Interpretor SOW.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

EEO

VA Boston Healthcare System

General information

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System (VABHS) located at 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA 02132 has the responsibility to provide an equal access to services to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). VABHS must provide language assistance services to LEP individuals, including patients, visitors, and employees.

Title of Project: EEO Interpreter services

1. Scope of Work: This is a contract to provide a live, two-way, virtual platform offering interpreter services for spoken languages described in this Statement of Work (SOW) to the VA Boston Healthcare System (HCS) Veterans, Employees, and visitors. The contractor must provide all access to the necessary resources to accomplish these interpreting services. This contract will be effective for one (1) year from the date of the award with the option to renew for four (4) years. Pricing will need to be structured per minute, per language, per modality.

2. Background: Per title VI of the Civil Rights act of 1964, Executive Order 13166 “improving Access to services for person with Limited English Proficiency (LEP): VA Boston Healthcare System (HCS) is required to provide meaningful access to its services and programs who are Limited English Proficient (LEP). Interpreter services are required for VA Veterans, employees, and visitors. With the advances of technology, it has become necessary to explore virtual platforms to ensure provision of required care for Veterans, Employees, and visitors and to help build resilience and encourage health among VA staff.

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Contractor must provide all access to services, modalities, labor, tools, materials, and other necessary items for live, telephone and virtual interpreter services facilitated by appropriately qualified interpreters

1) Services:

The contractor must provide live virtual translation services to Veterans, Employees, and visitors of VA Boston Healthcare System, with the following requirements.

1.1 The contractor must:

1.1.1. Provide delivery of on demand video and audio interpreter services available 24/7 and pre-scheduled video and audio interpreter services with the ability to schedule 12 hours ahead of the appointment time

1.1.2. Support an unlimited number of registered users for VA Boston Healthcare System employees and Veteran enrollees.

1.1.3. Conduct on demand and pre-scheduled video and audio interpreting services for spoken language and American Sign Language (which could be treatment/clinical or non-treatment/non-clinical) focused.

1.1.4. Conduct on demand video and audio interpreting services for spoken language, requiring a two-way video platform for interfacing with interpreters.

1.1.5. Provide interpreting services for 250+ plus languages

1.1.6. Provide a connection time for video and audio interpreting services of less than 1 minute on average.

1.1.7. Utilize a virtual platform that is secure, web-based with high technical reliability.

1.1.8. Ensure identification of callers requesting to use interpreter services

1.1.9. Ensure appropriate level of encryption to ensure security of user information

1.1.10. Supply customized usage reports to VA Boston Healthcare System which includes ability to track and monitor user information to assess usability

1.1.11. Accept and respond to feedback regarding the offered interpretation services and will allow the VA to submit ideas for improvement

1.1.12. Demonstrate experience and expertise working with VA employees and Veteran enrollees of the VA healthcare system Demonstrate experience and expertise of working in a virtual platform capacity

2. Specific Tasks.

2.1. The contractor must:

2.1.1. Allow access to unlimited authorized users (VA Boston Healthcare System staff and enrolled Veterans) simultaneously to all electronic subscription services from any device, both personal and or VA owned (i.e., smartphone, laptop, tablet, MS Teams, VVC, interpreter servicer app, etc.)

2.1.2. Provide technical support (staffed by a vendor team member).

2.1.3. Assign a unique identifier to all callers from VA Healthcare system so that each call can be attributed to that unique identifier to include identifiable information requested by VA Healthcare.

3. Operation Efficiencies:

3.1. System configuration programming changes shall not require any exchange of parts and shall be capable of being executed remotely via a non-VA VPN connection.

3.1.1. Two-way video streaming that employees, Veterans, and visitors can access from any devices (i.e. smartphone, laptop, tablet, telephone, MS Teams, VVC etc.) without need to go through the VA Network

3.1.2. Ability to download interpreter services app to VA devices.

3.2. Appropriate level of encryption to ensure security of user information.

3.2.1. User information involves self-reported data such as, address, email, and password.

3.2.2. No ePHI (electronic protected health information) is transferred to vendors or customers.

3.3. Ability to track and monitor user information.

3.3.1. Provide date, length of interpreter service, language of service provided, originator of requested service

3.3.2. Provide monthly metrics that are tracked to include number of monthly interpreter services rendered, name of employee requesting services, service line for employee requesting services, breakdown of languages translated, and minutes used.

B. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Contractor must provide qualified and professional certified interpreters (where available) for live, two-way, interpretation services to VA Boston Veterans, Employees, and visitors. Contractor interpreters must:

1.1. be HIPAA trained

1.2. have a current medical interpreting certification or verifiable qualification via Contractor’s vetting process in a national standard of practice interpreter services or authorized substitute

1.3. be courteous, and never insult anyone using the service.

2. Contractor must provide access to interpretation services to Veterans, Employees, and visitors.

3. Contractor must provide access to all necessary services, to maintain full operation with no disruptions from the date of acceptance of contract.

4. Contractor must establish Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

4.1. Operational procedures and website management structure.

4.2. Procedures for gaining acceptance/access into website.

4.3. Quality assurance and quality control procedures.

4.4. Contractor and project management procedures.

5. Contractor’s virtual platform must be accessible to users with a compatible device (e.g. phone, tablet, laptop, MS Teams, VVC, etc)

6. Contractor must have a secured network to ensure participants information is secured.

7. information must not require:

7.1. Driver’s License information

7.2. SSN

7.3. Date of Birth

7.4. Credit Card

8. Contractor’s platform must have the ability for VHABHS to track, monitor and obtain usage. The information shall be deidentified to only users name, service line, language requested. The information can be filtered by, date, language, and length of interpreter service.

9. Provide technical support (staffed by a vendor team member)

C. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

a. Government must provide VA Boston HCS Veterans and employees all necessary information for access to Contractor’s digital platform.

D. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

a. Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The Contracting Officer Representative must be the technical point of contact for all service-related requirements. The COR does not have authorization to change, alter, or remove any requirements stated in the Statement of Work. The Contracting Officer is the only government authorized person to change any resultant contract.

b. Contracting Officer (CO): The Contracting Officer has the authority to enter, administer, and terminate contracts. The CO can make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. The only individual legally authorized to bind the Government.

c. Place of Performance: Contractor’s website

i. VA Boston employees and Veterans can access services anywhere with electronic devices (i.e. laptops, tablets, smartphones, MS Teams, VVC).

ii. Can access from personal electronic devices (i.e., tablets, smartphones, laptops, MS Teams, VVC) without need to go through the VA Network

iii. Digital, online platform, two-way video.

i. Personal interaction.

ii. No physical contact.

iii. No transportation required.

d. Work Hours:

24/7

e. Period of Performance: The period of performance will be for a base year of twelve (12) months with the possibility of four (4) option years that are each for a period of twelve (12) months in length.

a. Base Year: Period of twelve months which begins on the contract award date.

b. Option Year 1: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the base year.

c. Option Year 2: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the option year one.

d. Option Year 3: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the option year two.

e. Option Year 4: Period of twelve months immediately following the end of the option year three.

f. Invoice Requirement: Contractor must submit monthly invoice with pre-printed company name. All invoices from Contractor must be electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Request.

i. Invoice Number and Date.

ii. Contract Number.

iii. Purchase Order/Obligation Number.

iv. Net Payment Due.

g. Security Requirements

a. The contracted personnel will not have access to VA information systems or sensitive information.

b. The contracted personnel will not have a need to be onsite at a VA facility.

h. Holidays

i. The Contractor is required to provide services on the following National Holidays. The Government shall not incur any cost associated for services rendered on National Holidays. All additional cost that may incur will be the sole responsibility of the Contractor. The VA will not reimburse any additional cost. The contracted personnel will not have a need to be onsite at a VA facility.

E. OVERTIME & HOLIDAY PAY: Any overtime and/or holiday pay that may be entitled to the Contractor’s employees shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor and shall not be billed to nor reimbursed by the Government.