1_1_4_PWS_DRAFT_20240718.docx

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Refugee, Asylum, & International Operations Directorate (RAIO) Asylum Division Headquarters (HQASM) International & Refugee Affairs (IRAD)

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Language & Interpretation Support Services

1. TITLE OF PROJECT:

Language and Interpretation Support Services for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Refugee, Asylum, & International Operations (RAIO) Directorate, Asylum Division Headquarters (HQASM), and International & Refugee Affairs (IRAD).

2. BACKGROUND:

The USCIS, RAIO Directorate, consists of two (2) major divisions that are involved in immigration refugee initiatives, HQASM and IRAD. IRAD administers the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), along with the Department of State and other USRAP partners. IRAD also manages the RAIO Directorates international offices and overseas workloads. Officers in IRAD interview refugee applicants identified for possible resettlement to the United States; conduct protection screenings for certain migrants interdicted at sea; and adjudicate immigration petitions and applications, such as requests for parole for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. HQASM is responsible for the overall planning, development, coordination, and evaluation of the USCIS Asylum Program. The Asylum Officer Corps currently comprises approximately over 700 interviewing Asylum Officers located in thirteen (13) offices from the east to west coasts within the United States and all time zones. The Asylum Offices are subject to change to consolidate or add new offices through the next year. The current office locations are listed below:

2 | Page Performance Work Statement

1. Arlington, VA;

2. HQASM, MD

3. Atlanta, GA;

4. Boston, MA;

5. Chicago, IL;

6. Houston, TX;

7. Los Angeles, CA;

8. Miami, FL;

9. New Orleans, LA;

10. Newark, NJ;

11. New York, NY;

12. San Francisco, CA;

13. and Tampa, FL.

HQASM personnel also conduct interviews at detention facilities and other USCIS offices throughout the country. Additional offices may open during the life of the contract, as the overall size of the Asylum Officer Corps increases. Asylum Officers are specially trained to interview individuals seeking asylum or protection from their countries.

Both HQASM and IRAD administer this acquisition to ensure RAIO can fulfill its mission by providing access to a comprehensive set of high-quality foreign language services. Both divisions use foreign language services less frequently and at lower volumes for protection screenings but may also have the need to utilize foreign language services in larger volumes to respond to mass migration events if and when they occur.

This acquisition is needed to comply with current regulations requiring HQASM to provide interpretation services to individuals in the Credible Fear, Reasonable Fear, and Safe Third Country screening processes. For affirmative asylum interviews, applicants are required to provide their own interpreters if they are not able to conduct the interview in English.; however, the Government provides and pays interpreters to monitor the interviews for accuracy, deter fraud/abuse, and maximize efficiency at their expense. Additional asylum pre-screening interviews may be established during the life of the contract to allow flexibility for new adjudications like Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), Title 42 surge, and Asylum Cooperative Agreement screenings. HQASM is also required to provide Sign Language interpreters to all individuals, regardless of the workload type. Lastly, IRAD uses the services for humanitarian efforts including protection screenings and related interviews that are generally outside of the continental United States.

3. SCOPE/OBJECTIVE:

This requirement supports the mission by enabling trained officers to interview asylum and protection seekers in their native languages using telephonic, video conferencing, and, in rare cases, in-person interpreter and translation services. Interviews by phone are generally completed using conventional telephones or MS Teams and computer applications for transcribing. To fulfill the divisions’ mandates, USCIS requires ready access to language and interpretation services who are professional and fluent in the languages listed in this PWS.

4. TERMINOLOGY:

· The term “interpreter services” refers to the interpretation of verbal and Sign Language in real time, while translation deals with written content. Interpreter services for the Government include direct interpretation and translation as well as monitoring of applicant provided interpreters.

· The term “interpreter” refers to authorized individuals who convert information from one (1) language into another. The interpreter's goal is for people to experience the target language as seamlessly as if it were the source language.

· The term “monitor” refers to an authorized individual who validates the interpreter’s interpretation or translation of information for accuracy.

· The term “services” refers to an activity that includes but are not limited to the following: screening and processing of individuals, conducting interviews, communicating processes and responsibilities, as well as responding to calls in telephone hotlines, call centers, and other telephonic assistance.

· The term “applicant” refers to individuals being interviewed by an Asylum/Refugee Officer, whether they are applicants, petitioners, witnesses, or dependents included on the application.

· The term “Contracting Officer (CO)” refers to an individual with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Federal Government.

· The term “Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)” refers to an individual who is authorized in writing by the CO to perform specific technical or administrative contract functions.

· The term “Contract Specialist (CS)” refers to an individual who is assigned by the CO to perform the day-to-day administrative functions of the contract. This is the person the COR will interact with the most.

· The term “Significant Incident Reports (SIRs)” refers to the official reporting format used by the Government to report and record significant incidents.

