Combined Synopsis and Solicitation W56HZV-21-R-L026.pdf

COMBINED SYNOPSIS & SOLICITATION

W56HZV-21-R-L026

I. Introduction:

A. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 and as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

B. The Combined Synopsis and Request for Quotation (RFQ) number is W56HZV-21-R- L026

C. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2021-05, effective March 10, 2021.

D. Small Business Set-Aside: 100% Small Business

E. Posting Date: 05/05/2021

F. Response Date: 05/17/2021. For more information please see section V below for additional information.

G. Contracting Office: Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC – DTA), 6501 East Eleven Mile Road, Detroit Arsenal, MI 48397-5000.

H. The NAICS code applicable to this acquisition is 541930 with a size standard of $8,000,000.

I. This Combined Synopsis and Solicitation contains clauses and provisions requiring a fill-in or representation. Offerors shall submit a copy of this Combined Synopsis and Solicitation with their response to clauses and provisions accordingly. A failure to complete any fill-in may cause your offer to be determined ineligible for award.

J. Basis for award: The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal intends to award two (2) Blanket Purchase Agreements to the Lowest Priced, responsible offeror that meets the requirement as laid out in this request for quotes. The Government may also choose to negotiate if only one offeror is received.

II. General:

A. The Army Contracting Command proposes to purchase Sign Language Interpreter Services for one (1) base year and five (5) option years.

B. Written Identification of Potential Organization Conflicts Of Interest.

i. The term “Organizational Conflicts of Interest” (OCI) is defined in part 2.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR): see also FAR 9.502(c).

ii. For this solicitation, “OCI” exists when a Contractor would face an actual or potential conflict of interest if it worked on the planned contract, due either to its other business interests or to the nature of the effort to be performed. However, organizational conflicts of interest are more likely to occur in contracts involving:

1. Management support services;

2. Consultant or other professional services;

3. Contractor performance of or assistance in technical evaluations; or

4. Systems engineering and technical direction work performed by a

Contractor that does not have overall contractual responsibility for development or production.

iii. The Contracting Officer has reviewed and analyzed the procurement under this solicitation and has not identified any OCI issue, potential or otherwise. However, Offerors are encouraged to make a preliminary disclosure to the Contracting Officer, prior to the due date for receipt of proposals, of any OCI issues the Offeror has identified. Such preliminary disclosure will allow the Contracting Officer more time to assess both the potential OCI and the Offeror’s proposed strategy to negate or mitigate the OCI. This assessment may be crucial, since per FAR 9.504(e) the Contracting Officer may not award the contract to a Contractor with an OCI that cannot be negated or mitigated.

iv. If the Contractor demonstrates to the Contracting Officer that there may be a possible conflict of interest arising out of an existing contract, the Contracting Officer shall take the necessary action to delete that requirement from this contract and/or mitigate any conflict of interest that may be present. The Contractor agrees that the Government or an authorized representative may, up to three years after acceptance of all programmatic documentation to be delivered under this contract, restrict the Contractor’s future participation in any resulting program managed system acquisition action(s).

C. Quotations shall include the shipping and delivery schedule. Delivery and Acceptance will be FOB destination.

D. This acquisition is unrated under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System

(DPAS).

E. The provisions at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, apply to this acquisition. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items with its quote.

III. Submittal Instructions:

ACC-DTA reserves the right to seek clarification on any aspect of the quotation. All quotations must be received by the Army Contracting Command - Detroit no later than 10:00 AM Local Warren, Michigan time on 05/17/2021. Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to receiving an award. Refer to website https://beta.sam.gov/ .for registration information.

IV. Quotation Instructions and Content:

A. The Offeror shall submit an electronic quote. All quotation information must be in the English language and priced in U.S. dollars.

B. Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) reserves the right to seek clarification on any aspect of the quote.

Questions are requested via email, addressed to Alexandra Outland, at alexandra.n.outland.civ@mail.mil

SEE ADDENDUM

(No Collect Calls)

W56HZV21RL026

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER

586-282-2488

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIME

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

(TYPE OR PRINT)

(SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

ADDENDA ARE

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Gov t. Use Only )

23.

CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT

BELOW IS CHECKED

TELEPHONE NO.

W56HZV9. ISSUED BY

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a. UNLESS BLOCK

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME

ALEXANDRA OUTLAND

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NUMBER

(TYPE OR PRINT)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

0 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1. 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3. 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED.

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

20.

