36C26025Q0808 0001.pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 16

0001 02-10-2026

36C260

Network Contracting Office 20

ATTN: V4CONT

1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd

Bldg.17, Suite B428

Vancouver WA 98661

36C260

Network Contracting Office 20

ATTN: V4CONT

1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd

Bldg.17, Suite B428

Vancouver WA 98661

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C26025Q0808

01-20-2026

X

X X

See CONTINUATION Page

The purpose of this amendment is to answer vendor questionsand amend the performance work statement.

a. Answers to vendor questions are provided on the pages below.

b. The performance work statement has been amended to correct a typo in paragraph c of the section titled Workplace

Condition. Paragraph g has also been added to the section titled Records Management. See amended PWS on the pages below.

No other changes are made by this solicitation. Vendors shall submit a signed copy of this amendment as part of quote submission.

Q&A

1. Can the Government provide additional detail from Attachment A (or historical data) breaking down estimated usage by language, service type (in-person, telephonic, video, document translation), and VISN/facility to better support staffing and pricing assumptions?

a. Estimated usage quantities are provided in Attachment A and will not be further broken down.

2. For languages where nationally recognized medical interpreter certifications are unavailable, what alternative qualifications (e.g., experience, testing, ILR scores, or community certification) will the VA accept as meeting the PWS interpreter/translator qualification requirements?

a. For languages where national medical certifications are unavailable, the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) generally accepts interpreters who are considered "qualified" rather than "certified." These interpreters must demonstrate proficiency and training through alternative means, typically including 40+ hours of medical interpreter training, documented language proficiency testing, and adherence to ethical standards.

3. For services requested with less than 48 hours’ notice, are there defined expected response times (e.g., same day, within X hours), and will response timeliness be evaluated at the IDIQ level, task-order level, or both? The answer on CPARS is both with differing responsibilities.

a. See PWS section titled Service Scheduling, in which it is expected that services may be scheduled in advance, with no notice or with short notice.

4. Are there any preferred or prohibited platforms for video/telephonic interpretation, and what secure methods does the VA expect contractors to use for transmitting documents for translation, given that contractor systems may not connect to the VA network?

a. The VA will not be able to login into any vendor cloud platforms or download any third party software. Teams, CISCO WebX, telephone may be used. Documents can be emailed or faxed to POCs.

5. How does the VA recommend contractors demonstrate ongoing compliance with VAAR

852.219-75 limitations on subcontracting, particularly when rare-language interpreters may not be available from certified SDVOSBs?

a. Usage of rare-language interpreters is estimated to be low. Ongoing compliance with the limitations of subcontracting is a requirement for the eventual awardee and will be monitored as necessary. Vendors should keep records of their use of subcontractors and payments made.

6. Section B.5 states that all VHA facilities within VISNs 17, 19, 20, 21, and 22 are authorized to order services under this IDIQ. For planning and pricing purposes, can the Government clarify whether in-person interpretation services are expected to be ordered primarily from major VA Medical Centers and larger outpatient hubs, with telephonic and video interpretation serving smaller or remote facilities? Additionally, is there an estimated number or subset of facilities that historically generate the majority of in-person interpretation demand?

a. Services will likely be ordered primarily from the major VA Medical Centers and larger outpatient hubs however the government will not put any ordering restrictions against any of its facilities.

b. This data set is unavailable.

7. Section B.13 identifies specific languages to be supported. Should offerors explicitly address capability for each listed language, or may low-volume languages be supported under the “Other Language–English” CLINs?

a. This is up to each offeror.

8. For planning purposes, can the Government provide historical or estimated utilization trends for interpretation and translation services under WSNC by service modality (e.g., in-person interpretation, telephonic interpretation, video interpretation, written translation), rather than by language?

a. Estimated utilization rates have been provided for both language and service modality in Attachment A. No further data shall be provided.

9. For interpretation services requiring “<48 hours notice,” does the response time begin at the point of: Facility request to the contractor, or Task order issuance?

a. Task order or purchase order issuance, however ordering officers routinely place orders via email.

10. Are the quantities provided in Attachment A intended solely for price evaluation purposes, or should offerors treat them as reasonable workload projections for operational planning?

a. The estimates provided are based on past usage and to be used by vendors to accurately price their quotes.