· The term “MS Teams” is an online video-conferencing platform created by Microsoft that allows users in different locations to hold face-to-face meetings.

· The term “surge” refers to times of unanticipated increases in mass migrations/call volumes resulting in more cases for unpredictable reasons.

5. SCOPE/OBJECTIVE:

This requirement supports the mission by enabling trained officers to interview asylum and protection seekers in their native languages using telephonic, video conferencing, and, in rare cases, in-person interpreter and translation services. Interviews by phone are generally completed using conventional telephones or MS Teams and computer applications for transcribing. To fulfill the divisions’ mandates, USCIS requires ready access to a comprehensive set of high-quality language and interpretation services.

6. SPECIFIC TASKS/REQUIREMENTS:

6.1. REQUIREMENTS:

To fulfill our mission, access to a full range of language services delivered in various formats are required.

The Government requires language services for anticipated and/or routine interactions as well as language services during times of surges. This also includes responding to provide protection screenings and other protection interviews in response to mass migration or surge in maritime migration events if such events occur. The Contractor shall provide foreign language interpreters and translators to timely meet and fulfill volume and language demands set within this agreement. Additionally, the Contractor shall be prepared to accommodate the Government usage needs by monitoring usage trends and address surges as they occur and have the capacity to quickly increase staffing levels to meet time-sensitive language needs. Ideally interpreters will be equally distribution across all time zones as much as possible.

It is anticipated that this agreement will cover approximately 13M – 23M minutes (subject to change) of interpretation services annually throughout the life of this agreement.

Monthly call volumes could increase on an annual basis, but the Government cannot predict the rate of increase at this time. The Government does not guarantee a minimum amount of call volume the Contractor will incur, nor can it be predicted, which months, days or time of day will be the busiest.

The Contractor shall have the capability of telecommunication technology (i.e., landline and cell phone, email, fax (machine or electronic), video conferencing, and basic internet function)) to provide interpreter services. In addition, the Contractor shall be able to receive, confirm and process written and verbal interpretation requests through MS Teams twenty-four (24) hours per day, Sunday through Saturday, including holidays. Other digital platforms are being considered and the contractor shall have the ability to adapt to these. The Contractor shall be able to adjust to new technology that includes connection to MS Teams during an interview.

The Contractor shall provide and maintain a secure, web-based interface/portal, which reduced burden on the Contractor while allowing access to call data at all times in order to review daily, weekly, and monthly call volumes, and cost projections. The portal should be available to HQASM Acquisition branch (CORs and supporting personnel) managing the agreement to conveniently generate reports, analysis, and other self-produced ad-hoc queries.

Performance data shall be provided in Microsoft Excel format with headings and formats applied with titles, dates, and prices in the specific types of reports.

The Contractor shall have rigorous Quality Control processes for all language services, as discussed in Section 8.0, Quality Control.

6.1.1. ASYLUM DIVISION WORK:

Below is an estimation of how long it takes to complete an interview for each of HQASM case types:

· Affirmative – Duration: seven (7) hours maximum.

· Credible Fear – Duration: four (4) hours maximum.

· Reasonable Fear - Duration: four (4) hours maximum.

· Safe Third Country Screening – Duration 45 – 60 minutes maximum

· I-881 (Application for Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal) - Duration: four (4) hours maximum.

6.1.2. IRAD DIVISION WORK:

The estimation of how long it takes to complete interviews for IRAD screenings is:

· At Sea Protection Screenings – Duration: four (4) hours maximum.

· Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Well-Founded Fear Interview – Duration: seven (7) hours maximum.

6.2. LANGUAGE SERVICES REQUIRED – FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION:

The Government will determine the service required (monitoring, direct interpretation, or translation services), the time of delivery (on demand interpretation or prescheduled) as well as the method of delivery (telephonic, remotely videoconferencing, and in-person). Video conferencing or in person monitoring/interpretation may be required when requested by the Government for interviews that require sign language services at one (1) of the USCIS Asylum offices or DHS facilities. In addition, the Contractor shall provide both a ASL and CDI upon request from an Asylum Office Government representative. The Government representative will provide the date, time, time duration, and name(s) of the Asylum Field Office representative to the contractor. The contractor shall respond back within seven (7) business days’ notice. to the Government to confirm the date and time requested. Additionally, the Contractor shall also be able to provide sight translation (translation of a written document into spoken/signed language). In rare circumstances, the Government may require an interpreter of a particular gender.

· Monitoring: The Contractor shall provide foreign language interpretation monitoring, telephonically, for interviews between Asylum Officers and other interpreters (e.g., provided by applicants seeking immigration benefits). In these cases, the Contractor interpreters monitor the interviews for accuracy.

· Direct Interpretation: The Contractor shall provide verbal or manual communication (for Sign Language) services from English and foreign languages in a variety of settings, to include USCIS locations and DHS facilities.

