AG-3144-S-14-0011_QA_as_of_4_9_14.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 21 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- AG-3144-S-14-0011
About this file
Final Questions and Answers
View the file
Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach1_-_Pricing_Tables_4_9_14.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_RFQ_4_9_14.doc | DOC document | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_QA_as_of_4_4_14.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach4_-_USDA_Past_Performance_Questionnaire_4_4_14.docx | DOCX document | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach2_-_PWS_v1.4.docx | DOCX document | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach1_-_Pricing_Tables_3_27_14.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_QA_as_of_3_27_14.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach4_-_USDA_Past_Performance_Questionnaire_3_14_14.docx | DOCX document | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach2_-_PWS_v1.3.docx | DOCX document | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_RFQ_3_14_14.doc | DOC document | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach3_-_Question_format.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| AG-3144-S-14-0011_Attach1_-_Pricing_Tables_3_7_14.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
Show all 12
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Questions
| AG-3144-S-14-0011 - Attachment 3 |
| QUESTION AND ANSWER DOCUMENT |
| As of Amendment 4, 4/9/2014 |
| ID | Solicitation Document Reference | Question | Answer |
| 1 | General | Could you please provide incumbent information on this requirement, including vendor name(s) and contract number(s)? | There are no incumbents, This requirement was never formally contracted in the past. |
Previous services were procured via purchase card on a rotating basis amongst a small pool of vendors with known and accepted interpreters in the National Capital Regsion There is one current vendor, Trusted Translations, who will participate in the competition for task orders. Their contract was set up under the 8(a) direct award program via the Small Business administration in September of 2013 in order to meet USDA requirements at that time.
Since that time the USDA decided to move to a multple-award format.
Trusted Translation's may be contacted via performing an internet search, their information will not be provided as part of this solicitation.
2 PWS Have the services described in the USDA’s Performance Work Statement been previously contracted? If so, can the USDA provide detail on past utilization by type of service and/or location? Refer to the answer to Q1 Past Utilization is contained in responses below, all historical information is gathered from the National Capital Region, no other regional data has been completed and as a result it is unavailable.
3 General If there is an incumbent, at what rates are services currently being offered? See Response to Q1 The rate question is NOT answerable due to procurement sensitive information protection rules.
| 4 | RFQ | The USDA’s Performance Work Statement specifies that any resulting contract will be awarded to multiple vendors. Given the multi-vendor nature of this RFP, will it be possible for offerors to bid on only one portion of the contract? For example, could an offeror bid only on the sign language interpreting portion, and not on CART or TypeWell services? | No, your firm must be able to provide all services in all areas. This could be accomplished by subcontractors; your firm will be responsible as the Prime for all aspects of those services regardless of who actually performs. |
| 5 | RFQ | In Section 3.0 of the USDA’s Performance Work Statement, numerous “types of interpreting situations” are listed, including American Sign Language, Transliteration and Tactile Interpreting. Will the USDA revise their pricing information so that line-item pricing can be furnished for each of these services? | Yes, this has been updated, if additional requirements arise during administration CLINS could be added to the contract if unforeseen now but in scope. |
| 6 | PWS | Section 3.0 of the Performance Work Statement specifies that interpreting services must be provided on a full-time, on-call and by-request basis. In Sections 4.1.6 through 4.1.7, the Performance Work Statement specifies that the Contractor shall provide interpreting services based on a framework of Full-Time, Scheduled and Short Notice scheduling. Can the USDA specify which of these scheduling plans should be utilized by the Contractor? | The USDA has 22 agencies, each agency will procure services as required via a task order. The agencies will define the scheduling plan most suitable for their requirements when the need arises. |
| 7 | PWS | Section 4.0 of the USDA’s Performance Work Statement specifies that interpreters shall “acquire and maintain extensive knowledge of the USDA culture and terminology.” Will the USDA provide contractors with any of this pertinent background information before interpreting assignments commence? | Yes, contractors can request for the terminology and acronym. To obtain more information on Structure and Organization, look up the USDA Agencies and Services at this link: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=AGENCIES_OFFICES_C |
It is also expected that the vendor based on the continued experience with the USDA take efforts to ensure interpreters new to the agency are given appropriate training before attending an assignment.
