor shall provide these tests periodically to determine the student's progress in training,

• Identify areas of weakness where supplemental training may be needed and Quantify the student's current level of knowledge and proficiency.

f. Student Progress Documentation and Training Recommendations

• The contractor's instructor(s) shall be responsible for each student's progress in training, and for preparing a training recommendation for each student. The student's progress will be reported to the student as requested. The instructor will document the student's progress as measured performance under each lesson module.

• The contractor shall prepare training recommendations that state specific plans for remedial, or supplementary use of supportive training materials, or use of tutoring and personalized training techniques.

g. Student Counseling

The contractor's instructor(s) shall be responsible for counseling each student about the student’s performance, and for preparing and discussing with the student any corrective actions or assignments. The students’ progress will be discussed with the student on a bi-weekly basis, and the instructors shall document the training recommendations made to direct the student's progress. The contractor shall provide weekly counseling to all students considered in danger of failing any proficiency test they are planning to take. The counseling sessions should result in specific tasks for remedial or supplementary use of training materials or tutoring and personalized training techniques.

h. Reporting

• Biannual survey reports to be shared with COR regarding the students’ needs and possible improvements in the program. Contractor will be responsible for drafting the survey questionnaire and Embassy may facilitate in administering the survey to the target audience.

• Student feedback survey report to be shared with COR at the end of every session with analysis and recommendations for improvements based off lessons learned Embassy may facilitate in administering the survey to the target audience.

• Any other reports as agreed upon.

i. Effective personnel management

The contractor shall demonstrate proficiency in staff management including but not limited to

• Provision of clear and concise position description for all instructors.

• Ensure equal distribution of responsibilities instructors

• Foster a collaborative team environment promoting mutual respect and cooperation among instructors.

• Monthly meeting with contactor, instructors and COR.

The contractor’s failure to effectively manage their staff, resulting in demotivation, decreased productivity or requiring the COR to assume staff management responsibilities may negatively impact program delivery and over all contract performance.

3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

Core training materials for Urdu language only will be provided by the U.S. Embassy. The U.S.

Embassy shall provide instructional materials to include texts, tests, audio-visual media, newspapers, magazines, and dictionaries.

The U.S. Embassy shall provide all necessary site support materials and equipment, including items such as:

• Expendable and non-expendable supplies

• Multimedia equipment: TV and DVD player

• Instructor’s desk, computer workstation with internet access, printer and photocopier

• Expendable/consumable classroom supplies (i.e. paper, pencils, pens, markers and binders)

• Classroom equipped with classroom furniture for up to six students; flip chart and easel; white board and erasable markers and a bookcase

• Office supplies required for instruction needs and classroom use. The U.S. Embassy shall replenish such expendable/consumable items as needed to provide for the performance of the work.

Attachment 1: Foreign Language Training Language Skill Descriptions

Speaking 0 (No Proficiency)

• Unable to function in the spoken language.

• Oral production is limited to occasional isolated words.

• Has essentially no communicative ability.

Speaking 0+ (Memorized Proficiency)

• Able to satisfy immediate needs using rehearsed utterances.

• Shows little real autonomy of expression, flexibility, or spontaneity.

• Can ask questions; make statements with reasonable accuracy only with memorized utterances, or formulae.

• Attempts at creating speech are usually unsuccessful.

Examples:

1. The individual’s vocabulary is usually limited to areas of immediate survival needs.

2. Most utterances are telegraphic; that is, functors (linking words, markers, and the like) are omitted, confused, or distorted.

3. An individual can usually differentiate most significant sounds when produced in isolation, but, when combined in words or groups of words, errors may be frequent.

4. Even with repetition, communication is severely limited, even with people used to dealing with foreigners.

5. Stress, intonation, tone, etc. are usually quite faulty.

S1 Speaking 1 (Elementary Proficiency)

• Able to satisfy minimum courtesy requirements and maintain very simple face-to-face conversations on familiar topics.

• A native speaker must often use slowed speech, repetition, paraphrasing, or a combination of these to be understood.

• Similarly, the native speaker must strain and employ real-world knowledge to understand even simple statements/questions.

• This speaker has a functional, but limited proficiency.

• Misunderstandings are frequent, but the individual is able to ask for help and to verify comprehension of native speech in face-to-face interaction.