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, AND 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

% FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED OR X

SMALL BUSINESSX

17a.CONTRACTOR/ CODE FACILITY

OFFEROR CODE

ACC-DTA

6501 E. 11 MILE RD.

DETROIT ARSENAL MI 48397-5000

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

13b. RATING

CODE15. DELIVER TO CODE W56TRU 16. ADMINISTERED BY

12. DISCOUNT TERMS11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFPX

TACOM PAO/EEO

NAOMI GOTLIB-SCHMUELI

6501 E. ELEVEN MILE ROAD

WARREN MI 48397

TEL: 282-2683 FAX:

FAX:

TEL: SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

8(A)

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SIZE STANDARD:

$8,000,000

NAICS:

541930

X

OFFER DATED

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF.

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

EMAIL:

TEL:

31c. DATE SIGNED

SEE SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/ SERVICESITEM NO. QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

24.22.21.19.

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (WOSB)

ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 2 OF47

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: ______________________________________________________

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f . TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIALCOMPLETE

36. PAYMENT35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER

FINAL

33. SHIP NUMBER

PARTIAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER 40. PAID BY

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

SEE SCHEDULE

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/ SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY UNIT

22. 23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

19.

ITEM NO.

W56HZV21RL026

Section SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

A. SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

A.1 Electronic Contracting

(a) All Army Contracting Command – Warren solicitations will be publicized on the System for Award Management website (https://www.beta.sam.gov). Any additional attachments, including Technical Data Packages (TDPs) when available electronically, will be separate attachments or links embedded in the solicitation.

(b) As of 10 August 2015, unless directed to do otherwise in Section L of this solicitation, vendors are required to submit a quote or proposal beta.SAM.gov, however until beta.SAM.gov can accept proposals offerors should follow the instructions in paragraph (c) below.

(c) With the recent transition from www.FBO.gov to www.beta.sam.gov the site have been experiencing a number of issues. Interested Offerors shall submit a proposal via email to the Contract Specialist (alexandra.n.outland.civ@mail.mil) and cc the corresponding Contracting Officer (sarah.l.davis.civ@mail.mil) with the subject header: Proposal Submission - W56HZV-21-R-L026 (company name). Once a proposal is received, the Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer will reply with the respective Offeror stating receipt of proposal submission.

(1) Maximum size of each e-mail shall be 10 megabytes. You may use multiple e-mail messages for each bid/submission, however, you must annotate the subject lines as described above for each message, and number them in this manner: “Message 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3”. Bids can be submitted can be submitted using any of the following electronic formats:

(2) Microsoft Office Products; Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Spreadsheets must be sent in a format that includes all formulate macro and format information. Print image is not acceptable.

(3) Files in Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). Scanners should be set to 300 dots per inch.

(4) Files in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). HTML documents must not contain active links to live Internet sites or pages. All linked information must be contained within your electronic bid/offer and be accessible offline.

(5) Other electronic formats are not acceptable.

Ensure that filenames of attachments DO NOT contain spaces to limit virus scanners rejecting the email as unscannable.

(d) Please pay close attention to the Issued By block location on the cover page of the solicitation for closing date and time. The closing date and time is based on the local time of the listed location of the Issued By office. In accordance with FAR 15.208(a), offerors are responsible for submitting proposals, and any revisions, and modifications, so as to be received by the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified.

(e) It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure the proposal/quote is received by the date and time specified on the cover page of this solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.208, if the proposal/quote was not received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure (in this case, received through SAM) by the exact date and time specified on the cover page of this solicitation, it will be determined late. Proposal/quote is defined to mean ALL volumes or parts required in the solicitation are included in the electronic submission.

Note: There is no "expected" or "target" length of time for proposal submission; size and content may be factors, therefore offerors are strongly cautioned when submitting proposals to allow adequate time for submission.

(f) Solicitations may remain posted on beta.SAM.gov after the solicitation closing date. If the response deadline has passed for the solicitation, vendors will no longer be able to submit electronic responses.

(g) Any award issued as a result of this solicitation will be distributed electronically. In the event of a FOIA request for a copy of any award issued as a result of this solicitation, or any subsequent modifications to the contract, the contract and modifications will be released, including the awarded unit price. This is the notice required by Executive Order 12600 (June 23, 1987) of the Government’s intention to release unit prices in response to any request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 USC 552. Unit price is defined as the contract price per unit or item purchased as it appears in Section B of the contract and is NOT referring to nor does it include Cost or Pricing data/information. If an Offeror objects to such release in the base contract or contract modifications, the Offeror must notify the contracting officer in writing prior to the closing date identified in this solicitation and include the rationale for the objection consistent with the provisions of FOIA. A release determination will be made based on rationale given.