| 8 | PWS | Section 6.1.2.1 of the Performance Work Statement states that “[s]ign language interpreters…shall arrive at scheduled assignments thirty (30) minutes prior to the beginning of the assignment.” The Performance Work Statement also states that CART providers must arrive 60 minutes in advance of services. Given this requirement, are we correct in assuming that the USDA will pay for these respective 30 and 60 minute waiting periods? | Yes |
| 9 | RFQ | Industry standard pricing for interpreting services incorporates a two-hour minimum. Will the USDA permit offerors to submit pricing for interpreting with provisions for two-hour minimums? | Yes |
| 10 | RFQ | Can we separate Typewell remote and Cart remote - they have vastly different pricing? | Yes, this has been amended |
| 11 | General | Will a cancellation fee be accepted? | A fee above the normal bill rate and minimums is not allowed, however a stipulation is already present in the contract accomplishing a similar goal by allowing charges for the planned work if canceled less than 2 business days in advance. |
| 12 | General | Is travel reimbursement permitted where necessary? | This will be handled at the individual Task Order basis given Agency requirements. |
| 13 | General | Will minimums for each service be permitted? | Yes, if your firm has "standard minimums" please contact the Contracting Officer via e-mail immediately to propose minimum so they may be evaluated and a standard can be applied to the RFQ before it closes. |
| 14 | General | Any quantity of usage statistics available for each area? service? | Hours per year historically in the national capital region: |
Interpreting Svcs, 7926.50.
CART, 36.75.
TypeWell, 58.50.
| 15 | General | How did USDA determine interpreting regions? For example, do certain regions require more or less services than another? | This was gained from existing contracts for these types of services found during market research. The DC region is the only area we have the most historical information regarding services currently. |
| 16 | General | Since Deaf/Hard of Hearing consumers needs and styles vary greatly per geographic area, has USDA considered awarding more than 3 resulting contracts? | No, the multiple award construct is intended to provide nation-wide competition, we are not accepting vendors not able to provide services in all regions. |
| 17 | General | A great deal of the effort will be performed in the DC area, but approximately how many hours are anticipated in the other regions? It would be ideal to have the hours separated per region, in order to determine the approximate amount of effort required. | This is unknown at this time. |
| 18 | General | TypeWell is not a service that is accessible in all parts of our geographic region; however, CART is accessible. Since they are similar in nature, would one, or the other, be sufficient to fulfill this requirement? | This will be handled at the individual Task Order basis given Agency requirements. |
| 19 | General | If CART cannot be a alternative substitute, is USDA able to cover the cost of travel for a qualified TypeWell Provider to the desired location? | This will be handled at the individual Task Order basis given Agency requirements. |
| 20 | General | In certain parts of our geographic region it is possible that a Provider, meeting USDA qualifications, will unable to be located in a prescreening process. In that case, is USDA able to cover the cost of travel in order to receive a qualified Provider at the desired location? | This would be a decision made at the Task Order level given specific agency requirements. |
| 21 | General | Will Interpreters and Transcribers be compensated for the additional 30 minutes that they will be required to be on site? If not, how do you suggest we compensate them for their time? | Compensation of employees is a corporate decision. Billing starts when the person arrives at the location of the service. |
| 22 | General | Will CART Providers/Captioners be compensated for the additional hour that they are required to be on site? If not, how do you suggest we compensate them for their time? | They should be compensated if they are needed to work additional time if the ending time in the original request has extended. |