• The individual is unable to produce continuous discourse except with rehearsed material.

1. Structural accuracy is likely to be random or severely limited.

2. Time concepts are vague.

3. Vocabulary is inaccurate, and its range is very narrow.

4. The individual often speaks with great difficulty.

5. By repeating themselves, such speakers can be understood by native speakers who are in regular contact with foreigners, but there is little precision in the information.

6. Needs, experience, or training may vary greatly from individual to individual; for example, speakers at this level may have encountered quite different vocabulary areas.

7. The individual can typically satisfy predictable, simple, personal, and accommodation needs; generally meet courtesy, introduction, and identification requirements; exchange greetings; elicit and provide, for example, predictable and skeletal biographical information.

8. Might be able to give information about business hours, explain routine procedures in a limited way, and state in a simple manner what actions will be taken.

9. Might be able to formulate some questions even in languages with complicated question constructions.

10. Almost every utterance may be characterized by structural errors and errors in basic grammatical relations.

11. Vocabulary is extremely limited and characteristically does not include modifiers.

12. Pronunciation, stress, and intonation are generally poor, often heavily influenced by another language.

13. Use of structure and vocabulary is very imprecise.

Speaking 1+

• Can initiate and maintain predictable face-to-face conversations and satisfy limited social demands.

• May have a little understanding of social conversation conventions.

• The interlocutor is generally required to strain and employ real-world knowledge to understand even simple speech.

• The speaker at this level may hesitate and may have to change subjects due to lack of language resources.

• Range and control of the language are limited.

• Speech largely consists of a series of short, discrete utterances.

1. The individual is able to satisfy most travel and accommodation needs and a limited range of social demands beyond exchange of skeletal biographic information.

2. Speaking ability may extend beyond immediate survival needs.

3. Accuracy in basic grammatical relations is evident, although not consistent.

4. May exhibit the more common forms of verb tenses, for example, but may make frequent errors in formation and selection.

5. While some structures are established, errors occur in patterns that are more complex.

6. The individual typically cannot sustain coherent structures in longer utterances or unfamiliar situations.

7. Ability to describe and give precise information is limited.

8. Person, space, and time references are often used incorrectly.

9. Pronunciation is understandable to natives used to dealing with foreigners.

10. Can combine most significant sounds with reasonable comprehensibility but has difficulty in producing certain sounds in certain positions or in certain combinations.

11. Speech will usually be labored.

12. Frequently has to repeat utterances to be understood by the general public.

S2 Speaking 2 (Limited Working Proficiency)

• Able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements.

• Can handle routine work-related interactions that are limited in scope.

• In more complex and sophisticated work-related tasks, usage generally disturbs the native speaker.

• Can handle with confidence, but not with facility, most normal high-frequency social conversational situations, including extensive but casual conversations about current events, as well as work, family, and autobiographical information.

• The individual can get the gist of most everyday conversations but has some difficulty understanding native speakers in situations that require specialized or sophisticated knowledge.

• The individual’s utterances are minimally cohesive.

• Linguistic structure is usually not very elaborate and not thoroughly controlled; errors are frequent.

• Vocabulary use is appropriate for high-frequency utterances, but unusual or imprecise elsewhere.

1. The individual can typically ask and answer predictable questions in the workplace and give straightforward instruction to subordinates.

2. The individual can participate in personal and accommodation-type interactions with elaboration and facility; that is, can give and understand complicated, detailed, and extensive directions and make non-routine changes in travel and accommodation arrangements.

3. Simple structures and basic grammatical relations are typically controlled; however, there are areas of weakness.

4. In the commonly taught languages, these [areas of weakness] may be simple markings such as plurals, articles, linking words, and negatives, or more complex structures such as tense/aspect usage, case morphology, passive constructions, word order, and embedding.

Speaking 2+

• Able to satisfy most work requirements with language usage that is often, but not always, acceptable and effective.

• The individual shows considerable ability to communicate effectively on topics relating to particular interests and special fields of competence.

• Often shows a high degree of fluency and ease of speech, yet when under tension or pressure, the ability to use the language effectively may deteriorate.

• Comprehension of normal native speech is typically nearly complete.

• The individual may miss cultural and local references and may require a native speaker to adjust to limitations in some ways.