11. c) states “Prior to reporting to work, the Court Reporter will need to contact the designated

POC for the ordering facility to arrange an escort to the on-site badging department. VA staff will issue a temporary ID badge to the contracted employee, who will properly display the badge while working onsite. Upon completion of the assignment, the employee will return the badge.” Please clarify, will the POC under this contract be interfacing with Court

Reporters at VA Medical Facilitiies?

a. Thank you for this question. This is an error. Court Reporter will be corrected to read the “Translator” or “Vendor Employee”.

12. Would the government please confirm whether it requests one monthly invoice for all provided services versus a separate invoice delivered to each respective ordering facility?

a. The vendor will need to separately invoice each job to each ordering facility.

13. Would the government describe the requested line-item details on each monthly invoice?

a. An example would be:

Name of your company

Date of invoice

Contract Number

Purchase Order Number

Invoice number

Date Service provided

CLIN’s listed out separately with time or number of copies rendered, base cost per, total cost, total of invoice

Full name of Facility Requestor/POC/Department

14. Would the government clarify whether these line items are for “interpretation”, not

“translation” services?

a. Line items involve both translation and interpretation. See Attachment A which outlines the medium of each line item.

15. Would the government consider adding line items for “hourly” (pre)scheduled video interpretation services in addition to “by the minute” on-demand video interpretation services?

a. No

16. Would the government consider adding entries for minimum time durations for interpretation assignments- minimum hours for in-person (and (pre)scheduled, if the government includes) and minimum minutes for on-demand telephonic and video interpretation?

a. No

17. Given the potentially wide range of document lengths, text complexities, and language pairs, would the government consider adding an entry for minimum dollar value for each document translation assignment?

a. No

18. Given the breath of services and potentially high number of ordering officers on this contract, would the government consider adding a line item on the pricing sheet for one (1) fulltime equivalent program manager for proposal as key personnel?

a. No

19. As the provided link has a dropdown with all VA facilities and the map concentrates facilities only where the pin drops for each state, would the government please advise which facility types would be empowered to order translation and/or interpretation services in each state as well as provide a list of each specific facility name and address in each state to which the contractor may be expected to provide in-person interpretation services?

a. See attached spreadsheet (Attachment C) with facilities under WSNC purview. Please keep in mind that it is subject to change with reorganizations, additions, or decommissions.

20. What is the anticipated number of ordering officers on this contract?

a. Estimated 40-50

21. As government requests that the contractor must provide one point of contact to receive orders, how will the government ensure that all designated Ordering Officers (OOs) are properly trained, understand the standardized ordering process, and updated on the terms and conditions of the contract?

a. This is covered by a multi-step process in which the ordering officers must take trainings of their own, a training issued by the contracting officer on specifics of the contract, and continuous monitoring by the contracting officer for compliance.

22. Without having insight to the existing resources and their standardizations across each

WSNC facility, would the government consider listing and adding separate line items with requested specifications and quantities sufficient to support Ordering Officers at each respective WSNC facility for all equipment, tools, hardware, software and technology requirements to potentially include but not limited to laptops/tablets, rolling laptop carts, hardware shipping service costs, shipment reception, equipment set-up, equipment storage and maintenance, software installations and updates, virtual meeting subscriptions and other information technology (IT) services that it intends the contractor to supply under this contract, as well as indicate for which portions of the above scope VA/government employees/resources will be responsible instead of the Contractor?

a. No government furnished equipment shall be provided to or used by a vendor for this contract. Employees will use their GFE equipment to perform their work duties.

23. What additional interpretation scenarios might this contract support in addition to interpretation during medical appointments between patient/patient family members and medical care provider?

a. Translation support for any employee in the course of their job at any of the WSNC facilities, be it clinical or administrative, is permissible under this contract.

24. In addition to no machine translation to be used for document translation, how will the government ensure that contractors do not incorporate the use of artificial intelligence interpretation?

a. Contractors will ultimately be responsible with whatever AI outputs they rely on for performance. Artificial intelligence nor machine translation are to be used for any portion of performance under this contract.

25. What are the acceptable accreditations for American Sign Language Interpretation and

Braille Tactile Signing on this contract?

a. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)

National Interpreter Certification (NIC)

Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI)

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

Protactile Language Interpreting Education Program Certificate (PLI)

NLS Literary Braille Transcribing Certification

26. Especially for requests for languages of lesser diffusion and less than 48-hour notice requests, in situations where an in-person interpreter is not available due to a limited availability of qualified local interpreters, what alternative solutions would the government accept?

a. The government is not providing any alternative solutions.