| 23 | General | Does "fail to arrive for an assignment" refer to a Provider who does not show up, or to a last minute emergency (ie: illness) Provider cancellation, or any and all instances of "fail to arrive"? | Yes, it is simplly "fail to arrive" without regard to circumstances. If a "force majuere" type event occurred it would be up to the Task Order Contracting Officer to determine if an exception will be made. The USDA expects the contractor to find a replacement as a back up to avoid "fail to arrive" in most circumstances. |
| 24 | General | In our geographic area CART Providers charge additional time to complete transcripts. If charges cannot be assessed for the additional time, will they be permitted to complete this task on-site? If not, how do you suggest we compensate Providers for this service? | The vendor needs to include additional expenses to properly complete tasks within the standard pricing at the on-site hourly rate. |
| 25 | General | In order to determine the level of effort, what is USDA's estimate of legal interpreting services per region? | The USDA is not able to estimate this with currently available information. |
| 26 | PWS | Some states require/encourage certifications other than a national certification (ie: BEI or state established certifications). Is the state certification requirement satisfactory, or does USDA additionally require a national certification as stated under 4.2.3.4.2 Criteria Statement 1i? | This would be a decision made at the Task Order level given specific agency requirements and the Task Order contracting officer should note that the qualification standards in the base contract are being augmented or lower qualification accepted. |
| 27 | RFQ | Are email submission of the proposal acceptable? | Unfortunately e-mail proposasl are not allowed. We will have a team of evaluators reviewing all proposals so we need an appropriate number of copies to provide them. |
| 28 | PWS section 4.3 | Can the USDA estimate the percentage of CART and TypeWell services that will be required in the Washington, DC Metro area? | Approximately 3 hours of CART and 5 hours of TypeWell monthly. |
| 29 | PWS section 4.3 | Will CART services be provided for an individual user? If so, to which kind of device (laptop, iPad, etc.) will CART services need to be supplied? | For an individual user, please provide second equipment for the user to read. |
| 30 | PWS section 4.3 | Can the USDA estimate the amount of remote captioning that will need to be provided compared to the amount of in-person captioning? | No. We never had a remote captioning in the past. (we refer customers to use FedRCC). |
| 31 | PWS section 4.3 | How does the USDA anticipate a remote captioner will receive the information that will need to be transcribed? | See Q30. |
| 32 | PWS section 4.3 | Will any portion of this contract entail transcription of recorded audio? | No, we never requested for the audio transcript. Deaf and Hard of Hearing requested for captions. |
| 33 | PWS | CART "transcripts" are provided within 7- 10 days after a session. They take several hours to develop, and include a professional editor as well. Most of our customers request a "rough draft," which arrives within 24-48 hours. Is this what USDA means when it is requesting a "transcript?" | Usually, customers requested for transcript as soon as possible and we obtain the transcript. I suppose we will have to be clear with the customers on two types of transcripts. |
| 34 | RFQ | Due to the large scale of this proposal (every city and state in the US), and the unknown factors of where or how many services will be required, can subcontractor relationships be developed over time? Or must they be submitted with the original Past Performance Proposal? | Yes, subcontractor relationships may be developed over time in response to actual requirements being requested under the multiple award construct |
| 35 | Questionnaire | We are wondering why TypeWell and CART were not identified on the form? |
How can we ensure TypeWell and CART services will be captured? We would like to respectfully ask that USDA amend the questionnaire to include all categories.
These questions have been added to the questionnaire in Qs 19 and 20.
If a client has already submitted a PPQ please have them submit a revised version only if CART and Typewell were part of the performance in question.
36 Questionnaire the bulk of our past performance is linked to BPAs as opposed to contracts. Thus, how will our references fill out the information under "project identification"?