· Interpretation Services: Include:

· Oral face to face interpretation (in-person); and

· Telephonic Interpretation Services/Video Conferencing Interpretation.

· Translation Services: Telephonic interviews might require the interpreter to read translated DHS forms or other scripted information and documents from the source language (English or the language of interpretation) to the language used by the applicant. Translators shall convert text from a source language into a target language. This is far more than replacing one (1) word with another. The translation must also convey the style, tone, and intent of the text, while taking into account differences of culture and dialect. The finished document shall read as if it had originally been written in the target language for the target audience.

The Government will experience surges (increase in volume of interviews), which are heavily dependent upon international country conditions, law enforcement, or unforeseen requirements. The Contractor shall provide interpretation and monitoring services in all languages indicated in Attachment 24.1 of this Performance Work Statement to meet these surge requirements as they occur without advance notice.

6.2.1. ABANDONED, UNACCOMMODATED & DROPPED CALLS:

The Government will not be charged for calls made unless a call is placed with the Contractor and results in the actual use of interpretation, translation or monitoring services. Calls not connected to an interpreter shall not be billed and will be treated as unaccommodated calls for the purposes of performance metrics. The Contractor shall meet all performance metrics as set forth in this agreement.

Interpretation tasks for the Government require in depth communication with applicants, including interpreting, translating, and monitoring full interviews for decision making, which includes the explanation of multiple forms. Therefore, calls three (3) minutes or less shall not be charged, will be treated as non-billable calls, and will be converted to an unaccommodated call.

Additionally, the Government will not be charged, regardless of whether actual interpretation, translation or monitoring occurred, for any calls that are non-compliant with the service standards outlined in this agreement.

In particular, the Government shall not be charged for calls when:

· The call was abandoned by the interpreter before the end of an interview.

Abandoned calls include:

· A call that is ended prematurely due to an interpreter/interpreter monitor’s unavailability; and

· A call where connectivity is lost between the interpreter and the interviewer unless the interpreter can immediately reestablish the connection after loss of connectivity; immediately is defined as within three (3) minutes. (This does not apply to calls for at sea protection screenings).

· Applicant’s confidentiality is violated by the interpreter as described in Section 9 of this Performance Work Statement – Confidentiality and Privacy Considerations.

· An interpreter is recused for bias;

· An interpreter exhibits unprofessional conduct during the call, including but not limited to:

· Aggressive or combative behavior with Government personnel, applicant or applicant provided interpreter;

· Failure to be responsive during the call including behavior that results in concerns that the interpreter is engaging in tasks outside of interpretation/monitoring service for the call occurring;

· Failure to have the requisite forms as provided by the Government for credible fear or reasonable fear interviews when need;

· Failure to have immigration forms provided by the Government available to interpreters to aid in interpretation (when applicable);

· Any other conduct that would be deemed unprofessional or that would necessitate a Significant Incident Report (SIR) to be filed.

· The interpreter is not fluent in English or the requested language (unless relay interpreting is permitted as described in Section 6.2 of this Performance Work Statement – Fluency Requirements below); or,

· The Contractor’s employee has not received a favorable Entrance on Duty (EOD) decision from USCIS.

6.2.2. PRESCHEDULED TELEPHONIC INTERVIEWS:

Most interpretation requests will be for on demand telephonic interpretation; however, there are instances where calls may require prescheduling for a specific language, date, and time with a Contractor.

This may be due to one of the following circumstances:

· The rareness of the language necessitates prescheduling to guarantee access to an interpreter;

· The Government’s need to have HQASM personnel complete work outside of regular business hours requiring guaranteed availability of interpreter services outside of regular business hours;

· Any other reasons that would necessitate a speedy resolution due to legal requirements and/or operational need; or,

· On rare occasions, IRAD calls might need prescheduling due to limited time available with international connections and time frames that are outside IRAD control.

To ensure the Government is operating consistent with law and policy, all contractors shall accommodate requests to preschedule interpreters to ensure availability. If an interpreter is not available at the time and date of the agreed upon appointment, it will be treated as an unaccommodated request and be factored into the performance metrics.

Prescheduled calls shall begin within twenty (20) minutes of their scheduled time unless notice is provided that there will be delay. If the Government schedules a call and then does not begin the interview within twenty (20) minutes of the scheduled start time, the interpreter can consider the appointment as cancelled by the Government. The Government will offset the number of unaccommodated calls by the number of prescheduled calls that were not placed by the Government.

6.2.3. TIMELINESS OF SERVICES:

For telephonic services, the Contractor shall provide adequate personnel to timely accommodate the interpretation needs of the office for which it has been assigned, which includes multiple time zones. Calls or interview sessions may last for several hours and can include multiple, consecutive interpretive tasks or interviews.

Interpreters shall be prepared to handle the call for the duration of the call or interview session.