27. Given that the needed services are unforecastable, pricing for in-person interpretation may be significantly higher than for video or phone interpretation due to travel (possibly hotel), mileage, facility badging time, parking time, minimum hours for payment, what are some scenarios that would require an in-person interpreter versus a (pre)scheduled phone or video remote interpreter?

a. Examples could be but are not limited to: Situations that involve complex and sensitive communications in Emergency Departments, Mental

Health/Psychiatric Services, Surgical and Intensive Care Units, Physical

Therapy and Rehabilitation, Discharge Planning and Informed Consent.

28. What is the percentage of document translation requests that are “into English” translations in which the source document is written in another language versus translation requests from an English source document into another written language?

a. This data set is unavailable.

29. What is the historical number of document translation requests by language pair and language direction, i.e.., English to Spanish, Spanish to English, etc...?

a. This data set is unavailable.

30. What is the historical average number of pages for each document translation assignment for both less than 48-hour turnaround and greater than 48-hour turnaround requests?

a. This data set is unavailable.

31. How will the government collaborate with the contractor to ensure that document translation services meet the required turnaround times, especially for urgent requests?

a. When this contractor is awarded, directions on ‘how to order services’ will be posted on an internal SharePoint which directs ordering facilities on how to best collaborate with the eventual awardee. Performance monitoring will be accomplished at the order level.

32. Given the on-demand nature and significant range of in-house employee and contracted professionals across many languages, disciplines and geographical regions who may service this request to include on short/no notice, is annual training required by the Prime

Contractor only or also by each specific language professional who will service this contract?

a. Only qualified professional employees should be used during the performance of this contract.

33. Would the government please provide a chart/matrix to:

a) Clarify and name which training must be completed by each translator and/or interpreter in advance of servicing this contract?

b) Provide additional details about the training format/medium, estimated time burden, and renewal frequency for each training requirement.

c) Provide a copy of each of the required training packages for review when posting the answers

d) Describe how the government will verify translator/interpreter’s completed training in advance of each assignment

e) Clarify whether ""VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior"" training is required only for in-person interpretation request? "

a. No – it is up to the contractor to manage the performance requirements provided. Proof of certification may be requested at any time during performance of this contract.

34. Would the government please clarify the use of the term “Court Reporter” used here?

a. Thank you for this question. This is an error. Court Reporter will be corrected to read the “Translator” or “Vendor Employee”.

35. What is the historical average duration for each in-person, video remote and telephonic interpretation request?

a. This data set is unavailable.

36. What specific criteria will be used to evaluate the quality of services provided under the

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)?

a. The performance objectives are listed.

37. How will the government address situations where validated complaints are received about the quality of interpretation or translation services?

a. Performance monitoring will be performed in accordance with section B.14 of the solicitation. The contracting officer of the ordering facility will also brief the administering contracting officer of the IDIQ on these complaints.

The administering contracting officer will then reach out to the vendor to ensure performance continues at a high level.

38. Would the government please detail the proposal evaluation criteria to include proposal instructions, formatting standards, page limits and weighting for technical, management, past performance, key personnel resumes (both prime and/or subcontractor, if applicable), subcontract management plan, executive summary, and other potentially evaluated content?

a. Please see Sections E.1 and E.4 for this information. Vendors should submit everything required by Section E.1 to ensure their quote is complete.

39. What is the typical word count/page count for a written translation request?

a. This data set is unavailable.

40. What is the typical file format provided for translation (Word, Excel, InDD, PDF, scanned

PDF)?

a. PDF will probably be most typical but as stated, the ordering facility will specify.

41. What is the number of minutes by language by month for over the phone services?

a. Estimated utilization rates have already been provided.

42. What is the number of minutes by language by month for remote ASL services?

a. Estimated utilization rates have already been provided.

43. Could we explore utilizing offshore interpreters to meet all contractual obligations, including security measures, while also achieving significant cost savings through reduced pricing?

a. No

44. Can you use our secured platform for VRI, or will you require us to use Zoom, Teams, or your own conferencing platform?

a. The VA will not be able to login into any vendor cloud platforms or download any third-party software. Teams, CISCO WebX, telephone.

Documents can be emailed or faxed to POCs.

