CGS_FLITS_Attachment_12_Method_of_Approach.pdf

CONFIDENTIAL

Request for Proposal

Solicitation No. BPM005633

Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation

Services

Arizona Department of Administration

State Procurement Office 100 N 15th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85007

Attachment 12

Method of Approach

The offeror is cautioned that it is the offeror's sole responsibility to submit information related to the evaluation categories and that the State of Arizona is under no obligation to solicit such information if it is not included with the offeror's proposal.

Failure of the offeror to submit such information may cause an adverse impact on the evaluation of the Offeror's proposal.

It is strongly discouraged for you to copy the Scope of Work in lieu of providing unique responses below.

OFFER MAY BE DETERMINED AS NON-RESPONSIVE IF ALL QUESTIONS ARE NOT ANSWERED FULLY.

Question 1: Method of Approach

Provide a written narrative response that describes how you will provide the Specific Requirements as listed in the Scope of Work. The language of the narrative should be straightforward and limited to facts, solutions to problems, and plans of proposed action. The response shall at minimum describe and provide a response for each of the following bullet points listed below:

a. How do you plan to provide the service?

b. What are your processes for providing these services?

Offeror Response:

Team Cayuse puts our customers first by providing them with a consistent, high-quality services. In fact, one of the keys to our long-term success and organic growth has been our uncompromising dedication to quality and as a result the loyalty of our customers.

In order to fulfill our commitment to top quality and sustainable service, Team Cayuse has focused on providing technology-supported human translation and copy writing services to all clients who need highly localized, culturally appropriate, and accurate translations and interpretation. Human translation is the best way to guarantee an authentic, culturally appropriate message. Computer-Assisted Translation tools can be used to “leverage repetitive text,” which means that we can render the messages in a consistent voice and that the translation process becomes more efficient and cost-effective.

Specifically, Team Cayuse has teams in place that are very well versed with the translation and interpretation needs of

Arizona’s communities, and are ready to translate from English into: Spanish, Arabic, Dari, Swahili, as per the client’s requirements, as well as into several other languages such as: Chinese, Russian, Bengali, Korean, Haitian Creole, French, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Urdu Japanese, Vietnamese, and more. For this project, Team

Cayuse will create a dedicated translation and interpretation team to cover any written translation assignments; in-person, by phone, through video, and voice-over/video recording interpretation assignments. Team Cayuse’s supervisors and project managers will manage all services. Our project plans are the primary administrative tool we use for facilitating accurate, complete, and timely delivery of translation services. All contract and project management fees are included in the cost proposal.

Team Cayuse will dedicate one Program Manager to manage projects, including establishing translation or interpretation project managers appropriate to each request. Our Assessment and Assignment lead conducts fluency assessments and verification in alignment with the American Translation Association (ATA) standards, placing translators and interpreters, scheduling projects, and managing workload. Our Recruiter and Logistical Support

Specialist maintains our rich pipeline of translators and linguists and assists with any travel arrangements required.

The Cayuse Quality Assurance Director enforces adherence to ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management and industry standards, working closely with project managers and the interpretation and translation specialists.

Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation

Services

Arizona Department of Administration

State Procurement Office

Our in-house Talent Acquisition (TA) team has already performed a detailed analysis of the skills and experience necessary to successfully fulfill all DS PMSS labor requirements and provide superior service. This analysis provides the framework for the development of a program-specific, ISO-compliant, repeatable, and effective Staffing Capability

Assessment Model (CAM) to properly identify and vet qualified candidates. The Staffing CAM begins with a baseline assessment of each candidate’s skills and experience. Cayuse uses a variety of methods to locate and screen potential candidates, including the ATA database and our Humanic system database. A key feature of Humanic is the ability to extract and trace high-demand skills and necessary credentials from existing employee and potential candidate profiles to create shortlist reports within minutes. This feature increases the likelihood of identifying the right candidate on time. Humanic infuses AI, Robotic Process Automation, and BI to facilitate strategic decision making and accelerates hiring by facilitating knowledge transfer and expediting sourcing, hiring, onboarding, training, and security processing.

Cayuse has a company-wide ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management certification and conducts yearly internal and external audits to ensure business practices eliminate unnecessary cost and provide the best value to the AZ DOA.

Benefits to the AZ DOA include the development of a stronger alignment between Talent Acquisition and the business; improved service delivery and customer satisfaction; reduced costs through improved utilization of resources; greater visibility of costs; better management of business risk and service disruption or failure; ensuring quality standards are met and exceeded in harmony with the program requirements; and more stable service environment to support business changes.