The Contractor shall:

· Answer and connect requests for an interpreter within three (3) minutes of a request;

· Provide an interpreter for requests for a required language; and

· Accommodate sign language requests such that a confirmation of scheduling is provided within seventy-two (72) hours (three (3) calendar days).

The time required to set-up the conference call prior to the interpreter joining the call and any continuation of the conference call once the interpreter has dropped off, will not be chargeable time. The Contractor shall not terminate the conference call at any time before all parties to the call have dropped off, regardless of whether the services of the interpreter are no longer needed. (i.e., the Contractor shall maintain the conference call connection as long as at least two (2) parties are still connected). The Government will make a good faith effort to communicate information regarding call trends and volumes for an office upon request. Burn rates will be monitored monthly.

6.2.4. TELEPHONIC CONNECTIVITY, EQUIPMENT AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

The Contractor shall provide the Government with telephonic connectivity, equipment, and technology support to operations to include:

· Use of MS Teams for routine calls, videoconferencing, and an option for closed captioning. Video assisted interpretation may also be necessary or be a viable alternative for in-person interpretation, in certain circumstances. The Contractor shall be able to adapt to future technology utilized to provide interpreters services, including but not limited to, Amazon Webservices as a new platform to receive calls;

· Locate, assign, and connect an interpreter to an Asylum/Refugee Officer upon request;

· Provide at minimum one (1) dedicated toll-free telephone line for prompt access to the Government, interpreters/monitors, and applicants/petitioners/beneficiaries to access interpretation services for the required language.

· Provide conference call services so that interpreters/monitors can dial into a conference call initiated by the Government, the interviewee, or the Contractor. The Government shall not be charged for conference call costs that are not linked to the actual call;

· Connect third parties including, but not limited to, the applicant’s representative or consultant, to the telephonic interview, when requested by the Government;

· Provide telephone, Information Technology (IT) and any other platform or connectivity system access services twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) calendar days per week, and 365 calendar days per year including holidays; and

· Ensuring IT systems confirm start and end times of each telephonic call and provide detail of all calls received at the Contractor’s switch (phone system) and their subsequent status, such as dropped call, deflected call, hang-up, or reached interpreter.

The Contractor shall also provide a minimum of a four (4) digit unique identification number, that will be used to:

· Ensure each interpreter is identified by the Contractor to maintain confidentiality;

· Ensure each Asylum Officer is identified by the Contractor for interpretation services. Preferably, each Asylum location will have its own prefix when the Contractor is generating the identification numbers;

· Ensure that each Asylum Officers are identified by their officer’s IDs, as their unique code, and preferably by a single numeric number for each asylum office; and

· Other coding may be required to identify Government office location or personnel.

The Contractor shall have a back-up plan in place to address any malfunction of its technical systems used to support telephonic interpretation, without interruption, in the Quality Control Plan (QCP). The Contractor shall address these occurrences with detail of all calls received at the Contractor’s switch (phone system) and their subsequent status, such as dropped call, deflected call, hang-up, or reached interpreter in the Detailed Call Report.

The Government will develop the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) post-award after the QCP is reviewed and determined acceptable.

6.3. FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATION:

The Contractor may be required to translate DHS forms and instructions, in part or in whole, during the interviews from the list of contractual languages, if requested by the asylum officer. The Government may also request translation of other documents that the DHS deems necessary to make final determinations. The translations often need to be completed in multiple languages and over a short period of time, within twenty-four (24) to seventy-two (72) hours for Asylum cases.

The Contractor shall also be able to provide a secondary review of documents that have already been translated (e.g., from a third party) to validate that the translations meet the requirements of this contract and/or to make changes or corrections where necessary to ensure the translated material accurately translates the original text.

6.4. COVERAGE FOR REQUIRED LANGUAGES:

While interpreter services volumes cannot be predicted due to fluctuating requirements/workloads, the Contractor shall have the ability to provide interpreter and translation services for all contractual languages referenced in Attachment 24.1 of this Performance Work Statement. All languages listed as Required Languages shall be listed in the Contractor’s GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) SIN 541930 schedule. Languages listed under Needed Lacking in Support, can be added, and is recommend. be added to the GSA contract.

6.4.1. SIGN LANUAGE:

The Government will occasionally require Sign Language interpretation to help support effective communication and ensure equal opportunity for those who are employed by USCIS and those who are served or encountered in USCIS activities and interviews. The Contractor shall provide all requested Sign Language interpretation of up to 100 hours minimum per year. These requests may include American Sign Language (ASL), other foreign sign language or non-standard sign language needs and requests for a certified sign language interpreter. The Contractor shall accommodate the request for Sign Language such that a confirmation of scheduling is provided within seventy-two (72) hours (three (3) calendar days). The Contractor shall work with the COR to make necessary arrangements.