• Native speakers often perceive the individual’s speech to contain awkward or inaccurate phrasing of ideas, use mistaken time, space, and person references, or to be in some way inappropriate, if not strictly incorrect.

Examples:

1. Typically, the individual can participate in most social, formal, and informal interactions; however, limitations either in range of contexts, types of tasks, or level of accuracy hinder effectiveness.

2. The individual may be ill at ease with the use of the language either in social interaction or in speaking at length in professional contexts.

3. Is generally strong in either structural precision or vocabulary, but not in both.

4. Weakness or unevenness in structure or vocabulary, or in pronunciation, occasionally results in miscommunication.

5. Normally controls, but cannot always easily produce, general vocabulary.

6. Discourse often lacks cohesiveness.

S3 Speaking 3 (General Professional Proficiency)

• Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.

• Nevertheless, the individual’s limitations generally restrict the professional contexts of language use to matters of shared knowledge and/or international convention.

• Discourse is cohesive.

• The individual uses the language acceptably, but with some noticeable imperfections; yet, errors virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker.

• The individual can effectively combine structure and vocabulary to convey his/her meaning accurately.

• The individual speaks readily, and fills pauses suitably.

• In face-to-face conversation with natives speaking the standard dialect at a normal rate of speech, comprehension is quite complete.

• Although cultural references, proverbs, and the implications of nuances and idiom may not be fully understood, the individual can easily repair the conversation.

• Pronunciation may be obviously foreign.

• Individual sounds are accurate; but stress, intonation, and pitch control may be faulty.

Examples:

1. The individual can typically discuss particular interests and special fields of competence with reasonable ease.

2. Can use the language as part of normal professional duties such as answering objections, clarifying points, justifying decisions, understanding the essence of challenges, stating and defending policy, conducting meetings, delivering briefings or other extended and elaborate informative monologues.

3. Can reliably elicit information and informed opinion from native speakers.

4. Structural inaccuracy is rarely the major cause of misunderstanding.

5. Use of structural devices is flexible and elaborate.

6. Without searching for words or phrases, the individual uses the language clearly and relatively naturally to elaborate concepts freely and make ideas easily understandable to native speakers.

7. Errors occur infrequently except in highly complex structures.

Speaking 3+

• Is often able to use the language to satisfy professional needs in a wide range of sophisticated and demanding tasks.

Examples:

1. Despite obvious strengths, the individual may exhibit some hesitancy, uncertainty, effort, or errors that limit the range of language-use tasks that can be reliably performed.

2. Typically, there is particular strength in fluency and one or more, but not all, of the following:

3. Breadth of lexicon, including low- and medium-frequency items, especially socio-linguistic/cultural references and nuances of close synonyms.

4. Structural precision, with sophisticated features that are readily, accurately, and appropriately controlled (such as complex modification and embedding in Indo-

European languages);

5. Discourse competence in a wide range of contexts and tasks, often matching a native speaker's strategic and organizational abilities and expectations.

6. Occasional patterned errors occur infrequently except in highly complex structures.

S4 Speaking 4 (Advanced Professional Proficiency)

• Able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs.

• The individual’s language usage and ability to function are fully successful.

• Organizes discourse well, using appropriate rhetorical speech devices, native cultural references, and understanding.

• Language ability only rarely hinders performance of any task; yet the individual would seldom be perceived as a native.

• Speaks effortlessly and smoothly and is able to use the language with a high degree of effectiveness, reliability, and precision for all representational purposes within the range of personal and professional experience and scope of responsibilities.

• Can serve as an informal interpreter in a range of unpredictable circumstances.

• The individual can perform extensive, sophisticated language tasks, encompassing most matters of interest to well-educated native speakers, including tasks that do not bear directly on a professional specialty.

1. Can discuss in detail concepts that are fundamentally different from those of the target culture and make those concepts clear and accessible to the native speaker.

2. Similarly, the individual can understand the details and ramifications of concepts that are culturally or conceptually different from his/her own.

3. Can set the tone of interpersonal official, semi-official, and non-professional verbal exchanges with a representative range of native speakers (in a range of varied audiences, purposes, tasks, and settings).

4. Can play an effective role among native speakers in such contexts as conferences, lectures, and debates on matters of disagreement.