(h) Questions pertaining to this solicitation should be directed to the Contract Specialist identified on the cover page of this solicitation. For technical assistance in doing business with the Government, and doing business electronically, please visit the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) website at http://www.aptac-us.org/ to locate a regional center.

A.2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

Acknowledge all the amendments received from the Government by identifying the amendment number and its issue date below:

Amendment Number: Date:

A.3 ARMY CONTRACTING COMMAND – DETROIT ARSENAL (DTA) OMBUDSPERSON

Information regarding the Ombudsperson for this contract is located at the following website:

http://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-dta/CompMgmtOffice.html

A.4 NOTICE OF ELEVATED THREAT LEVEL FORCE PROTECTION CONDITION (FPCON)

Contractor is hereby notified that there is a potential impact on contractor performance on during increased FPCON during periods of increased threat. During FPCONs Charlie and Delta, services may be discontinued / postponed due to higher threat. Services will resume when FPCON level is reduced to level Bravo or lower.

A.5 NOTICE OF RANDOM ANTITERRORISM MEASURES PROGRAM (RAMP)

In accordance with AR 525-13, Contractor personnel working on an Army installation, arsenal, base or other DoD facility (owned or leased by DoD/Department of the Army), are subject to participation in Installation RAMP security program (e.g. vehicles searches, wearing of ID badges, etc).

ITEM NO SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

0001 1 Job Sign Language Interpreter Services

FFP

The contractor shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors at various locations in and around the Detroit Metro Area on an “as needed” basis during normal working hours, which shall be defined as between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

Applicable hourly rates:

Over 48 hours notice: $_______ Less than 48 hours notice: $__________ Invoices must be itemized with unit prices and extensions. Vendor to invoice only for services rendered.

FOB: Destination

PSC CD: R608

NET AMT

Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs)

FFP

CDRLs A001 and A002 Information as set forth in the Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) DD Form 1423 is Not Seperately Priced (NSP).

Contractor shall provide CDRLs as required in the Performance Statement of Work for the base year and all option years.

The Contractor's obligation to supply the Contract Data Requirements described in this CLIN is contingent on the Government's exercise of the related option pursuant to FAR 52.217-9 set out in full text below.

See Exhibit A

A001 OPTION Monthly Invoice

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 001.

A002 OPTION Verification Letter

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 002.

1001 1 Job OPTION Sign Language Interpreter Services OY1

FFP

The contractor shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors at various locations in and around the Detroit Metro Area on an “as needed” basis during normal working hours, which shall be defined as between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

Applicable hourly rates:

Over 48 hours notice: $_______ Less than 48 hours notice: $__________ Invoices must be itemized with unit prices and extensions. Vendor to invoice only for services rendered.

OPTION Contract Data Requirements List OY1

FFP

CDRLs B001 and B002 Information as set forth in the Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) DD Form 1423 is Not Seperately Priced (NSP).

Contractor shall provide CDRLs as required in the Performance Statement of Work for the base year and all option years.

The Contractor's obligation to supply the Contract Data Requirements described in

See Exhibit B

B001 OPTION Monthly Invoice

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 001.

B002 OPTION Verification Letter

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 002.

2001 1 Job OPTION Sign Language Interpreter Services OY2

FFP

The contractor shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors at various locations in and around the Detroit Metro Area on an “as needed” basis during normal working hours, which shall be defined as between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

Applicable hourly rates:

Over 48 hours notice: $_______ Less than 48 hours notice: $__________ Invoices must be itemized with unit prices and extensions. Vendor to invoice only for services rendered.

OPTION Contract Data Requirements List OY2

FFP

CDRLs C001 and C002 Information as set forth in the Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) DD Form 1423 is Not Seperately Priced (NSP).

Contractor shall provide CDRLs as required in the Performance Statement of Work for the base year and all option years.

The Contractor's obligation to supply the Contract Data Requirements described in

See Exhibit C

C001 OPTION Monthly Invoice

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 001.

C002 OPTION Verification Letter

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 002.

3001 1 Job OPTION Sign Language Interpreter Services OY 3

FFP

The contractor shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors at various locations in and around the Detroit Metro Area on an “as needed” basis during normal working hours, which shall be defined as between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

Applicable hourly rates:

Over 48 hours notice: $_______ Less than 48 hours notice: $__________ Invoices must be itemized with unit prices and extensions. Vendor to invoice only for services rendered.

OPTION Contract Data Requirements List OY3

FFP

CDRLs D001 and D002 Information as set forth in the Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) DD Form 1423 is Not Seperately Priced (NSP).

