2017_Questions_and_Answers_Transcription_Services.docx

RFP 2017-N-18130 entitled "Transcription/Court Reporting Services": Questions and Answers

1. Is the requirement Under Section C.1.a can electronic reporters certified by the American Association of Electronic Reporters (AAERT), or stenographers certified by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), or a State be substituted for using ‘verbatim voice writing recorders’ certified by the National Voice Reporter Association? DF: Yes

1. Further in the same section, Can Digital Audio Recordings in mp3 or other widely used audio recording format be substituted for audiotape? Yes

1. I am unclear if this is for just a transcript and recording of each meeting or if we are also bidding on producing a meeting summary or meeting minutes. Solely a verbatim transcript with appropriate title participant listing, indexing, etc.

1. Are the firm fixed prices per meeting? Or can we charge by the actual pages produced and time it takes to produce meeting minutes? Per meeting.

1. ‘Draft transcripts requested on and expedited basis’ typically expedited transcripts have a higher page rate, can we bill these at a higher page rate? No, but when expedited transcripts are requested, they are not required to be in final, edited, error-free form. What it considered expedited turn around? Usually 2 calendar weeks, occasionally one week, but only for session excerpts. Typically from 20-40 double-spaced type pages. These expedited transcripts are requested infrequently, several times per year on average. Is it 15 calendar days? Or is it a shorter timeframe? What is the percentage of pages or portions of meetings that are expedited?

1. Items ?002 and ?003 I assume that the teleconferences can be recorded and reported by the reporter dialing into the teleconference from our offices, or is the reporting required to be at a specific location? Yes, the reporter dials into the teleconference from wherever the contractor chooses.

1. Items ? 005 and ?006, Travel costs are hard to predict as airfares and hotel costs change on a daily basis, particularly with the meetings being held in unknown locations. I am assuming that these numbers are to be estimates and travel is reimbursed according to federal regulations at actual costs, which could be higher or lower than our estimates. Is this correct? Travel costs are actual costs per Federal regulations, so this should not be a competitive concern unless the reporters are located at an unusually expensive travel location. The current contractor reporters are located in the Washington DC area.

1. Some contracts allow for contractors to piggy back on government rates at hotels. Would we be able to do that in this instance? Yes.

1. Can you share the current contract pricing? DF: No.