5. The individual can advocate a position at length, both formally and in chance encounters, using sophisticated verbal strategies.

6. Understands and reliably produces shifts of both subject matter and tone.

7. Can understand native speakers of the standard and other major dialects in essentially any face-to-face interaction.

Speaking 4+

• Speaking proficiency is regularly superior in all respects, usually equivalent to that of a well-educated, highly articulate native speaker.

• Language ability does not impede the performance of any language-use task.

• However, the individual would not necessarily be perceived as culturally native.

Examples:

1. The individual organizes discourse well, employing functional rhetorical speech, devices, native cultural references and understanding.

2. Effectively applies a native speaker's social and circumstantial knowledge.

3. However, cannot sustain that performance under all circumstances.

4. While the individual has a wide range and control of structure, an occasional non-native slip may occur.

5. The individual has a sophisticated control of vocabulary and phrasing that is rarely imprecise, yet there are occasional weaknesses in idioms, colloquialisms, pronunciation, cultural reference, or there may be an occasional failure to interact in a totally native manner.

S5 Speaking 5 (Functionally Native Proficiency)

• Speaking proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of a highly articulate, well-educated native speaker and reflects the cultural standards of a country where the language is natively spoken.

• The individual uses the language with complete flexibility and intuition, so that speech on all levels is fully accepted by well-educated native speakers in all of its features, including breadth of vocabulary and idiom, colloquialisms, and pertinent cultural references.

• Pronunciation is typically consistent with that of well-educated native speakers of a non-stigmatized dialect.

Foreign Language Training Language Skill Descriptions: Reading

Reading 0: (No Proficiency)

No practical ability to read the language.

• No practical ability to read the language.

• Consistently misunderstands or cannot comprehend at all.

Reading 0+ (Memorized Proficiency) can recognize all the letters in the printed version of an alphabetic system and high-frequency elements of a syllabary or a character system.

• Is able to read some or all of the following: numbers, isolated words and phrases, personal and place names, street signs, office and shop designations, although these are often inaccurately interpreted.

• Is unable to read connected prose.

Reading 1: (Elementary Proficiency)

Sufficient comprehension to read very simple connected written material in a form equivalent to usual printing or typescript.

• Can read either representation of familiar formulaic verbal exchanges or simple language containing only the highest frequency structural patterns and vocabulary, including shared international vocabulary items and cognates (when relevant).

• Is able to read and understand known language elements that have been recombined in new ways to achieve different meanings at a similar level of simplicity.

• Texts may include simple narratives of routine behavior; highly predictable descriptions of people, places, or things; and explanations of geography and government such as those simplified for tourists.

• Some misunderstandings possible in simple texts.

• Can get some main ideas and locate prominent items of professional significance in more complex texts.

• Can identify general subject matter in some authentic texts.

Reading 1+

Sufficient comprehension to understand simple discourse in printed form for informative social purposes.

• Can read material such as announcements of public events, simple prose containing biographical information or narration of events, and straightforward newspaper headlines.

• Can guess at unfamiliar vocabulary in common contexts, but with difficulty in unfamiliar contexts.

• Can understand some main ideas and locate routine information of professional significance in more complex texts.

• Can follow essential points of written discussion at an elementary level on topics in special professional field.

• In commonly taught languages, may not control the structure well.

• For example, often misinterprets basic grammatical relations, and temporal reference may rely primarily on lexical items as time indicators.

• Has some difficulty with the cohesive factors in discourse, such as matching pronouns with referents.

• May have to read material several times for understanding.

Reading 2: (Limited Working Proficiency)

Sufficient comprehension to read simple, authentic written material in a form equivalent to usual printing or typescript on subjects within familiar contexts.

• Can locate and understand the main ideas and details in material written for the general reader.

• May be able to summarize or perform sorting and locating tasks with written texts that are well beyond general proficiency level if the individual has professional knowledge of a subject.

• Can read uncomplicated, but authentic prose on familiar subjects that are normally presented in a predictable sequence to aid the reader in understanding.

• Texts may include descriptions and narrations in contexts such as news items describing frequently occurring events, simple biographical information, social notices, formulaic business letters, and simple technical material written for the general reader.