Contractor shall provide CDRLs as required in the Performance Statement of Work for the base year and all option years.

The Contractor's obligation to supply the Contract Data Requirements described in

See Exhibit D

D001 OPTION Monthly Invoice

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 001.

D002 OPTION Verification Letter

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 002.

4001 1 Job OPTION Sign Language Interpreter Services OY4

FFP

The contractor shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors at various locations in and around the Detroit Metro Area on an “as needed” basis during normal working hours, which shall be defined as between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

Applicable hourly rates:

Over 48 hours notice: $_______ Less than 48 hours notice: $__________ Invoices must be itemized with unit prices and extensions. Vendor to invoice only for services rendered.

OPTION Contract Data Requirements List OY4

FFP

CDRLs E001 and E002 Information as set forth in the Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) DD Form 1423 is Not Seperately Priced (NSP).

Contractor shall provide CDRLs as required in the Performance Statement of Work for the base year and all option years.

The Contractor's obligation to supply the Contract Data Requirements described in

See Exhibit E

E001 OPTION Monthly Invoice

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 001.

E002 OPTION Verification Letter

FFP

NOT SEPARATELY PRICED.

Contract Data Requirement List Item 002.

C. DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS

Performance Work Statement

1. General: TACOM LCMC uses interpreting services to facilitate communication at events and meetings such as work-related meetings, briefings, town halls, award ceremonies, training sessions, safety talks, discussions on work-related procedures, policies and assignments, human resources actions, conferences and any event attended by Deaf or Hard of Hearing persons. The assignments are primarily performed at various Detroit Arsenal (DTA) campus locations, including, but not limited to, Selfridge Air National Guard (SANG) base, certain leased facilities within Warren and Troy, Michigan, and potentially Detroit Metro-area local restaurants, conference centers, or meeting halls. Some assignments may be performed virtually through the Microsoft Teams application or another platform that the US Government deems appropriate. The need for sign language interpreting services is based off the needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees’ requirements.

1.1. Description of Assignments: This is a non-personal assignments multiple-award contract to provide American Sign Language interpreting to Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors for the offices and agencies associated with the Detroit Arsenal. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract assignment providers performing the assignments described herein. As employees of the Contractor, such contract assignment providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn, shall be responsible to the Government.

2. Objectives: The contractor shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors at various locations in and around the Detroit Metro Area on an “as-needed” basis during normal working hours, which shall be defined as between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

3. Scope:

3.1. Interpreter Assignment Scheduling

3.1.1. The appointed Contracting Officer Representative (COR) is the main point of contact and deciding authority for all sign language assignments. If the COR, or appointed Alternate COR, is out of the office or otherwise not available, then an official representative of the Equal Employment Office (EEO), the assigned Contract Specialist or Contracting Officer will be the succession of personnel that the Contractor may contact for actions concerning the scheduled assignments for the contract.

3.1.2. For all non-urgent business: If the COR and Alternate COR are unavailable, the Contractor shall contact and inform the EEO office staff at usarmy.detroit.usamc.mbx.interpreter-requests--warren-only@mail.mil of anything pertaining to sign language interpreting assignments. For urgent business, the Contractor may contact the other personnel designated in the above paragraph. (All points of contact will be listed in the signed contract.)

3.1.3. Primary means for assignment arrangements is email, but telephone coordination is also acceptable. All telephone arrangements will be followed up by an email within two hours.

3.1.4. When possible, all interpreter assignments will be coordinated a minimum of two (2) business days in advance of assignment request date and time. In order to allow the Contractor maximum opportunity to fill the assignments, all requested assignments known well in advance will be submitted to the Contractor as soon as the COR has determined that contract support will be required. Additionally, when possible, the COR will send as many new assignment requests as possible at one time to reduce administrative work.

3.1.5. Prior to the end of the business day (1700 EST), the Contractor will provide at least one email acknowledging the receipt of all proposed assignment(s) from the COR that were issued prior to 1600 EST of that same day. Any proposed assignment(s) that were issued after 1600 EST will be acknowledged via an email from the Contractor to the COR no later than 1000 EST the following business day. For clarity, a Contractor may “roll up” multiple requests in one confirmation email at the end of the day. This roll up shall include the number of requests received by the Contractor. It is not necessary to reply to each individual request separately.

3.1.6. If the Contractor does not respond with acknowledgement of receipt of the proposed assignment within allotted time expressed in para 3.1.5., the Government reserves the right to direct the proposed assignment to another Contractor.