| A BPA is a contract vehicle and for all intents and purpose is the same as a contract in this forum. | |||
| 37 | RFQ | I hope that we could add the day rate clin-line as the Agency could find itself in a better cost savings predicament. | No day rate CLIN will not be added, if your firm wants to provide a discount at the delivery order level that is your ability |
| 38 | RFQ | Will the USDA accept remote CART services as well as on-site CART services as part of this contract? | No, the USDA has access to Federal Relay Conference Captioning that customers may use instead. |
| 39 | RFQ | If remote CART services are acceptable, will TypeWell services still be necessary? | This will be defined at the task orer level. It depends on customers’ preference on which type of services. |
| 40 | RFQ | By what time increments shall offerors charge for services for assignments that exceed their scheduled time frame? Will offerors be able to charge the hourly rate, or should pricing be furnished by the half hour? | |
| Pricing should be furnished by 30 minute increments. | |||
| 41 | PWS Section 4.0 | Section 4.0 states, “The quality of the provided interpreter’s performance is particularly important and critical…” However, there is no requirement for the interpreters provided under this contract to be nationally certified. Since RID national certification is considered a professional minimum qualification standard in the field, would the USDA consider making RID national certification a requirement in the contract? | National Certifcation is required under the Criteria Statement 1 as stipulated in PWS Section 4.2.3.4.2; this is one of two standards that the interpreters may meet to perform services on this contract. Non-certified interpreters are allowed per Criteria Statement 2 which puts more emphasis on experience versus certification. |
| 42 | PWS Section 4.1.1 | In section 4.1.1 the contractor is responsible for, “Obtaining client/employee receipts for services rendered.” Can the government clarify what this means? | It would mean that the contractor is responsible to ensure that when the services are rendered, they keep records of it for billing purposes. |
| 43 | PWS Section 4.1.7 | Section 4.1.7 states, “If interpreters become available as a result of a last minute cancellation and are requested on another request, the Contractor may not charge a cancellation fee.” The RID Code of Professional Conduct requires that, “Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation. Interpreters accept assignments using discretion with regard to skill, communication mode, setting, and consumer needs.” Therefore, in the case of replacement work, any replacement assignments would need to be of a similar nature and scope as the originally scheduled assignment. Can the replacement assignment clause be removed considering RID’s CPC. If not, can wording at least be added to clarify that replacement work must be similar in location, type of request, and language requirements as the original request? | Contractor should not charge a cancellation fee if the new request is for the same customer, same location and time, but different type of meeting. |
| 44 | Pricing | Can you please define the parameters of “emergency rates?” What is the cut off in making a request considered an “emergency?” | Less than three full business days. This will be changed to “Short Notice” instead of “Emergency Rates” |
| 45 | Pricing | “Emergency” rates and “nights and weekends” rates are potentially significantly different. To provide the most cost effective pricing response, could the government consider expanding the pricing sheet per region to separate “emergency” rates from “nights and weekend” rates. | Completed, please see updated pricing table as of 4/9/14 |
| 46 | Pricing | Can you elaborate on how the government will evaluate pricing? Will every region be considered equally or will regions predominantly using the service be weighted? | The contracting officer in consultation with the program office will develop estimated quantities by region and type of service for the base and each option year for the entire USDA. This may be called a "market basket" as it estimates total quantities of service the USDA will require over the 5 year period from one of the multiple award vendors. These estimated quanties will applied to the rates provided by all vendors and a total evaluated price will be developed for each vendor. Total evaluated price encompasses the base and all options. Historical quantities will be used as well as predicted estimated quantities of services across all regions to determine the basis for the "market basket". This methodology ensures a fair comparison across all vendors and incentivizes all vendors to provide their best rates across all regions and CLINS. |
| 47 | Can the government provide the locations of all USDA field offices? If an address is not readily available, at least the city and state would be very helpful. | USDA is not aware of the end-users outside of the National Capital Region, so listing all of the field offices wouldn't be helpful. | |
| 48 | Multiple Award Construct | If Trusted Translation is already one of the four awardees, did that company meet the requirements to be technically acceptable under this solicitation? | They were solicited in a different manner in August, 2013. They meet the technical requirements of this solicitation. |
| 49 | Task Order Formation | For on-going on-call requirements, how will those task orders be bid – one time for the entire contract period of performance or monthly or some other period? | Task order formulation is at the individual agency level; they will use their discretion to bid the requirements as suited to their needs and timeframes. |