Question 2:

Provision of Services: Provide a narrative description outlining the methods/techniques your organization uses in the provision of services applicable for various types of

Interpreting/translating settings. Address the following sections as applicable:

a. On-Site Interpretation: Provide a detailed outline (with timeframes) of the scheduling process for requested interpretation services.

b. Over-the-Phone Interpretation and Video Remote Interpreting: Provide a flowchart and timeline of the call process up to connection with an interpreter. Offeror shall include the average time for each stage.

c. Court/Legal On-Site Interpretation Services: Provide a detailed outline (with timeframes) of the scheduling process for requested interpretation services.

d. Document Translation: Explain the type of computer systems and software (if any) your firm uses in the language translation process, and why it is utilized. If your company does not utilize computer systems and/or software, explain why and the process that is currently in place.

Describe the editing, proof reading, and publishing process.

e. Voiceover Translation Services: Explain the type of computer systems and software (if any) your firm uses in the language translation process, and why it is utilized. If your company does not utilize computer systems and/or software, explain why and the process that is currently in place.

Describe the editing, proof reading, and publishing process.

a. On-Site Interpretation

Once the client contacts Team Cayuse, our Language Services Project Manager will obtain the required information for the assignment, including, location, languages requested, date and time, type of meeting/subject matter, and number of attendees. The Interpretation Project Manager provides an estimate and, upon receipt of client approval, schedules the appropriate interpreter(s). Ideally, we would like to have 48 hours advance notice; however, rush requests can be accommodated depending on availability of resources.

Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation

Services

Arizona Department of Administration

State Procurement Office

b. Over-the-Phone Interpretation and Video Remote Interpreting

Team Cayuse prepares a session as requested and approved and provides access to the client before session start. The client can sign into our teammate TransLingua’s proprietary remote interpretation platform in two ways:

• Via desktop, laptop, tablet or phone application: with a few clicks the client chooses the language and the mode, i.e. over-the-phone (OPI) or video remote (VRI) interpretation, and is connected with an interpreter.

• Via phone: the client receives a phone number and PIN to call into the platform; after choosing the language, the client is directly connected with an interpreter.

The wait time to be connected with an interpreter is usually no longer than 15-30 seconds.

c. Court/Legal On-Site Interpretation Services

The client contacts our FLITS Program Manager, specifying location, languages requested, date and time, case number, parties, and subject matter. The FLITS Program Manager provides an estimate and, upon receipt of approval, schedules interpretation services. Ideally, we would like to have a week notice, however we comply with the 48-hours advance notice and even shorter rush requests can be accommodated upon availability of resources. On our current program at the Department of State, we frequently provide same-day services.

d. Document Translation

Team Cayuse can receive written translation requests via e-mail, fax, or physical mail. Upon receipt, our Project

Manager assigned to the account processes these requests , assembles the translation team, and uses appropriate

Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools and software (i.e., Trados, Wordfast) to create glossaries and identify repetitive copy, if any. All translations are performed by a professional human translator with industry credentials and extensive experience in the field and are proofread by a second linguist with the same qualifications; upon completion of the proofread translations, our Quality Control Manager and/or Project Manager conduct an additional quality control step, certify the translation (upon request), and deliver electronic and/or hard copies to the client.

e. Voiceover Translation Services

Voice-over scripts are submitted to Team Cayuse via Email or FTP. Upon receipt, requests are processed by the

FLITS Program Manager, who will assemble the translation team, use appropriate CAT software (i.e. Trados, Wordfast) to create glossaries and identify repetitive copy, if any. All translations are performed by a professional human translator with industry credentials and extensive experience in the field and are proofread and timed by a second linguist with the same qualifications; upon delivery of the proofread translations our Quality Assurance

Director and/or Project Manager conduct an additional quality control steps and deliver the translations to the client for approval before proceeding with the voice-over recording. Once scripts are approved by the client, our project manager schedules the voice-over talent, voice monitor, and the studio for the recording session(s).

All of our talents are native speakers of the target language and have professional experience as voice-over artists.

Upon request, Team Cayuse can provide voice samples and audition the talent prior to recording, so that our client can choose the voices.

Question 3:

Personnel:

a. Explain the methodology used to test and hire Qualified (Non-Certified) and Certified interpreters/translators. Describe any skill assessment your firm performs. Describe how your firm

Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation

Services

Arizona Department of Administration

State Procurement Office determines proficiency at the time of hiring or subcontracting. Also describe the education and experience requirements for Qualified (Non-Certified) interpreters/translators.

b. Describe your firm’s process for determining appropriate personnel for specific assignments. Explain how you ensure cultural sensitivity when making assignments.

a. Methodology to Test and Hire Interpreters/Translators

All of Team Cayuse’s linguists are native speakers of their respective target language(s) and can work in a range of dialects as well. They have completed formal studies in linguistics and/or translation and have selected a specialized field based on their formal education or professional experience. Many continue their education throughout their careers pursuing further certifications either in their specialized field or language pair.