7. INTERPRETER REQUIREMENTS, QUALIFICATIONS, & FLUENCY:

7.1. REQUIREMENTS & RESTRICTIONS:

Contractor provided interpreters and translators on behalf of the Government shall:

· Be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident;

· Be at least eighteen (18) years of age; and

· Show proficient demonstration of grammar.

Contractor provided interpreters and translators on behalf of the Government cannot be:

· The applicant’s attorney or representative of record;

· A witness testifying on the applicant’s behalf;

· A representative or employee of the applicant’s country of nationality or, if stateless, the applicant’s country of last habitual residence;

· A person who prepares an Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal (Form I-589), or Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition (Form I-730) for a fee, or who works for such a preparer/attorney; or

· A person of a close relationship of the applicant as deemed by the Government such as a family member.

All individuals working on this agreement shall be located within the United States and its territories (i.e., Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.) and have native level proficiency in English and at least one (1) other language, unless an exception to the English fluency requirement applies as outlined in Section 6.2 below.

7.2. FLUENCY REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor shall provide interpreters capable of accurately interpreting the intended meaning of statements made by the officer, applicant, representative, and witnesses during interviews. The interpreters are required to be fluent in one (1) or more foreign languages in accordance with (IAW) American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) within six (6) months of security approvals. The Contractor shall also provide interpreters and translators who are fluent in reading and speaking English., or more other languages in accordance with industry standard terminology.

The sole exception to the English fluency requirement involves the use of relay interpreters in limited circumstances at the Agency’s discretion; however, even in that case, the Contractor shall provide a second interpreter who is fluent in English. The Contractor’s interpreters shall interpret statements made and/or monitor the interpretation of applicant-provided interpreters during any of the interviews in compliance with this agreement. The Contractor’s interpreters shall report any misrepresentation when monitoring interpretations conducted by an applicant-provided interpreter during any interview.

7.3. INTERPRETER TESTING & CERTIFICATION:

The Contractor shall test and certify the proficiency of each interpreter as part of the Quality Control Plan.

The Sign Language Interpreter shall possess within six (6) months of employment and maintain certification in one (1) or more multiple foreign languages from one (1) of the following:

· Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)/ National Interpreter Certification;

· National Association of Deaf (NAD) Master;

· Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC);

· Master Comprehensive Skills Certificate (MSCS);

· Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI);

· Certificate of Interpretation (CI); and

· Certificate of Transliteration (CT).

8. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL:

The Contractor shall provide all necessary personnel to meet the requirements outlined in the Performance Work Statement and provide effective management of this agreement including, billing, program/project management, human resource management, performance management, quality assurance, administrative support, and supervision of all Contractor personnel. In addition, the Contractor shall provide a point of contact for accounts and security issues, i.e. clearing interpreters though the USCIS Office of Security and Integrity (OSI) and onboarding. Contractor supervisor(s) shall perform supervisory/management activities to ensure that Contractor employees have the necessary skills, information, and tools to perform tasks and that agreement requirements are properly met. The COR and Program Manager shall be notified with qualified substitutes if the Contractor identified supervisor(s) and/or appointed points of contact as well as security personnel are absent beyond one (1) week.

An adequate number of interpreters who are fluent in the most frequent required languages receive an Entry on Duty (EOD) determination shall be readily available to ensure continuity of services. These languages are: Spanish 300, Mandarin 40, Russian 35, Haitian Creole 30, Portuguese 30, and French languages 30, Wolof 3 listed in the Performance Work Statement, Attachment 24.1, in sufficient quantity to meet the volume needs of the Asylum Division. Other required languages are specified in Section 25.

Contractor shall provide an adequate number of interpreters to manage the call volumes as needed by HQASM, RAIO, and IRAD. All personnel working on this agreement shall possess the ability to obtain an EOD determination as addressed in the Security Requirements section of this agreement. The Contractor shall be timely and responsive during the performance of work. Only the Contracting Officer (CO) can obligate USCIS for contract responsibilities. No Contractor employee or official is authorized to officially represent USCIS to any other party. Contractor personnel shall display decorum, dress, and professionalism at all times.

All Contractor employees shall address personnel and program issues through their supervisors and not directly through Government personnel.

8.1. CONTRACTOR CONTINUITY OF SUPPORT:

The Contractor shall ensure the required level of support for this requirement is maintained at all times. If for any reason the Contractor staffing levels are not maintained due to vacation, leave, appointments, etc., and replacement personnel are not provided, the Contractor shall provide e-mail notification to the COR prior to employee absence.

8.2. CONTRACTOR CONDUCT:

The Contractor shall notify the COR if employees managing the accounts or security requirements, are vacating their positions. The Contractor shall provide qualified and experienced replacements within seven (7) days prior to the current employee's departure.

