A1. Draft PWS.docx

DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS) American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter Requirement Human Resources and Organizational Management Branch (HROM) Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps

1. Background

The Human Resources and Organizational Management (HROM) Branch mission is to provide the Commandant of the Marine Corps, headquarters staff, and serviced commands with the human resources, workforce development, and organizational management expertise required to effectively recruit, develop, and retain the right workforce and to build and maintain high performing organizations. Employee Relations is a complex area involving the intersection of a wide variety of laws, regulations, and policies.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the Federal Government, under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, “Federal agencies have a legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations for their employees and job applicants with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy Equal Employment Opportunity.” OPM provides that an example of reasonable accommodation includes sign language interpreters for people who are deaf.

Administration and Resource Management (AR) Division has two Government employees who are deaf. These employees require the use of an interpreter when attending process reviews, decision briefs, and similar substantial meetings. This requirement is to provide sustained support consistent with Equal Employment Opportunity’s requirements to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities.

2. Scope/Objective

The purpose of this effort is to provide American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter services for AR Division’s two (2) civilian Marine employees who are hearing impaired.

3. General Requirements

a. The Contractor is responsible for providing interpreters who maintain at least one of the following certifications continuously throughout contract performance:

1) (preferred) National Interpreter Certification (NIC) granted by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID);

2) National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Level IV (Advanced) or V (Master) Certification;

3) Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) certification.

i. The Contractor/Vendor shall be able to provide sufficient documentation to substantiate their employees’ sign experience upon request by the Government.

b. Recurring support from the same interpreter(s) per hearing impaired employee is preferred. Sustained relationships will support an increased familiarity with the subtleties in the supported and supporting individuals’ ASL techniques, leading to more effective communications and overall support.

c. If for any reason the recipient(s) of the ASL services is uncomfortable with the services being provided by the assigned interpreter, the vendor shall assign a different interpreter to provide the services upon request for the next assignment.

d. The ASL interpreters must be fluent in English, and in American Sign Language, which combines signing, finger spelling, and specific body language, in order to perform the functions of the assignments given to them by the Marine Corps.

e. Interpreters must be capable of interpreting spoken language for the supported employee, and interpreting the supported employee’s communications, both signed and written, to non-ASL literate audiences. Audiences may range from small groups of two (2) to more formal settings of 100 or more.

4. Tasks: ASL Interpreter Services

a. ASL interpreters shall provide both virtual/remote and on-site interpretation services to two (2) hearing impaired employees.

b. The Contractor shall fill all requests for ASL interpreter support requested consistent with the timeframes in this document; see Section 7.

c. The Contractor shall provide ASL interpreter services for routine meetings consisting of 1 interpreter per 2-hour period.

d. If the requirement exceeds two (2) hours, the Contractor/Vendor shall provide two (2) ASL interpreters, and shall invoice the Government accordingly for the two (2) ASL interpreters in accordance with the rate established by the contract.

5. Place of Performance

a. ASL interpreters shall provide virtual/remote service via video teleconferencing, as well as on-site service at the following locations:

Destination

Pentagon, Arlington, VA

Joint Base Fort Myer/Henderson Hall, Arlington, VA

Naval Support Facility, Arlington, VA

Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA

b. Local determinations relating to adverse weather conditions, national emergencies, energy conservation, OPM and Human Resources and Organizational Management determinations, etc., may require the office to close. However, in the event of office closure, the Contractor shall be available for support via video teleconferencing when previously requested for in-person support by the Government within the terms established in Section 7.

6. Travel

a. The Contractor/Vendor is responsible for all travel/per diem related expenses.

b. Any/all anticipated travel costs should be included in quotation as part of quoted rate per 2-hour period.

c. For on-site services to occur at the Pentagon, visitor parking is not guaranteed at the Pentagon for the ASL interpreter; Metro Rail is preferred.

7. Normal Operations

a. The Government Point of Contact will provide requests for ASL services to the Contractor/Vendor no later than 5 business days prior to the date the ASL services are required.

b. Requests for support will be in two (2) hour blocks of time.

c. Per historical data, most of the services required can be provided virtually, but some services must be performed in person at one of the on-site locations listed in Section 5; this specification will be identified by the Government Point of Contact at the time of their request for services in accordance with Section 7a.