3.1.7. If the Government should submit a request for interpreters with less than two (2) business days’ advance notice, the Contractor shall attempt to provide an interpreter, but the Government understands that the Contractor may not always be able to comply with such requests. The Contractor must notify the Government of its inability to provide an interpreter via email as soon as possible. If acceptance of these type of assignments is not made within two hours, the Government reserves the right to pursue alternate means to fulfill the assignment.

3.1.8. If an interpreter assignment is for one and a half (1.5) hours or less in duration, one (1) interpreter for such assignments shall be provided.

3.1.9. Unless it is specifically requested by a supervisor and approved by the COR, all assignments scheduled for longer than one and a half (1.5) hours, will have two (2) interpreters assigned to ensure quality and effective communication over the duration of the assignment.

3.1.10. If the Contractor believes, due to the circumstances surrounding the assignment, that more than the number of interpreters authorized above are required to provide adequate interpretation , additional interpreters may be assigned, but only after the Contractor has consulted with and obtained prior approval by email from the COR. The number of additional interpreters provided for any assignment or event shall be kept to the minimum necessary to provide quality and effective interpretation.

3.1.11. Contractor shall have a working knowledge of and daily access to email and telephones, and shall be staffed sufficiency during business hours identified in paragraph 3.1.12 below to assign interpreters and handle scheduling issues as they arise by telephone or email during the day.

3.1.12. Contractor shall be staffed adequately enough between the hours of 0800 – 1700 (8:00 a.m. thru 5:00 p.m.)

EST of each business working day to receive and answer calls and emails for future and short-notice interpreter assignments. To facilitate short-notice assignment requests within two business days, the Contractor shall provide the COR with one or more of the following: a 24-hour on-call pager(s), cell number(s), email(s), and/or phone number(s) that the Contractor will either answer immediately or respond to within two hours. Because it is for short-notice request(s), if the Contractor chooses to not respond within the two-hour requirement, then the COR may contact another Contractor to attempt to fill the assignment.

3.1.13. Each Wednesday, by 1500 EST (3:00 p.m.), the Contractor shall provide to the COR, via email, verification of assigned interpreters for the upcoming week’s scheduled assignments (the following Monday through Friday). All requests that were submitted within the last two business days (current week’s Monday and Tuesday) will not have to be included if Contractor is still working those requests. However, the Contractor must notify the COR immediately upon knowledge of inability to fill an assignment request; the Contractor shall not wait until 1500 EST on Wednesdays to inform the COR of such instances, so as to allow the COR to attempt to fill the assignment via other options. If any additional assignment requests are added for the following week after the initial report on Wednesday, the Contractor will provide an updated schedule not later than 1300 (1:00 p.m.) EST on Friday of the current week. If Contractor scheduling of assignments is not confirmed within the listed time constraints, the Government reserves the right to pursue alternate means to fulfill the assignment.

3.1.14. If more than two weeks advance notice is provided to the Contractor for requests for interpreters, the Contractor will include the confirmation of all scheduled interpreters for future assignments in the weekly Wednesday report — not just the following week’s assignments. Example: If the Contractor is given a request six

(6) weeks in advance, the Contractor will include the “assigned” interpreter for that future assignment in every Wednesday report as a confirmed scheduled interpreter. As stated above, the COR will make a determination for required contract support and provide as much advance notice to the Contractor as is feasible.

3.2. Business Protocol

3.2.1. The Contractor shall submit any updates to its professional portfolio of its services along with its quotation or proposal. The portfolio shall include the names of interpreters that meet the Government’s requirements, a copy of the interpreters’ Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) card /Division on Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing (DODDBHH) card and the interpreters’ Michigan Credential Card. Before any interpreter works at TACOM LCMC their professional portfolio must be sent and reviewed by the COR.

3.2.2. The sign language interpreters’ certification information shall be kept up to date, and current copies of all applicable documents including, but not limited to, updated/renewed credentials shall be on file with the Contractor and, if needed, made available upon request to the Government COR to become part of the official file.

3.2.3. The Contractor and the sign language interpreter(s) shall not act as agents or employees of the Federal Government.

3.2.4. The Contractor and the sign language interpreter(s) shall not discuss personal business, distribute personal business cards or promote themselves or the Contractor while on assignment in order to develop clientele from assignment(s) originating from the Federal Government.

3.3. Interpreter Qualifications and Requirements

3.3.1. Interpreters provided by the Contractor shall proficiently interpret for Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employees, customers, or applicants. Contractor shall have interpreters on staff that can use American Sign Language (ASL), Signed English (SE), and Manually Coded English (MCE) to perform interpreting for Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employees and applicants.