The Contractor shall ensure contractor employees present a professional appearance at all times and that their conduct shall not reflect discredit on the United States, DHS or USCIS. The Contractor shall ensure Contractor employees understand and abide by DHS and USCIS established rules, regulations and policies concerning safety and security.

If Contractor support personnel are required to be onsite, then they shall dress according to the office dress codes. At all times, the Contractor shall conduct themselves, and maintain a demeanor that is professional and appropriate in interactions with other Government employees, agencies, or offices. The Contractor shall ensure that personal cell phones and other electronic devices used by contractor employees do not interfere with the work during an interview. The Contractor support personnel shall avoid loud noises and sound interferences that would interrupt the interviews. In addition, Contractor personnel shall limit personal calls to official breaks, taking personal cell phone calls outside the confines of the office so as not to disrupt the mission.

8.3. CONTRACTOR IDENTIFICATION:

Contractor employees visiting Government facilities shall wear an identification badge that, at a minimum, displays the contractor’s name, the employee’s photo, name, clearance-level, and badge expiration date. All Contractor employees shall be considered visitors and shall comply with all Government escort rules and requirements. All Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractors when their status is not readily apparent and display all identification and visitor badges in plain view above the waist at all times. The Contractor shall include company name in all e-mail addresses, and in written correspondence. When presenting briefings, conducting, or attending meetings/seminars, Contractor employees shall wear identification and introduce themselves as “Contractor employees”.

8.4. REMOVING EMPLOYEES FOR MISCONDUCT OR SECURITY REASONS:

USCIS, through the CO will direct the Contractor to remove any Contractor employee for misconduct or security reasons. Removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to continue providing the services required under this agreement. The CO will provide the Contractor with a written explanation to support any request to remove an employee.

In the event the Contractor terminates associated contract employees, or any contract employee resigns, the Contractor is obligated to inform the CO and COR in writing within five (5) business days.

The CO, in writing, may require that the Contractor remove any employee the CO deems,

a) Not to be fluent in the language requested,

b) Careless, or

c) Otherwise, objectionable.

Corrective action may be taken to resolve and remedy situations involving any removed employees after notification details have been sent to the COR and CO IAW the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan (see Section 8.).

9. QUALITY CONTROL:

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for the quality of services provided. The Contractor shall also be liable for Contractor employee negligence, and any fraud, waste, or abuse.

The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Quality Control Plan for submission to and approval by the Contracting Officer, which outlines what systems and activities the Contractor shall implement to ensure that all services provided are in accordance with this agreement. The Contractor shall provide a final version of the Quality Control Plan within thirty (30) calendar days after award. The Quality Control Plan shall include a transition period to ensure the interpreters are cleared and ready to take interviews within the thirty (30) days. The Quality Control Plan will continue to update and revise the plan as needed throughout the life of this agreement. The Contractor shall submit quarterly reports that detail actions taken, status, and progress in implementing the Quality Control Plan.

The Quality Control Plan shall fulfill the following requirements:

· Establish an internal quality control, self-inspection and feedback system for all services required by the agreement;

· Provide the means to identify deficiencies in services; and

· Provide procedures to correct deficiencies and prevent recurrence.

The Quality Control Plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements:

· Methods to test, train, evaluate, and certify language specialists. The Contractor shall explain how they will certify the proficiency of each language specialist in English and the required language(s). The Contractor shall explain how they will train language specialists in the procedures and terminology specific to Government operations or services.

· Methods to track timeliness and performance with respect to established standards for responsiveness and quality of service. Methods to measure the effectiveness of the Contractor's quality control actions.

Document all self-inspection results as well as other quality and internal control actions. This includes documenting the purpose of the inspection, the results, and any corrective action taken. This documentation shall be maintained and provided to the COR upon request during the period of performance.

· Identify the individuals within the Contractor's organization who are qualified to provide oversight with the ability to ensure the contractor’s ability to accommodate the call volumes with number of interpreters required to perform the work.

· Identify the technology systems used to ensure the contractor can provide the telephonic equipment and IT support required to:

· Accommodate each Asylum Officer, on-demand, and over-the-phone, when they are conducting interviews, in all United States time zones, within one (1) to three (3) minutes.

· Give each Asylum Officer access to toll free number and PIN that provides prompt access to interpretation services for the required language on an as-needed basis, twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) calendar days per week, 365 calendar days per year.

· Ensure telephone connectivity between multiple parties are available without losing connectivity due to system errors.

· Ensure interpreters/monitors can be connected, transferred, and conferenced into calls.

· Provide dial in conference call services to Asylum Officers, interpreters/monitors and applicants/petitioners/beneficiaries when requested and/or initiated by the Asylum Officer.

· Connect third parties including, but not limited to, the applicant’s representative or consultant, to the telephonic interview, when requested by the Asylum Officer.

When notified of deficiencies by the Government, the Contractor shall immediately initiate follow-up procedures or other solutions to bring performance to required levels.

