36C24818Q9859-004.docx

VENDOR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&As) American Sign Language (ASL) Services

The following questions were asked of the Government relating to the subject requirement which are hereby posted and responded to.

Q&As:

(1) Question: Is there an incumbent? If so, what was the award amount?

Answer: There is currently no incumbent, services were paid for on a case-by-case basis on Government purchase card. As such, there was no contract award amount.

(2) Question: In our ASL interpreter roster serving the state of Florida, there are many types of national certifications, including but not limited to CI, CT, BEI, NAD IV, EIPA 4.0 or higher, will this contract allow any of these that are widely accepted and considered to be equal to national certification?

Answer: Section 3.3.2 of the RFQ has been amended to allow for either RID, or NAD certification

(3) Question: May we send seasoned interpreters who hold membership with RID and/or NAD even if they are not fully-certified?

Answer: No, certification is required.

Question: NIC is only one of the many certifications in the interpreting industry. If you are only allowing certified interpreters, can you please broaden the definition to include the following verbiage:

All interpreters providing services must hold current and appropriate credentials and relevant memberships. Interpreter(s) working under this Contract must possess one of the following credentials:

· Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID): CSC; IC or TC; CI or CT; NIC; NIC Advanced; NIC Master; NAD III, IV or V; RSC; or CDI.

· Interpreters holding Boys Town National Research Center’s EIPA level 3.0-5.0, with RID Associate Level membership for the duration of providing services under this application.

· Interpreters holding the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) credentials, with RID Associate Level RID membership.

Answer: Section 3.3.2 of the RFQ has been amended to allow for either RID, or NAD certification

(4) Question: If you plan on having multiple providers, will you have a primary and a secondary? How will you make such a selection?

Answer: There will be a single award to the Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) offeror. Per FAR clause 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting, the awardee is required to provide 50% or more of the services. As per section 3.1.3 of the PWS, the Contractor shall provide 50% or more of the services, but shall use fully qualified/pre-approved subcontractors when needed to ensure all assignments are filled. COR shall approve sub-contractors prior to performance of services.

(5) Question: May we also quote you on spoken languages (such as Arabic, Vietnamese, Russian, etc.) as well as Captioning, CART, Over-the-Phone Interpreting Services, and Video Remote Interpreting Services?

Answer: At this time, we are requesting quotes for these services. If you would like to submit a capabilities statement to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System you may do so, but NOT as part of your response to this requirement.

(6) Question: Will you have any need for written translation services? If so, which languages?

Answer: At this time, we are requesting quotes for these services. If you would like to submit a capabilities statement to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System you may do so, but NOT as part of your response to this requirement.

(7) Question: Will you have any need for trilingual interpreting (interpreters who speak English, ASL and Spanish)?

Answer: At this time, we are requesting quotes for these services. If you would like to submit a capabilities statement to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System you may do so, but NOT as part of your response to this requirement.

(8) Question: Are you able to provide your rates for the current contract?

Answer: There is currently no incumbent, services were paid for on a case-by-case basis on Government purchase card. As such, there was no contract award amount. The Government is not authorized to disclose rates paid utilizing Government purchase cards.

(9) Question: Due to last minute requests, jobs extending longer than originally anticipated, etc., the schedule will change numerous times after a request is received and confirmed. As it is required that the interpreter's name must be provided on the monthly invoice, would it be sufficient to supply the interpreter's name upon confirmation of the assignment, and then again on the invoice? Then, should it differ from the name provided at the time of confirmation of the requested service, the correct interpreter(s) name(s) will be documented.

Answer: The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System must know who is providing the service PRIOR to the services being provided.

(10) Question: “3.2. Business Protocol,” The RFQ states that the interpreters are not to hand out business cards with the intention of soliciting business. Is it acceptable to hand out business cards to Bay Pines employees who are interested in knowing who is providing the interpreters and want to provide feedback as to interpreter preferences?

Answer: No, there will be only one process for reporting feedback and that will be through the COR for proper documentation.

(11) Question: If a deaf employee has had interpreters who have been interpreting for them at Bay Pines for years, and those interpreters do not have 5 years of experience or do not have RID certification but are most familiar with their signing styles, terminology related to their jobs, etc., will they be permitted on a case by case basis if requested by a deaf employee?

Answer: No, any providers under this contract will need to meet the minimum requirements as required by the PWS.

(12) Question: Aside from the National Interpreter Certification (NIC), RID certifications include, but are not limited to, the Certificate of Interpretation (CI), Certificate of Transliteration (CT), Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC), RID K-12 (EIPA level 4 or above), etc. Are any of these RID certifications acceptable, or only the NIC? Other credentials aside from RID certification include the Educational Interpreter Performance Evaluation (EIPA) and the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI). Would either of those be acceptable?

Answer: The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System will allow common certificates that are used in the industry if they are equivalent to, or superior than, the qualifications listed in the RFQ.

(13) Question: “3.4.5: In the event an interpreter supplied under this contract arrives to an assignment that has been canceled, the interpreter shall go to the HR Office, Building 37, 1st Floor, Room #109 to either be released or reassigned.”

Due to the limited parking spaces near the HR office, will a telephone call to the HR office suffice?

Answer: No, the provider must arrive in person to verify their presence on the C.W. Bill Young campus.

(14) Question: “3.7.5. If the Government provides less than twenty-four (24) hours advance notice of a cancellation(s) of an assigned meeting or event, then the Contractor may submit an invoice for all labor charges incurred by the Contractor which shall not exceed the cost for the initial day of a meeting or event scheduled for multiple days.”

If an interpreter is scheduled 8am - 5pm for a 2-day training and the training is cancelled after 8am on the first day, then, as a less than 24-hour cancellation for the 2nd day, will both days be billable?

Answer: Only labor charges actually incurred by the Contractor in association with the scheduled event are billable and is not to exceed the cost of the initial day.

(15) Question: Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like, from India or Canada) Answer: Companies providing quotes for this requirement must be registered in SAM.gov regardless of home country but must provide 50% of services per FAR clause 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting.

(16) Question: Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

Answer: Yes, in-person interpretation services must be provided for work-related meetings, training sessions, safety talks, discussions on work related procedures, policies and assignments, human resources actions, conferences, team building events and any other event attended by deaf or hard of hearing persons. Additionally, ASL interpreting services shall be provided to patients, their families, and visitors for the offices and agencies associated with the Bay Pines VAHCS.

(17) Question: Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada)

Answer: No, in-person interpretation services are required. Please see above answer to question 16.

(18) Question: Can we submit the proposals via email?

Answer: Yes, per the second page of the RFQ, offers are due on/or before Wednesday 9/26/2018 by 4:00 PM Eastern. Quotes shall be sent by e‐mail “only” to the Contract Officer (Steven Scharlow) at steven.scharlow@va.gov.