3.3.2. Certifications for all Contractor-supplied interpreters must be obtained from a recognized certifying organization. Certification for interpreters must be from organizations such as RID’s National Interpreter Certification [NIC], NIC Advanced or NIC Master; Certificate of Interpretation [CI], Certificate of Transliteration [CT]; Comprehensive Skills Certificate [CSC]); the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) (Level IV or V); or a recognized state agency such as the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) (Level II or III). The Contractor, the Contractor’s employees and sub-contractors must abide by all state and local laws, current and future, in regard to certification of all interpreters. The COR has the right to specify certification requirements on a case-by-case basis.

3.3.3. The Contractor shall provide quality assignments of Nationally Certified, and/or State Certified sign language interpreter(s) that practice the knowledge of and adherence to the tenets of the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct. The complete version of the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct may be found at the following web address:

http://www.rid.org/ethics/code-of-professional-conduct/

3.3.4. All parties involved agree that all information obtained while on assignment(s) shall be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used or disclosed to others after completed assignment(s). All interpreters will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements prior to performing any assignment under this contract at any location.

3.3.5. Sign language interpreters must possess fluency of sign language on the entire sign language continuum to effectively facilitate communication between Deaf or Hard of Hearing employees and hearing employees.

3.3.6. Many of the offices on the Detroit Arsenal use language and acronyms that are technical in nature or unique to the Government and the military. If requested by the Contractor, the COR will provide a written list of standard acronyms or language specifically used by the DTA department or program office that is the subject of a request for an interpreter. The Contractor must take this unique environment into consideration when providing interpreters.

When possible, the Contractor should supply interpreters with professional backgrounds through education or life experience (such as military assignment or technical degrees) that enhance their capacity to communicate technical information in a Government or military setting.

3.3.7. Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the ability to accurately interpret in a variety of settings, have the ability to keep pace with communications in conferences, meetings, seminars, training classes, etc., and have the ability to abstract, select and highlight information within context when dealing with complicated concepts, idioms, etc.

3.3.8. The sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the ability to negotiate with speakers as “colleagues” to mediate pace of communication as necessary and appropriate, or voice interpret when a Deaf or Hard of Hearing employee’s speech is not easily understood.

3.3.9. Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the knowledge and diversity of culture and skill required to prepare for each interpreting assignment, including knowledge needed to assist in setting up an environment that is conducive to meeting the communication needs of both the hearing and Deaf or Hard of Hearing participants in an assigned event or assignment.

3.3.10. Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the ability to assess the language needs of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing consumer and to apply analytical skills necessary to determine which communication modes the Deaf or Hard of Hearing consumer is using.

3.3.11. Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall be professionally dressed. They shall be well-groomed and dressed in an acceptable manner that is appropriate to the situation, which usually involves business meetings or platform interpreting.

3.3.12. In certain circumstances, color-appropriate attire may be necessary. The COR will inform the Contractor on a case-by-case basis if there is this type of requirement. The Contractor shall be responsible for supplying appropriately attired interpreters with regard to color of dress.

3.3.13. The Government COR will evaluate and rate the Contractor’s performance in meeting the requirements of this contract in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) system. If applicable, the ratings may include these areas: Quality, Schedule, Cost Control, Management, Regulatory, etc.

3.3.14. Each sign language interpreter supplied pursuant to this contract will be evaluated periodically and/or randomly by the COR and/or possibly by the Contract Specialist/Officer assigned to the contract by the Army Contracting Command-Warren office. The Government Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees served by an assigned interpreter may fill out evaluation forms upon completion of the assignment to help ensure quality control of interpreters supplied in accordance with this PWS and the contract.

3.3.15. The Contractor will be notified following any evaluation if there is something observed that is deemed not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract, and given the opportunity to address the matter appropriately with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) or other measure deemed appropriate by the Contracting Officer.

3.4. Assignments

3.4.1. Assignments may be scheduled by the Government under this contract for any time during TACOM LCMC business hours of Monday through Friday (6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) with the exception of Federal holidays.

3.4.2. All assignments shall begin at the scheduled start time.

3.4.3. Unless otherwise instructed by the COR, all sign language interpreter(s) provided under this contract shall stay on the assignment(s) for the indicated time, regardless of the length of an assignment. Prior to each scheduled event, the sign language interpreter(s) provided pursuant to this contract shall make personal contact with each requestor of any assignment as appropriate. This can be done onsite prior to the commencement of the event. At the time of the scheduled event, the sign language interpreter(s) shall report to the Government contact person identified for the assignment for purposes of notification and permission to leave.