45. Who is the incumbent vendor(s)?

a. The current contract number is 36C26021A0058

46. What are the rates of incumbent vendor(s)?

a. The current contract number is 36C26021A0058

47. When is the anticipated contract award date?

a. May 2026

48. What is the anticipated budget?

a. Individual TOs may not exceed $100,000 each.

The Price Ceiling is $1,500,000 over the life of the BPA.

49. Will vendors be allowed to submit proposals for specific services only (i.e., selective bidding), or is it required to bid on the full scope of services?

a. Vendors are required to bid on full scope of services.

50. What is the historical volume for the services required under the RFP?

a. Estimated utilization rates have already been provided in Attachment A.

51. Are there any quality assurance or fulfillment issues with current vendors providing similar services? If so, please describe.

a. No, none.

52. May vendors submit a supplemental rate sheet for document translation that provides per-word pricing by language, or is a single rate required regardless of language and scope of work?

a. Document translation must be priced per word based on less than 48 hours turnaround time or more than 48 hours turnaround time as stated in the line items.

53. Is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If yes, please identify them and how long you have been working with them. How much are you currently paying for the services?

a. The current contract number is 36C26021A0058.

54. Are there any known performance or quality-of-service concerns that prompted the re-solicitation of this requirement?

a. No. The current contract is set to expire in May, prompting this re-solicitation.

55. Are there any lessons learned or feedback from the previous contract (e.g., scheduling gaps, credentialing delays, clinical communication issues) that new offerors should be aware of?

a. No

56. Are interpreters expected to clock in/out through a VA timekeeping system or provide manual time logs/invoices for verification?

a. No, the facility POC will verify time when they are paying invoices.

57. Are there existing language access policies, glossaries, or SOPs that interpreters must adhere to?

a. No

58. Will a 2-hour minimum (remote and on-site) be honored (each time the interpreter is requested the VA pays for 2-hours to accommodate for the interpreters time and impact to their ability to support other clients)? Please confirm that the contract will include minimum charges.

a. This contract does not include minimum charges. See PWS section titled

Service Scheduling, in which it is expected that services may be scheduled in advance, with no notice or with short notice

59. In the event the primary interpreter is unavailable (illness, emergency), what is the required notification process and response timeframe for assigning a replacement?

a. The government is not providing any alternative solutions.

60. Braille and Tactile are two different services, please clarify this line item and kindly confirm that by this service you are expecting a tactile interpreter to be present onsite.

a. Yes, this CLIN requires in-person delivery of services.

61. Will there typically be a private workspace or interpreter station for downtime, or should interpreters plan to wait in general areas?

a. There will not be a private workspace.

62. Will the VA provide free parking access or reimbursement for in-person interpreters at VA medical facilities?

a. VA parking is generally free, however, where it may be unavailable, there will not be any reimbursement.

63. We note on Section B.5 that in-person interpreting is required for CONUS-only. Will offerors be permitted to substitute VRI or OPI interpreting in lieu of in-person interpreting for difficult-to-staff CONUS VA hospitals and clinics, for instance Southern Colorado and

Eastern Nevada?

a. No

64. What challenges have you faced with similar scope of work from vendors you worked with?

What improvements are you looking to implement moving forward with regards to language access provision?

a. There have been no challenges.

65. Please indicate whether video remote interpreting (VRI) services will be delivered through the contractor’s proprietary platform or through a third-party platform (e.g., Microsoft Teams or Zoom). If a third-party platform is anticipated, please confirm whether the Government would like the contractor to provide pricing for this service as an additional offering, noting that delivery via a third-party platform is priced on an hourly basis, whereas VRI delivered through the contractor’s platform is priced per minute.

a. The VA will not be able to login into any vendor cloud platforms or download any third party software. Teams, CISCO WebX, telephone.

Documents can be emailed or faxed to POCs.

66. Please clarify whether the contractor may charge a cancellation fee for scheduled services, consistent with industry standard practice (i.e., a minimum charge based on the scheduled or requested time).

a. The contractor may not charge a cancellation fee.

67. We note in B.7 that “all travel is included in the unit price.” For rural clinics that are more than 35 miles from an in-person interpreter’s home will the VA approve mileage reimbursement (separately from the unit price), calculated at the IRS standard mileage rate, may be charged for on-site interpreting services?

a. No

68. Do you anticipate that the documents to be translated will contain graphics, figures, drawings, or other design elements that are not editable in Word, thereby creating a need for desktop publishing (formatting) services?

a. No, we do not anticipate this.