| 50 | Task Order Formation | You mentioned during the call that the contractors would be able to compete for Task Orders and the selection process would be left up to the agency and based on price and past performance per the CO’s recommendation. We assume the past performance submissions to this solicitation will be used when competing for task orders also. Can you verify that will be the case? | No, new past performance submissions will be required for all task orders if that is their evaluation criteria. Over time, the Contractor Performance Assessment Reports completed for each vendor at the overall conract level annually may also be used. |
| 51 | TypeWell is a much less accurate and detailed depiction than CART, which means the user is not receiving an equivalent message to what the hearing participants receive. In addition, there are extremely limited TypeWell resources. Would the USDA consider eliminating TypeWell as a service provided through this solicitation? If not, would the government consider allowing CART as a alternative service when TypeWell is not a viable option in a specific region or location? | TypeWell will not be eliminated. Decisions on substitution may be handled at the task order level. | |
| 52 | Will the USDA accept price proposals for scheduled Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) services? We submit that scheduled VRI services might be furnished as a supplement to TypeWell services, as offerors will be able to offer pricing by the minute anywhere in the U.S. | No, the USDA is not interested in VRI at this time. | |
| 53 | The pricing sheet in the USDA's RFP states that pricing should be furnished by regions, with Region 2 comprising the southeast and Great Lakes states. Will the USDA be willing to split Region 2 into two separate regions? |
We submit that pricing at one rate for these two geographically opposing regions of the country will result in disadvantageous pricing for the USDA, as pricing for language services varies significantly by geographic region.
| Can the USDA create a separate Region 6 for pricing to cover the southeastern U.S.? | Completed, please see updated pricing table as of 4/9/14 | |||
| 54 | We would additionally suggest, for the reasons stated in question 2, that the USDA create a separate Region 7 for pricing in Alaska and Hawaii. | Completed, please see updated pricing table as of 4/9/14 | ||
| 55 | PWS Section 3.0 | We work with a local USDA office and have provided Video Remote Interpreting services to them on a number of occassions.Video Interpreter is listed in the PWS as a type of interpreting situation, however, there is no line item designated to this offering on the price list. Q1. Will you consider including VRI as a line item on the price list? Q2. If you will not include it as a line item, can those services be requested or offered at the task order level? | See Q52 | |
| 56 | NDA Requirements | If we provide certified interpreters, they are bound to confidentiality by the Code of Professional Conduct. Would certification be acceptable in liue of an NDA? | The USDA suggests your company include confidentiality as terms of employment that mirros the CPC regardless of certification. Requirements for specific NDAs should be provided at the Task Order Level | |
| 57 | Part II; Paragraph (7) | Can you clarify how a person identified in a Past Performance section would be needed in the aspect of Key Personnel? Past performance relates to previous contracts, and a letter stating that the person will be assigned to this contract would be related to the future, not to past performance. We are having trouble understanding how this would fit in the Past Performance section. | See RFQ - this section was omitted previously and now added: |
(5) Key Personnel Evaluation: The performance confidence of Key Personnel will be evaluated following the same procedures as for the prime. Key Personnel performance confidence will then be factored into the offeror's performance confidence based upon the level of effort of the Key Person
Please note, Key Personnel receives the lowest consideration/weight because the amount of contribution of a pesron inherently limited given level of effort compared to overall contract performance.
| 58 | Part II; Paragraph (7) | Since this is a multiple award, being selected to be one of the three winning contractors does not guarantee that company will actually win any work. Is the proof that the person currently works with the company or will accept work with the company intended to be applied to the future task orders? Should this be provided with our response now or at the task order level? | If key personnel experience is being submitted at any level it should be backed up by a confirmation of employment letter. |
| 59 | Quote Preparation Instructions, Part I: Past Performance | Other factors to highlight states: “Service level agreement compliance”. Can you expound as to what you are looking for under this category? | The USDA is seeking to understand how well your company has achieved service level agreements on past contracts with other clients. |
| 60 | Other | The solicitation does not require a technical volume. Should our response to the technical requirements be included with the Past Performance volume, the pricing volume, or should we create a separate volume? | No Technical Volume is requested. Please note the "Technical Responsibility" paragraph from the evaluation section has been removed. Technical responsibility can be evaluated via past performance under the relevance criteria already stipulated. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .