Revision_13_Mar_PWS_Interpretation.doc

Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies

Performance Work Statement

For

Simultaneous Interpretation Services

Lebanese Armed Forces Visit 26 May – 3 June 2014

1. Purpose: This PWS details the tasks required for language and translation support services to the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies to enhance stability in the Near East and in South Asia by providing an academic environment where strategic issues can be addressed, understanding deepened, partnerships fostered, defense-related decision-making improved, and cooperation strengthened among military and civilian leaders from the region and the United States.

Background: The Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), an element of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is responsible for developing civilian and military specialists from the region of the Near East and in South Asia by providing professional seminars designed to meet the needs of mid-to-upper level military and civilian officials in the national security policy and strategy planning divisions of regional governments, to include but not limited to the Ministry of Interior; General Headquarters; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Police Force.

Lebanese Armed Forces Seminar: To assist NESA in fulfilling its responsibilities, contractors will provide interpretation/translation services to support a 7 day professional seminar to be hosted in the Washington, DC and

Virginia areas.

2. Scope: The contract requires expert language interpretation and translation services into and from the following language: Arabic. The contractor will also provide an experienced project manager based on paragraph 5.

Approach: The contractor shall provide interpreters, translators and a project manager for the following assignments: faculty lectures; speaker and panelist presentations; computer training; seminar group sessions; simulation exercise and briefings; and possibly off-site visits and field trips with portable equipment. Interpretation services may be required for official dinners, evening events, and weekend tours. Participants will actively participate in plenary and working group discussion designed to analyze current and future requirements and develop practical proposals for near-term actions by governments to meet shared security challenges. A strict policy of non-attribution will be observed. This seminar will be conducted in English and Arabic.

This is a firm fixed price service contract for interpretation services. Contractor shall provide all costs inclusive of labor, direct and indirect costs (including salaries; fringe benefits; overhead; and general and administrative expenses); equipment, non-personal services and profit necessary to perform interpretation services.

4. Task:

4.1 Task 1: Simultaneous Interpreters

4.1.1 The Contracting Officer or the representative (COR) will define changes or adjustments in the “Language Agenda” to be provided to the contracted project manager at least 5 working days in advance of the seminar. The contractor will assign a team of three (3) translators/interpreters. Exact number of translators/interpreters will be noted on the “Language Agenda.”

4.1.2 Seminars and sessions require continuous effort. Sessions requiring interpreters usually begin at 0800 and last until 1130 or 1200 depending on daily schedule. A 1-½ or 2-hour break is generally given for lunch. Afternoon sessions usually begin at 1300 and end before 1700. The COR reserves the right to make changes or adjustments to the actual start time of the workday. Contractor is to ensure that interpreters are to dress in “business attire,” Business attire includes a collared shirt with tie along with dress pants/trousers. Jeans, athletic gear, and or tennis shoes are not permitted to be worn during hours of work.

4.1.3 A total of three (3) Arabic interpreters are required each working day:

7 full working days x 3 Arabic interpreters and One (1) working lunch on 27 May; One (1) evening event scheduled on 2 June and Three (3) interpreters needed on Saturday for a Tour scheduled on 31 May, ½ day on 2 June and hotel registration on 26 May. See Schedule of Service/Line Items for detail. The Government reserves the right to use the interpreters as an emergency seminar day such as make up for inclement weather. Interpreters must be available to go to any training location in the Metro area if NESA must relocate training. For excursions, the interpreters will accompany participants.

Interpreters will switch out of the simultaneous booths every 20-30 minutes in plenary sessions in accordance with established industry standards. Interpreters shall provide face to face interpretation when they are in breakout groups.

NESA will provide interpreter booths to conduct simultaneous interpretation for the events held at NESA.

NESA will provide portable equipment to interpret for any weekend tours and evening events.

For excursions that are out of town and/or on weekends, the interpreters will accompany participants on the bus

Performance Objective No. 1: Contractor to provide simultaneous certified competent and proficient interpreters.

Performance Measurement No. 1: Simultaneous certified competent and proficient interpretation services.

Performance Standard No. 1: English/Arabic/English;

The contractor may be required to provide interpretation services for up to two (2) official evening events during this review. The assignments may be either two (2) hours or four (4) hours.

4.1.4 Group site visits may be scheduled during the week. If interpreter support is required for site visits, NESA will notify the contractor at least five (5) working days prior to the event.

4.1.5 COR will notify the contractor at least three (3) days in advance for interpretation services for non-scheduled seminars and other important events. In each case, the number of interpreters will be determined by the specific requirements for each event, and the contractor will assign interpreters based on the specific requirements. In the event that additional services are required for events/excursions not covered in the current line item structure, the contractor will be asked to submit a new proposal for the additional services.

4.1.6 The contractor will ensure that all interpreters possess a Bachelor

Degree and have copies of proficiency certification. Certification shall be as a court interpreter, through the Department of State Interpreters Examination or accreditation as an interpreter from a school of languages and linguistics. Advanced Certification is preferred. Simultaneous Interpreters must have a minimum of 3 years of professional/formal simultaneous interpreting experience in international conferences and seminars. Interpreters must have experience with defense-related terms/ DOD Terminology and must be able to interpret “all dialogue.” When attending these seminars, participants will be introduced and will need to know exactly who they are sharing dialogue with throughout the course of the seminar, their titles, backgrounds, and government affiliations.

NOTE:

At the discretion of the Program Office, simultaneous interpretation testing may be required on all interpreters prior to any interpreter performing interpretation services before or after award either on the phone or at the NESA location. NESA staff interpreters can determine if an interpreter cannot perform their duties due to lack of proficiency, experience or incompetent.

Substitutions: In the event an interpreter must be replaced after award of the contract, the contractor must abide by the same requirements as those listed under the Technical Capability of the solicitation and Performance Work Statement. Credentials and resume must accompany the interpreter on the first work day when last minute substitutions are made and must be approved by the Program Office.

To maintain the integrity of NESA’s branding efforts, all interpreters must present themselves in a professional manner at all times, display the highest standards of personal deportment and judgment; demonstrate organizational abilities and excellent communication skills; possess the ability to interact with senior foreign representatives and preclude from providing any personal opinions. Additionally, interpreters are only allowed to ask questions of speakers within confines of clarification interpretation clarification purposes as professionally necessary.

The Contracting Officer reserves the right to require that the contractor remove and replace, within one working day, an interpreter who, in his judgment, is not qualified or who does not maintain the highest standards of professional conduct.

Note: Should the performance of work include entry to The Pentagon, Capitol Hill or Department of State, interpreters who are not US citizens must be able to provide their passport along with a state ID or driver’s license for identification purposes at time of location visit.

The contractor will submit a complete assignment schedule to the COR prior to the commencement of the work week covered by this task order. The contractor will submit necessary or unforeseen changes of personnel in writing to the COR.

4.2 Task 2: Normal Translation

Performance Objective No. 2: Translation of materials from one language to another.

Performance Measurement No. 2: Normal translation services.

Performance Standard No. 2: Material required in more than 5-working days.

4.2.1 The principal point of contact at NESA for each article submitted for translation will be COR who will refer the translator to the SME for that particular article.

For the workshop the contractor will provide English – Arabic translation of written materials in preparation for the review. These will include, but are not limited to: translation of agendas, advance administrative instructions for conference participants, advance summary statements of the workshop objectives and the conduct of the workshop, texts of speaker remarks when these are provided by speakers in advance and translations of speaker briefing slides in Power Point format, suitable for presentation alongside the original (English or Arabic) formats.

4.2.2 The contractor will translate various materials from English to Arabic and from Arabic and/or from English to Arabic to English; edit to ensure smooth reading in translated language. Contractor to deliver final product in hard and soft copy, MS-Windows compatible, CD-ROM or by electronic email.

Translation on site is not required.

Performance Objective No. 3: Translation of materials from one language to another.

Performance Measurement No. 3: Expedited Translation Services.

Performance Standard No. 3: Materials required in less than 2-working days.

4.2.3 The principal point of contact at NESA for each article submitted for translation will be the COR who will refer the translator to the SME for that particular article.

For the workshop the contractor will provide English – Arabic translation of written materials in preparation for the review. These will include, but are not limited to: translation of agendas, advance administrative instructions for conference participants, advance summary statements of the workshop objectives and the conduct of the workshop, texts of speaker remarks when these are provided by speakers in advance and translations of speaker briefing slides in Power Point format, suitable for presentation alongside the original (English or Arabic) formats.

Translation on site is not required.

4.3 Task 3: Manpower Reporting Requirement: The contractor shall report ALL contractor labor hours (including subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of services provided under this contract for DSCA via secure data collection site. The Contractor is required to completely fill in all required data fields using the following web address: http://www.ecmra.mil/. Reporting inputs will be for the labor executed during the period of performance during each Government fiscal year (FY), which runs October 1 through September 30. While inputs may be reported anytime during FY, all data shall be reported no later than October 31 of each calendar year, beginning with 2013. Contractor may direct question to the help desk at http://www.ecmra.mil/

5. The contractor shall assign a project manager on site who has had substantive experience in personnel management, logistics planning and administration in a seminar environment. A lead interpreter can be assigned the role as the on-site project manager. Fluency in the Arabic language is mandatory. The project manager shall display the highest standards of personal deportment and judgment; possess demonstrated organizational abilities and excellent communication skills. It is essential that the project manager have a working knowledge of the Washington, D.C. diplomatic and military organizations and the ability to interact with senior foreign representatives. The project manager acts as the single point of contact for all activities pertaining to interpreters, and interpretation equipment for the NESA COR.

The COR will provide the contractor with the materials and information necessary for the proper performance of work, to include schedules, agendas, and guidelines.

The project manager and COR may be required to meet at least 2 days prior to finalize the service schedule.

The project manager will immediately inform the COR of any issues, problems, or concerns that pertain to participants, guests, or scheduled activities.

6. Location of Performance: Work performed under this task order will be performed at NAVSEA West Headquarters (Formerly the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Bldg), 2100 Second Street, S.W. Suite 4308, and Washington, D.C. A few offsite visits will be required within the Metropolitan D.C. area. See Schedule of Service. Contracted interpreters must be immediately accessible, in person, in the greater Washington metropolitan area for the duration of the seminar. The contractor will perform services at the NESA offices and other sites as designated on the agenda schedule. For excursions that are out of town and/or on weekends, the interpreters will accompany participants on the bus. The contractor shall be able to perform services at any location within the Washington metropolitan area that the Government deems a need emergency training site.

7. Period of Performance: The period of performance is from 26 May – 3 June 2014.

8. Local Travel: Parking is provided for contractors privately owned vehicles on Fort McNair. Travel may be required in the performance of designated tasks and duties, to include supporting seminar sessions, conducting training sessions, and supporting off-site events.

9. Security: Interpreters must bring a Government photo ID or Driver’s License to process visitor badges.

12. US Government Furnished Facilities, Equipment, Materials, and Support Functions: NESA will provide working space and equipment only to the contractor employees who are directly assigned to perform tasks required or specified by this task order. NESA will provide office supplies and materials, to include access to telephones, copying machine, fax machine, and personal computers to support these contracted periods and NESA official business only. Other support will be provided to contract employees as required performing the contract tasks. NESA will provide access to those documents and files that are relevant to the project and that are required to perform the tasks specified in the contract. NESA personnel will provide such assistance and information as is appropriate and necessary for liaison functions and for the contractor employees’ performance of the task order.

Equipment:

NESA will provide interpreter booths to conduct simultaneous interpretation for the events held at NESA.

NESA will provide portable equipment to interpret for any weekend tours and evening events.

13. Invoicing Procedures:

Invoices are to be submitted electronically via the Internet through Wide Area Work Flow- Receipt and Acceptance (WAWF-RA) system at https://wawf.eb.mil. Contractors must create two documents (Invoice and Receiving Report; i.e. Combo Documents) with a single data entry session.

COR Representative: TBD All communication will occur between the contractor and the contracting officer. Any requirements from NESA must be addressed to the Contract Specialist, Petra McPherson, (703) 604-1524, Email: Petra.McPherson@dsca.mil.

Schedule of Service for Simultaneous Interpretation

Hotel Registration (Crystal City area)

26 May 10:00am-12:00pm

3 – Arabic

Interpretation: Full Days:

27- 29 May No interpretation needed on 30 May 3 June (3 X 4 Full Days) Approx. time: 08:00am – 4:30pm

*0005

Word translation

Normal Translation Service

Word translation

Expedited Translation Service

GRAND TOTAL $ _________________

Provide overtime rate per hour $______________ Estimated hours per day 8:00am-4:30pm – Times subject to change