The Government reserves the right to return to the Contractor all materials, transcriptions and translations that contain errors for corrections at no additional cost to the Government. Upon receipt of a "Request for Correction," the Contractor shall correct all errors and furnish corrected versions as required by the CO or COR within five (5) business days.

The Government may reject a particular interpreter because of lack of demonstrated fluency, bias, or other deficiency. In such cases, the Contractor shall remove the interpreter from further service until corrective action is taken to resolve the deficiency, along with an email sent to the CO and COR detailing the correction action/remedy.

9.1. MONTHLY QUALITY CONTROL REPORT:

The monthly Quality Control Report shall include the Contractor’s methodology used to monitor the quality of the work under this agreement throughout each month following the submission of the final Quality Control Plan. The written report shall be provided on the 10th business day of each month after approval. The report shall be in narrative format and include all incidents or services (identified either by the Contractor or the Government), which were considered to be non-conforming, and the corrective action taken to correct performance to meet agreement requirements. The report shall include any changes made to the Contractors Quality Control Plan and its methodology to ensure continued compliance with this agreement.

10. CONFIDENTIALITY & PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS:

The Contractor shall maintain the confidentiality of the applicant’s information and shall shred any and all notes taken during the interview process. This information includes the applicant’s name, biographical information, and the facts regarding the applicant’s claim for protection. Additionally, data and reports generated under this agreement may be released only to parties designated in writing by the CO. The Contractor shall notify the CO and the COR immediately of any known violation of the confidentiality requirements.

10.1. CONFIDENTIALITY & NEUTRALITY STATEMENTS:

In addition to the privacy requirements, the Contractor shall provide signed and witnessed confidentiality and neutrality statements for everyone performing work on this agreement, whether the employee or subcontractor to the COR within three (3) business days prior to performing any services. The required confidentiality and neutrality statement form is designated as Performance Work Statement, Attachment 24.2.

10.2. RECUSAL/REMOVAL FOR VIOLATION OF CONFIDENTIALITY/NEUTRALITY REQUIREMENTS:

If, prior to or during the interview, an interpreter acknowledges that he or she may have a bias for or against a particular applicant that affects the interpreter’s ability to interpret or translate in a neutral manner, the interpreter shall recuse himself or herself from the interview, and the Contractor shall promptly provide a substitute interpreter. If the interpreter shows bias for or against a particular applicant after the interview and is noted by the interviewing officer, an error will apply to Performance Requirements Statement (PRS) 3 for Confidentiality/Neutrality Compliance (see Section 22.7). The Government may, at its reasonable discretion to reject a particular interpreter at any time based on reasonable belief that the interpreter violated the terms and conditions of the Confidentiality and Neutrality Statement.

The Contractor shall notify the CO and COR of any interpreter’s violation of the confidentiality of the applicant’s information. The Government may request, at its sole discretion, that a particular interpreter not be assigned to interpret or translate, based on our awareness of bias.

The Government shall not be charged for calls using a Contractor’s employee who has violated the confidentiality of an applicant’s information or the Confidentiality and Neutrality Statement.

11. OTHER APPLICABLE CONDITIONS:

11.1. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (PoP):

Base PoP: Twelve (12) Months – To Be Established With Authorization To Proceed (ATP)

Option Period I PoP: Twelve (12) Months – To Be Established With ATP

Option Period II PoP: Twelve (12) Months – To Be Established With ATP

Option Period III PoP: Twelve (12) Months – To Be Established With ATP

Option Period IV PoP: Twelve (12) Months – To Be Established With ATP

Total PoP: Sixty (60) Months – To Be Established With ATP *

*Notes: Dates above are subject to change pending date of award and the Entrance on Duty (EOD) period and the issuance of full performance ATP.

11.2. HOURS OF OPERATION:

Most of the work will occur between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday as calls take place in each time zone across the United States. The Contractor shall take calls during these times and each day of the week, including Sunday through Saturday, and holidays. However, services may need to be prescheduled and may occur outside of normal business hours, to include nights and weekends. The Contractor may be expected to provide interpretation and translation services seven (7) calendar days a week and, on rare occasions, twenty-four (24) hours per day.

Weekend, holiday, and after-hours interpretation and translation needs are generally at reduced volumes compared to the volume during standard business hours. For weekend and holiday staffing needs, notice is typically provided within forty-eight (48) hours of the need (by Thursdays each week). However, notice cannot be guaranteed due to the unexpected nature of urgent interviews that are scheduled with limited advanced notice. During a mass migration event, should one occur, there may be a temporarily increased need for interpreters on weekends and/or after hours.

When the Government requires services for weekends or holidays, the Contractor shall provide the ability to designate staffing in the requested language for the specified days/hours. Where the Contractor is unable to provide the specific staffing request on weekends and holidays, this may be factored into the calculation of unaccommodated calls rate, using the number of interviews identified as needing prescheduling.