All of our linguists are certified and/or members of the American Translators Association (ATA), and most are also certified and/or members of the New York Circle of Translators (NYCT), the Colorado Interpreters & Translators

Association (CITA) and/or the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT). They have worked with us over many years and thus have extensive experience in their fields and are in compliance with industry and Team Cayuse’s practices and standards. The majority of our linguists are based in the US and are therefore familiar with the American culture and common language terms and usage, making them the most appropriate resources to work from English into their respective native languages.

Team Cayuse has a very low turnover due to the fact that we value our linguists’ expertise, involve them as consultants and partners, and pay them a fair rate. This policy reflects our long-term focus on quality and sustainability, which in turn guarantees superior translation quality.

When Team Cayuse needs to recruit new linguists, we reach out to our established resources for appropriately qualified referrals, or we research through professional channels such as the American Translators Association (ATA), the New York Circle of Translators (NYCT), the Colorado Interpreters & Translators Association (CITA), the

National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), or any of the multiple Universities with whom we have strategic partnerships and that offer Linguistics or Translation and Interpretation degree programs. We collect and screen their resumes, conduct interviews, and check references.

Once new linguists pass the first recruitment step, they are evaluated based on sample translations or test interpretations that are conducted under the supervision of one of our established linguists and/or project managers.

Team Cayuse only uses new linguists in their native target languages and their specific areas of expertise. During this process the quality of their output is verified and, if approved, Team Cayuse will begin using them as linguists for its clients on a regular basis.

In addition to industry-standard certifications and skills, the overwhelming majority (more than 95%) of our

Translators and Interpreters have degrees in language or linguistics studies, translation, and/or consecutive or simultaneous interpretation.

b. Process for Assignments and Ensuring Cultural Sensitivity

For each assignment, the Project Manager assigned to the client will assess subject matter (area of expertise), requested languages, project scope, nature of the project, the target audience, the source documents, and turnaround time. This is a crucial step BEFORE starting any translation project. Depending on our assessment, we choose the appropriate translation teams to ensure that the translations correspond to the local culture (local language and cultural considerations), to the target audience (formal/informal, level of language, etc.) and are formulated in native fluency.

Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation

Services

Arizona Department of Administration

State Procurement Office

For example, we would not hire the same team to translate a 20-page legal contract and a 30-second radio spot about access to health care because these two projects are directed at different target audiences and have very distinct purposes; they therefore require very different skills and areas of expertise. This assessment process ensures that our client can communicate their message successfully no matter what language and therefore fulfill the goals set by their organization or company.

The fact that our leadership includes linguists makes a difference in the way our project managers are trained to make these choices and consult our clients with different kinds of projects. The right choice of a translation team or interpreter is crucial, and that is one reason why Team Cayuse has been very successfully partnering with many small and large clients over 30 years and why we are the right choice for AZ DOA.

Question 4:

Problem Resolution: Describe the methodology used for problem resolution. Illustrate how your organization tracks responsiveness and end-user satisfaction in a quantifiable manner to ensure quality customer service.

Team Cayuse’s Project Manager uses a cloud-based tracker to log, manage, and track status of all incoming assignments. This tool allows our Project Manager and our client to see, at a glance and in near-real-time, any outstanding items, approval status, assigned translator/interpreter, deadlines, and any issues or problems reported. We use this tracker to track customer satisfaction and to confirm timely resolution of any issues.

In case of an issue with translation or interpretation quality, Team Cayuse works together with our clients and linguists to understand the exact nature of the problem. In the case of written translations, Team Cayuse requests a written complaint and marked up translation copy with specific comments regarding errors, omissions, or misinterpretations from our client. Once we receive the written comments, we submit them to the original translation team and in some cases to an independent translation team, so that we can evaluate the nature of the client comments/objections. Once the assessment is completed, Team Cayuse submits a written evaluation and amended translation, if necessary.

If there is an issue with interpretation services, we ask the client to provide specific examples and/or evidence in writing or via recording. If the issues are not major, we can simply discontinue the use of the interpreter in question and provide an alternate interpreter for future assignments. If the objections are justified, we will of course also extend a discount or refund on the provided services.

During our team’s collective experience and translation and interpretation activity of over 40 years – and due to our strict quality standards and processes, linguist selection and vetting process, effective project management processes and procedures, and our client feedback and continuous improvement processes – we have never encountered complaints about mistakes in our translations or interpretation services that led to client dissatisfaction. We go above and beyond to settle stylistic criticisms amicably and to the client’s satisfaction.

Team Cayuse’s clients have confirmed that we are very responsive, professional, and dedicated to top-quality service and client satisfaction. It is our mission to ensure that our clients communicate successfully with their target audiences.

We do not consider ourselves to be a mere contractor, but we forge partnerships with our clients, so that we can customize our services to fit the specific needs of each individual client. This is why we have dedicated project managers for each account who make sure that we understand and can successfully deliver what the client needs and wants at all times. Our Project Managers check in with our clients regularly to get feedback and discuss ways in which we can adapt and/or improve our services.