3.4.4. If the Government contact person for an assignment dismisses the sign language interpreter(s) more than 45 minutes prior to the end time originally contracted for with respect to the assignment, the Contractor and/or sign language interpreter(s) shall contact the COR by telephone for official dismissal or for reassignment to another Deaf employee’s meeting or event. If the Government COR is unavailable, the Contractor shall call the main EEO line at 586-282-2683.

3.4.5. In the event an interpreter supplied under this contract arrives to an assignment that has been cancelled, the interpreter may be reassigned by the COR to cover another assignment, as long as it is within the same allotted time as the original assignment.

3.4.6. If an assignment(s) made under this contract goes over the contracted time, the sign language interpreter(s) shall be paid the rate applicable to assignments with less than 24-hour notice for the additional time (based on 15-minute increments — as per industry standard practice). It is the responsibility of the assigned interpreter to contact the COR (or EEO office representative when the COR is unavailable) for written approval to exceed the period.

Without written approval from the COR or EEO office representative, the Contractor assumes all the risk for any unapproved extension. If this is acceptable to the Contractor, then Para 3.4.6.1. does not apply.

3.4.6.1. If a Contractor is not in agreement with Para 3.4.6. because the Contractor’s policy does not allow for their subcontractors to make any on-the-spot coordinations on their behalf, then the following steps are applicable:

1. Prior to extending past the original contracted time, the interpreter, if a subcontractor, will contact the Contractor for permission of the proposed time extension requested by the Requiring Unit Representative (In the event the interpreter is the actual Contractor, then (go to #4).

2. Simultaneously, the Requesting Unit Representative will contact the COR for approval of the proposed time extension.

3. Once the Requesting Unit Representative has obtained approval from the COR, and the interpreter, if a subcontractor, obtains permission from the Contractor, then (go to #4).

4. The Contractor will then contact the COR with an initial verbal agreement to the agreed-upon extension as per the Requesting Unit Representative’s proposed time extension. The COR will then provide a written approval to reflect said agreement.

5. Upon the three parties’ agreement and approvals, the extension can be executed.

6. After completion of the extension, and prior to leaving the installation, the interpreter will notify the COR

(and if necessary, the Contractor) of the time of completion.

7. The Contractor will then submit via email the adjusted time that the service was rendered.

8. The COR will make any adjustments to the assignment number for record-keeping purposes and to validate the billing.

3.4.7. The sign language interpreter(s) provided pursuant to the contract must inform the Government COR by telephone of all additional time that was required to complete the assignment prior to leaving the site of the assignment. The additional time shall also be sent to the Government COR by email by COB of that day. The Contractor shall then invoice the Government for the total time worked with respect to the assignment, including the two-hour minimum initial assignment and each 15-minute increment required after the two-hour minimum to complete the assignment.

3.4.8. Should an assignment under this contract extend beyond the contracted time and the interpreter assigned by the Contractor cannot stay, then the supplied interpreter shall be permitted to leave without any penalty imposed on the Contractor or any negative report issued with respect to the Contractor’s performance of this contract. The Contractor must inform the Government COR that they are unable to stay.

3.4.9. When multiple assignments are scheduled back to back (but still one to two hours each) under this contract using the same sign language interpreter(s), there shall be no separate billings by the Contractor for those assignments, e.g., if a an interpreter is working three (3) separate assignments, all one to two hours each or less (and all within walking distance of each other) and each individual assignment is immediately following the previous one, then the Contractor can just bill for a six- (6) hour period. However, if the same interpreter is working multiple assignments that are only 1 hour each back to back, then the contractor cannot bill the two hour minimum for each;

only the last assignment can be billed for the two-hour minimum.

3.4.10. For any assignment(s) under this contract for six (6) or more hours in duration, the assigned interpreters will follow the break schedule of the Deaf person(s) they are assigned to work with.

3.4.11. If an interpreter(s) has a morning assignment and then a separate follow-on afternoon assignment and there is a break in time between the assignments, the interpreter(s) may leave and come back to and from the assigned area(s) but may not bill for any additional mileage for that day.

3.5. Client Non-Attendance (“No Show”)

3.5.1. In the event that a Government client (Deaf or Hard of Hearing employee) is late for a scheduled assignment, the interpreter assigned to the event may consider the client to be a “no show” if the client has not arrived within thirty (30) minutes of the scheduled start time.

3.5.2. In the event that the client is a “no show,” the interpreter(s) assigned will report to the COR (or EEO office in the absence of the COR) for either reassignment or release. The interpreter may not leave the Detroit Arsenal until the departure has been approved by the COR or EEO office.