69. For in-person scheduling, are there any locations where there are recurring requirements for interpreters? For example, are there any deaf VA employees that require daily, full-time assistance? Or are there large facilities that require full-time Spanish-language interpreting at the VA medical centers information desks?

a. No

70. Are any interpreters for this solicitation required to staff VA call centers or medical center switchboards?

a. No

71. If an onsite interpreter (ASL or any other language) is not available, would remote modality be acceptable, as long as the Deaf/LEP person is able to receive services remotely (not visually impaired, etc.)?

a. No

72. Referencing “Workplace Conditions” Para. G: Normally, we would assign two interpreters for any meeting/training/event that last for more than two hours in duration, in order to ensure that the VA does not have any interruptions/disruptions to interpreting—especially during medical procedures. Will the TO managers permit offerors to assign two interpreters, based on the offeror’s standard scheduling procedures and industry standards?

a. No

73. Our understanding is this bid is 100% intended for SDVOSB companies, correct?

a. Correct

74. We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services.

a. The current contract number is 36C26021A0058.

75. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

a. The current contract number is 36C26021A0058.

The B.13 Performance Work Statement has been removed in its entirety and replaced with the one below. Correction of a typo has been made to paragraph c of Workplace

Conditions. Paragraph g has also been added to Records Management.

B.13 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

GENERAL

a) The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, certifications, supervision, and all other technologies and technical services to provide in-person, telephonic, and video conference translator and interpreter services at WSNC facilities.

b) The languages to be covered are listed below. Additional languages may be added at the discretion of the administering CO through Modification without further competition.

c) This PWS will describe the services required of the Contractor and the VA work conditions relevant to the performance of this service.

LANGUAGES COVERED

American Sign Language (ASL) Greek Norwegian

Amharic Haitian Creole Polish

Arabic Hebrew Portuguese

Bengali Hindi Punjabi

Bulgarian Hmong Quechua

Burmese Ilocano Rumanian

Cambodian Italian Russian

Chinese (Cantonese) Japanese Samoan

Chinese (Mandarin) Khmer Somali

Chinese (Taishanese) Korean Spanish

Czech Kurmanji Tagalog

Dutch Laotian Taiwanese

Farsi Mam Thai

French Navajo Turkish

German Nepali Vietnamese

INTERPRETER/TRANSLATOR QUALIFICATIONS

a) Each interpreter or translator must know how to translate medical terminology to ensure exact understanding of treatments, procedures, medication names/dosage requirements, and other instructions required for care of the veteran patient, or for obtaining informed consent.

b) Each interpreter or translator shall possess linguistic proficiency in English and the language to be serviced.

c) Contractors must meet all qualifications and certifications as required by state and/or federal law.

d) A qualified translator or interpreter is defined as a vendor’s in-house or contracted translator or interpreter who is competent to interpret or translate as demonstrated through accreditation by State Interpreter Certification/National Center for State Courts, the National

Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters, National Council on Interpreting in Health

Care Certification, or Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR), or equivalent certifying agency.

e) A Contractor’s certificate(s) must be provided to the CO, COR, or facility point of contact

(POC) when requested.

CONTRACTOR SERVICES

a) The contractor must provide a single POC to the ordering VA facility.

b) Machine translation will not be used.

c) Contractors shall be punctual and present at relevant proceedings, demonstrate a professional demeanor, and provide all the necessary equipment and materials to perform their duties.

d) Each TO will specify the time coverage required and what (if any) advance notice conditions apply.

SERVICE SCHEDULING

a) Services will be scheduled with short or no notice or in advance.

b) To reflect standard industry pricing practices, the Contractor shall provide pricing based on short/no notice (notice given less than 48 hours prior to the service being required) and pricing based on advance notice (notice given at least 48 hours prior to the service being required.

IN-PERSON SERVICES

a) The Contractor must be capable of providing in-person services when ordered.

b) The servicing contractor employee must be prompt, reliable, and professional in demeanor and dress.

c) The servicing contractor employee shall arrive at the facility-designated location for in-person services 10 minutes early for the scheduled meeting.

d) The Contractor may begin charging per hour usage of services at that time.

e) In-person services listed are for CONUS locations only.

TELEPHONIC AND VIDEO CONFERENCE SERVICES

a) The Contractor shall have a system in place capable of handling multiple participants at once.

b) Services must be prompt (ie, able to have a translator online within minutes), reliable, and easy for VA clinical staff to access whenever needed.

c) The Contractor shall not begin charging for per minute usage of services until the call has connected to the requested language translator.