• Generally, can read prose that is predominantly in straightforward/high-frequency sentence patterns.

• Does not have a broad active vocabulary (that is, which he or she recognizes immediately on sight), but is able to use contextual and real-world cues to understand the text.

• Is typically able to answer factual questions about authentic texts of the types described above.

Reading 2+

Sufficient comprehension to understand most factual material in non-technical prose as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to special professional interests.

• Is markedly more proficient at reading materials on a familiar topic.

• Is able to separate the main ideas and details from lesser ones and uses that distinction to advance understanding.

• Is able to use linguistic context and real-world knowledge to make sensible guesses about unfamiliar material.

• Has a broad active reading vocabulary.

• Is able to get the gist of main and subsidiary ideas in more sophisticated texts.

• Weaknesses include slowness, uncertainty and inability to discern nuance, figurative language, and/or intentionally disguised meaning.

Reading 3: (General Professional Proficiency)

Able to read at a normal speed and with almost complete comprehension of a variety of authentic prose material on unfamiliar subjects.

• Reading ability is not dependent on subject matter knowledge, although it is not expected that the individual can thoroughly comprehend subject matter that is highly dependent on cultural knowledge or outside his or her general experience without an accompanying explanation.

• Text-types include news stories similar to wire service reports or international news items in major periodicals, routine correspondence, general reports, and technical material in his/her professional field. All of these may include hypothesis, argumentation, and supported opinions.

• Misreading is rare.

• Is almost always able to interpret material correctly, relate ideas, and "read between the lines" (i.e. understand the writers’ implicit intentions).

• Can get the gist of more sophisticated texts, but may be unable to detect or understand subtlety and nuance.

• Rarely has to pause over or reread general vocabulary.

• However, may have trouble with unusually complex structure and low-frequency idioms.

Reading 3+

Can comprehend a variety of styles and forms pertinent to professional needs.

• Rarely misinterprets such texts as described above, or experiences difficulty relating ideas or making inferences.

• Is able to comprehend many sociolinguistic and cultural references.

• However, may miss some nuances and subtleties.

• Is able to comprehend a considerable range of intentionally complex structures, low-frequency idioms, and uncommon connotative intentions; however, accuracy is not complete.

• Is typically able to read with facility and appreciate contemporary expository, technical, or literary texts that do not rely heavily on slang and unusual idioms.

Reading 4: (Advanced Professional Proficiency)

Able to read fluently and accurately all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs.

• Has extensive enough experience with the written language to relate inferences in the text to real-world knowledge and understand almost all socio-linguistic and cultural references.

• Is able to "read beyond the lines" (i.e. to understand the full ramifications of texts in their wider cultural, political, or social environment).

• Is able to read and understand the intent of writers' use of nuance and subtlety.

• Can discern relationships among sophisticated written materials in the context of broad experience.

• Can follow unpredictable turns of thought readily in, for example, editorial, conjectural, and literary texts in any subject matter area directed to the general reader.

• Can read essentially all materials in a special field, including official and professional documents and correspondence.

• Recognizes all professionally relevant vocabulary known to the educated non-professional native, although may have some difficulty with slang.

• Can read reasonably legible handwriting without difficulty.

• Is almost as accurate as a well-educated native reader.

Reading 4+

Nearly native ability to read and understand extremely difficult or abstract prose, a very wide variety of vocabulary, idioms, colloquialisms, and slang.

• Has strong sensitivity to and understanding of socio-linguistic and cultural references.

• Has little difficulty reading and writing that is not fully legible.

• Can “read beyond the lines" (i.e. understand the full ramifications of texts in their wider cultural, political, or social environment) nearly as well as a well-read or well-educated native reader.

0Is nearly as accurate as a well-educated native reader, but not equivalent. R5

Reading 5: (Functionally Native Proficiency)

Reading proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of the well-educated native reader.

• Can read extremely difficult and abstract prose, for example, general legal and technical as well as highly colloquial writings.

• Is able to read literary texts, typically including contemporary avant-garde prose, poetry, and theatrical writing.

• Can read classical/archaic forms of literature with the same degree of facility as the well-educated, but non-specialist native.

• Reads and understands a variety of vocabulary and idioms, colloquialisms, slang, and pertinent cultural references.