8. Period of Performance

a. The period of performance shall be for one (1) base year and four (4) option years.

b. The base year start date shall be no later than May 01, 2023, or 30 days ADC/after date of contract.

c. No more than 288 total hours of services can be scheduled annually, or 144 2-hour periods in accordance with Section 7.

9. Schedule/Hours of Operation

a. The Contractor/Vendor’s ASL interpreter may be called upon to provide ASL interpretation services Monday through Friday between the operating hours of 8:00AM and 4:00PM.

b. HROM anticipates an average of 10 meetings per month that require services.

c. The Contractor/Vendor/ASL interpreter shall conduct business as necessary to meet the requirements of the PWS. The Contractor may be required to adjust the work schedules to accommodate work requirements. All work performed outside of the normal operating hours will be jointly approved by the Contractor/Vendor, ASL interpreter, and Government Point of Contact prior to commencing the work.

d. Overtime for Contractor personnel is not authorized in the performance of this requirement.

e. Cancellations

i. The Government shall make all reasonable attempts to notify the Contractor/Vendor of any cancellations within two (2) business days or more.

10. Security Requirements

a. The interpreter(s) will not require a security clearance as the personnel that require these services are in unclassified positions.

b. The ASL interpreter(s) assigned to provide services shall contact the Government Point of Contact prior to beginning work on-site to ensure they understand and can comply with individual installation security requirements.

c. When the ASL interpreter is required to provide services on-site at either the Pentagon or MCB Quantico, they will require a background check to receive facility/base access clearance to be performed by the Pentagon or MCB Quantico prior to arrival to either location.

i. The Contractor must provide the Government Point of Contact with each interpreter’s name and contact information at least three (3) business days prior to the date when the services are required.

d. Pentagon Access

i. When there is an on-site requirement at the Pentagon, the Contractor/Vendor must provide the name and contact information of each ASL interpreter at least three (3) business days prior to the date when the services are required. The ASL interpreter must be cleared beforehand to gain access to the Pentagon for the dates that services are required at the Pentagon.

e. Marine Corps Base Quantico Access

i. Each interpreter who will need base access must complete registration in the Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) prior to entering MCB Quantico. The contractor must possess of a valid form of identification.

1. Visit the Base Access site at the link provided and follow the instructions for Contractors to complete the necessary steps to obtain base access.

2. The DBIDS registration information and a list of valid forms of identification are found at: https://www.quantico.marines.mil/Info/Base-Access/

ii. The interpreter shall present a Government form of ID at the main entrance to MCB Quantico. If the interpreter is driving a private vehicle, they must have car registration and insurance information to receive a visitor’s pass.

f. Physical Security

i. The Contractor/Vendor is responsible for safeguarding all Government property and information provided in performance of this contract.

ii. Contractor/Vendor employees entering Marine Corps sites shall comply with all security requirements in effect during the contract periods and shall be subject to such checks as may be deemed necessary.

iii. No employee or representative of the Contractor/Vendor will be admitted on a Marine Corps site unless they furnish satisfactory proof of United States citizenship or, if an alien, that their residence and employment within the United States is legal.

iv. All Contractor/Vendor employees must possess a valid picture identification card issued by a State or Federal agency.

11. Professional Standards of Conduct

a. Contractor/Vendor employees shall conduct themselves in a proper, efficient, courteous, and business-like manner.

b. All ASL interpreters must adhere to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Interpreter Code of Professional Conduct.

c. The Contractor/Vendor and ASL interpreter(s) must adhere to all applicable confidentiality rules and regulations.

d. The ASL interpreter(s) must be attired appropriately for the environment in which they are working, to include when interpretation is conducted via video.

e. The Contractor/Vendor and ASL Interpreter(s) shall not release personal information regarding any person authorized for services.

12. Contract Type

Firm-Fixed Price.

13. Government Point of Contact (POC)

To be provided at time of award.