3.6. Interpreter Attendance and Non-Attendance (“No Show”)

3.6.1. Sign language interpreter(s) provided by the Contractor shall allow sufficient time to get through security and report to the site of the covered meeting or event on time. Multiple instances of unexcused tardiness shall not be tolerated. The Government reserves the right to rely on such instances of tardiness as the basis for placing interpreters on a “Not-to-Send” list. Only the Contracting Officer can make the determination to have a particular interpreter on said list, and will justify it in writing to the Contractor. If an instance of tardiness/delay by an interpreter is anticipated due to some known or reported circumstances (e.g., they call because of an accident that has a road blocked), the Contractor must inform the COR of the anticipated delay so that the customer can be informed and possibly the meeting time can be adjusted to allow for the delay.

3.6.1.1. “Excusable Delay” is a delay that is beyond the Contractor’s (sub-contractor’s) control, such as in instances when driving to an assignment, an interpreter gets stuck in traffic due to an accident that has the current route blocked and no alternates are available (such accidents can be verified). Instances of an interpreter just leaving too late in order to get to the assignment on time are not excusable. All instances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the COR and/or Contracting Officer.

3.6.2. If a sign language interpreter provided under this contract is late by more than fifteen (15) minutes for a scheduled meeting or event, the Government may treat the interpreter as a “no show” and be relieved of responsibility for payment if the Government cancels the meeting or event. If the Government elects to proceed with the meeting or event on a delayed basis due to the late arrival of the assigned interpreter, the sign language interpreter shall be required to interpret the meeting or event. The Contractor shall not bill for an amount payable to the Contractor under this contract for a time increment equal to the duration of the tardiness of the interpreter, regardless of the duration of the assignment, to include the 2 hour minimum. The Contractor shall bill for the actual time of service provided for the assignment based on 15-minute increments.

3.6.3. Should the COR reassign a sign language interpreter provided by a Contractor during the originally scheduled time for the use of the interpreter and should the interpreter fail to attend the new assignment, the Contractor may not bill for the original assignment — it will be treated as a “no show.”

3.6.4. If there is a no show by a sign language interpreter provided under this contract, the Government will not pay any invoice submitted with respect to that assignment. Repeated offenses could result in termination of this contract for cause. All no shows by the Contractor shall be reflected as a negative performance report in the monthly COR reports for this contract and in the annual CPARS for the assigned Contractor.

3.6.5. The Contractor may replace a scheduled interpreter for an assignment if they have provided notice to the COR that the originally assigned interpreter will be unacceptably delayed or will not be able to make the assignment at all.

As long as an approved (COR must approve in each instance) interpreter is provided in a timely manner for the assignment, the Contractor may bill as to the original assignment.

3.7. Cancellations

3.7.1. The Government will only deal directly with the Contractor and not with interpreters supplied by the Contractor for all cancellations whether Government or Contractor.

3.7.2. If a scheduled sign language interpreter(s) supplied by the Contractor is not available to cover the scheduled meeting or event, and the Contractor is unable to provide an acceptable replacement, the Contractor shall notify the COR of the situation as soon as the Contractor is made aware of the situation. Delivery of this notice does not relieve the Contractor of its obligation to provide the qualified personnel necessary to fulfill the assignment(s), and the scheduled event cancellation will be annotated in the monthly COR performance report for the assigned Contractor.

3.7.3. All Contractor cancellations (and any potential cancellations) shall be submitted to the COR via email.

Telephone calls are permitted for timely notification, but follow-up emails confirming assignment cancellations are required. Though not considered to be quite as severe as a blatant “no show,” multiple cancellations will be reflected in a negative Contractor performance report in the monthly COR report for the assigned Contractor for this contract, and para 3.6.4. will apply.

3.7.4. Assignments to be performed under this contract may be cancelled by the COR or EEO representative by email, not less than twenty four (24) hours in advance of the scheduled start time for the meeting or event, Monday through Friday, with no penalty or charges for the cancelled assignments. If a previously scheduled assignment(s) is/are cancelled by the COR, and the COR has given the Contractor the 24-hour notice herein described, no invoice for payment shall be submitted by the Contractor and the Government shall have no obligation to make any payment with respect to the cancelled assignment.

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

Mileage may only be invoiced for the otherwise permitted amount if the sign language interpreter(s) provided by the Contractor traveled for the cancelled assignment(s). Mileage shall not be invoiced if the sign language interpreter(s) did not travel to the assignment(s).

3.7.6. Interpreters provided under this contract shall not report to work or to a scheduled meeting or event if the meeting or event is cancelled…