In case of a maritime mass migration, interpreter services may be needed in higher volumes during the hours of 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, seven (7) days a week across all time zones. Whether and when a maritime mass migration may happen is unpredictable.

11.3. GOVERNMENT HOLIDAYS:

A current list of Federal Government holidays is located at the following website:

http://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/2011.asp

If a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed as the holiday. If a federal holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as the holiday.

11.4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

The Contractor shall ensure all personnel reside in the United States and its territories (i.e., Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.). The Contractor shall work in a secured and secluded room with minimal to no noise disruptions and provide telephonic or video conference interpretation services to Government personnel working in Asylum offices, USCIS offices, DHS offices, detention facilities, or other USCIS processing locations. Performing duties while operating a motor vehicle is prohibited. In consideration of the confidentiality provision of this agreement, the Contractor shall not outsource any part or portions of the work to individuals outside of the geographic boundaries outlined above. On rare occasions, the Contractor shall provide services in-person, when requested by the Government, at one (1) of the Asylum offices or facilities, as stated in section 2 of this Performance Work Statement.

The types of interviews that may require in-person interpretation include, but are not limited to, the following: individuals that require sign language interpretation and individuals deemed to be high security risks. All in-person interviews shall be approved in advance.

Contractor shall ensure that employees are paid IAW the non-standard wage determination (WD) found at the following address:

https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/Non-Standard%20Wage%20Determinations%201967-0442%20to%201992-0661%20MAS%20Refresh%20%2316%20May%202023.pdf

Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) covered labor categories are subject to Schedule WDs incorporated in the MAS schedule contract at the time of award and as updated by GSA as applicable at each agreement option exercise.

11.5. TRAVEL:

No travel shall be required. Contractor personnel shall not be reimbursed for travel. Any travel completed by the Contractor under this agreement will be solely at the Contractor’s discretion.

12. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor shall provide all reports on the date(s) specified in the deliverables table found in Section 20. Reports shall be in electronic format with read/write capability using Microsoft Office applications. All detailed call reports for calls connected and calls not connected are to be submitted in the compatible version using pivot tables by the tenth (10th) business day of the following month except for the Weekly Summary Usage Report. The reports listed below shall be submitted via email to the CO, the COR, and any additional designated Government personnel.

To provide sufficiently detailed reports, the Contractor shall ensure certain coding of reportable information is available (e.g., interpreter information, Government personnel information, and other call details). When information is coded, this may require that monthly reports include this information in its coded format or that the information be interpreted out of code. Coded information shall be provided both in monthly reports as well as to the designated Government personnel at the time the call is placed to assist with billing reconciliation. The Contractor is encouraged to utilize an online portal so the Government can access current and historical reports.

12.1. MONTHLY PERFORMANCE REPORTS:

The Contractor shall submit monthly performance reports each month, for the purpose of evaluating performance requirements. The Contractor shall submit this report no later than the 10th day each month.

The reports shall address the following:

· Invoice Summary of charges and deductions addressed in Section 21.;

· PRS 1: Speed of Connection;

· PRS 2 – 4: Professionalism, Confidentiality, Abandonment;

· PRS 5: Unaccommodated Calls;

· PRS 6: Security Packages;

· PRS 7: Reporting (On Time and Accuracy); and

· PRS 8: Accuracy (Accuracy if identified above) of Deliverables.

12.2. MONTHLY DETAILED CALL REPORT: CALLS CONNECTED TO AN INTERPRETER (BILLABLE CALLS):

The Government shall not be charged unless a call is placed with the Contractor resulting in the actual use of interpretation or monitoring services, as outlined in this section. It is recognized the reports below are based on the Contractor’s preliminary invoice reports before the CO or COR has reviewed and verified against Agency information.

The Contractor shall submit a report of all billable calls with the monthly invoice, using MS Excel, version 11 no later than the 10th day each month. The detailed call list shall be submitted in a format that can be filtered and sorted, and must include the following information for each billed call:

· Call Date;

· Call Start Time (time zone reported);

· Call End Time (time zone reported);

· Seconds to Connect (wait time to connect to an Interpreter or Translator);

· Call Duration (minutes);

· Rate (cost per minute);

· Total Cost (rate x call length);

· Call Disposition/Status (e.g., Connected, Abandoned, Unaccommodated, Dropped);

· USCIS Office (e.g., Arlington (ZAR));

· Call Purpose (e.g., Affirmative Asylum, Credible Fear);

· Language;

· Contractor Interpreter Personal Identifiable Number (PIN); and

· Asylum Officer’s ID Number and associated PIN, if used by the Contractor.

The Contractor shall submit a report for all billable calls with the monthly invoice, using MS Excel, version 11 no later than the 10th day each month. The invoice shall include:

· Total charges and total…