DOCUMENT TRANSLATION SERVICES

a) The Contractor shall be capable of providing document translation services from English to the required language to facilitate patient and patient’s family understanding.

b) The ordering facility will specify the methods by which the original documents will be given to and translated documents received from the Contractor.

c) The Contractor shall provide pricing for document translation services for both short turn-around time needs (less than 48 hours to complete and return the translated document) and normal turn-around time needs (48 hours or more to complete and return the translated document).

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

a) Contractor may not have access to the VA network. Contractor-owned computer equipment including laptops are not permitted to be connected to the VA network.

b) Contractor must complete “VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of

Behavior” training prior to the performance of the contract and annually thereafter. Training must be completed in VA’s TMS system (https://www.tms.va.gov/). Contractors must use the

TMS Managed Self Enrollment method to complete the training in TMS.

c) The VA POC must ensure that all contractors are validated in the PIH domain. Proof of training completion must be verified and tracked by the VA POC.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT

a) All Contractor personnel shall have in their possession a cross-cut paper shredder to destroy immediately upon completion of telephonic or video conference interpretation any

VA sensitive information the Contractor personnel writes down while conducting remote interpretation to the customer.

b) Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically authorized by the contract, using Government IT equipment and/or Government records or without.

c) Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable.

d) The VA owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract.

e) Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy

Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].

f) The VA and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of federal records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the

Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules.

g) Contractor shall submit reports quarterly to the contracting officer detailing utilization rates of services by line item and facility.

WORKPLACE CONDITIONS

a) Contractors provided under this IDIQ are employees of the Contractor and shall not be considered VA employees. Contractors working on VA property shall be subject to the same rules and regulations as all contracted employees.

b) Parking is allowed only in areas not designated for patient use. All traffic laws and parking rules on the grounds are strictly enforced. Failure to follow these laws and regulations may result in a citation being issued that will have to be resolved through the Federal Court system.

c) Prior to reporting to work, the contractor employee will need to contact the designated POC for the ordering facility to arrange an escort to the on-site badging department. VA staff will issue a temporary ID badge to the contracted employee, who will properly display the badge while working onsite. Upon completion of the assignment, the employee will return the badge.

d) The VA reserves the right to refuse any Contractor access to VA property, for any or no reason.

e) Contractors shall comply with all security requirements imposed by the ordering facility.

f) Contractors shall not receive personal telephone calls or texts on their cell phone while rendering services.

g) Contractors are allowed one 15-minute break within every four hours worked. Additional breaks are authorized after one hour of continuous interpreting.

h) A VA employee must accompany Contractors who are providing services.

i) Dress code is business casual.

j) Contractors shall avoid using scented lotion, perfume or cologne.

k) All shoes must be clean and safe for the medical setting, to include closed-toe shoes.

VA FACILITY HOURS OF OPERATION

a) Standard operating hours for CBOCs and larger VA facilities are normally 8:00 AM to 4:30

PM Monday through Friday in the time zone of the facility, excluding federal holidays. VA

Emergency Departments normally operate with 24-hour coverage.

b) TOs may require services to be available 24/7, 365 days a week to include all Federal

Holidays.

c) Federal holidays are:

• New Years Day

• Martin Luther King Jr Birthday

• President’s Day

• Memorial Day

• Juneteenth

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Columbus Day

• Veterans Day

• Thanksgiving Day

• Christmas Day

PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

a) Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

b) The Contractor shall comply with the requirements of the Federal Privacy Act of 1974

(Public Law 93-579), HIPAA (Public Law 104-191), and the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1972 (Public Law 83-255), as well as other statutes regarding confidentiality of patient information during and after the execution of this IDIQ.

PATIENT PRIVACY

a) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) requires that patient lists, names of patients, and any information concerning patients, are considered privileged information and shall not be disclosed or revealed in any way for use outside the

VA. The Contractor is subject to the same penalties and liabilities for unauthorized disclosures of such information as the VA. Patient confidentiality shall be protected at all times.

b) As Contractor personnel will potentially have access to patient information related to their performance of duties under this IDIQ, Contractor shall make its personnel aware that any such information that they might become aware of during the course of their performance is considered privileged information and shall not be disclosed or revealed in any way outside communications with the POC(s) and directly-related VA employees.