• With varying degrees of difficulty, can read all kinds of handwritten documents.

• Is as accurate in comprehension as a well-educated native reader.

Source: FSI Testing /Language Skill Descriptions:-http://fsi.state.gov/fsi/sls/ltu/default.asp?id=275

END OF STATEMENT OF WORK

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

This plan provides an effective method to promote satisfactory contractor performance. The

QASP provides a method for the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) to monitor

Contractor performance, advise the Contractor of unsatisfactory performance, and notify the

Contracting Officer of continued unsatisfactory performance. The Contractor, not the

Government, is responsible for management and quality control to meet the terms of the contract.

The role of the Government is to monitor quality to ensure that contract standards are achieved.

Performance Objective Scope of Work

Paragraphs Performance Threshold

Services.

Performs all language instructor services set forth in the scope of work.

1 thru 3

All required services are performed and no more than one

(1) customer complaint is received monthly.

1. SURVEILLANCE. The COR will receive and document all complaints from Government personnel regarding the services provided. If appropriate, the COR will send the complaints to the Contractor for corrective action.

2. STANDARD. The performance standard is that the Government receives no more than one

(1) customer complaint monthly. The COR shall notify the Contracting Officer of the complaints so that the Contracting Officer may take appropriate action to enforce the inspection clause (FAR

52.212.4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (May 2001), if any of the services exceed the standard.

3. PROCEDURES.

(a) If any Government personnel observe unacceptable services, either incomplete work or required services not being performed they should immediately contact the COR.

(b) The COR will complete appropriate documentation to record the complaint.

(c) If the COR determines the complaint is invalid, the COR will advise the complainant.

The COR will retain the annotated copy of the written complaint for his/her files.

(d) If the COR determines the complaint is valid, the COR will inform the Contractor and give the Contractor additional time to correct the defect, if additional time is available. The COR shall determine how much time is reasonable.

(e) The COR shall, as a minimum, orally notify the Contractor of any valid complaints.

(f) If the Contractor disagrees with the complaint after investigation of the site and challenges the validity of the complaint, the Contractor will notify the COR. The

COR will review the matter to determine the validity of the complaint.

(g) The COR will consider complaints as resolved unless notified otherwise by the complainant.

(h) Repeat customer complaints are not permitted for any services. If a repeat customer complaint is received for the same deficiency during the service period, the COR will contact the Contracting Officer for appropriate action under the Inspection clause.

SECTION 2 - CONTRACT CLAUSES

52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS

(NOV 2021) IS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. (SEE SF-1449,

BLOCK 27A)

52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT

STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES (SEP 2023)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or

Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

(1) 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or

Statements (JAN 2017) (section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions)).

(2) 52.204-23, Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or

Provided by Kaspersky Lab and Other Covered Entities (NOV 2021) (Section 1634 of Pub. L. 115-

91).

(3) 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video

Surveillance Services or Equipment. (NOV 2021) (Section 889(a)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 115-232).

(4) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (NOV 2015).

(5) 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR

2023) ( 31 U.S.C. 3903 and 10 U.S.C. 3801).

(6) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996) ( 31 U.S.C. 3553).

(7) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Public Laws 108-77 and

108-78 ( 19 U.S.C. 3805 note)).

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting

Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

[Contracting Officer check as appropriate.]

__ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (JUN

2020), with Alternate I (NOV 2021) ( 41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 4655).

__ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (NOV

2021) ( 41 U.S.C. 3509)).

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_203_19 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_204_23 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_204_25 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_209_10 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_232_40 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/31/3903 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/10/3801 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_233_3 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_233_4 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_203_6 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/10/4655 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_203_13 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3

__ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (JUN 2010) (Section 1553 of Pub. L. 111-5). (Applies to contracts funded by the American

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.)

X (4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (JUN

2020) (Pub. L. 109-282) ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (5) [Reserved].

X (6) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (OCT 2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section

743 of Div. C).

X (7) 52.204-15, Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery

Contracts (OCT 2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C).

X (8) 52.204-27, Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (JUN 2023) (Section 102 of

Division R of Pub. L. 117-328).

X (9) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors

Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (NOV 2021) ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (10) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility

Matters (OCT 2018) ( 41 U.S.C. 2313).

__ (11) [Reserved].

__ (12) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award…