PWS_CART_DFAS-CL.pdf

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Performance Work Statement (PWS) for Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) Services DFAS-Cleveland

Background: The mission of the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) is to lead the Department of Defense (DoD) in finance and accounting by ensuring the delivery of efficient, exceptional quality pay and financial information. Provide responsive, professional finance and accounting services for the people who defend America. DFAS provides accounting and reporting services for all levels of DoD for appropriated, non-appropriated, revolving, trust funds and working capital, paying military members, civilian employees, military retirees and annuitants, collecting and disbursing DoD funds, including contract, vendor, security assistance, transportation and travel payments, manage the DoD travel card program, and provide advice and recommendations to the Under Secretary of Defense on finance and accounting matters.

It is the policy of DFAS, a federal agency, to provide equal employment opportunities for its employees, former employees, as well as applicants for employment with DFAS. DFAS' policies and practices are in full compliance with the laws and regulations governing equal employment opportunity.

Due to the increase in the demand for and the lack of the resources necessary for effective, timely Live Captioning services for the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing employees, DFAS has determined that contractor-provided services for this requirement are in the best interest of the Government.

A GENERAL CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

A.1 Description of Work

A.1.1. The purpose of this contract is to obtain onsite Communication Access Realtime Translation or Captioning services (hereinafter referred to as CART) for various meetings, training, etc., for the deaf and hard of hearing employees (hereinafter referred to as deaf) on an as needed basis at Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Cleveland, OH to include written transcription consecutively from:

• On-site CART Services requiring stenotype machines, laptop, and applicable software

• Remote CART Services requiring DFAS approved secure link for Text Media

Streaming

The Contractor will provide CART writer(s) for each assignment(s). Such services are also referred to as Real-time captioning or live-event captioning which transcribes the audio portion or spoken word into readable English text using a stenotype machine, CART/Captioning software and a laptop. Captions appear on a computer monitor or other displays which provides a complete translation of all spoken words and environmental sounds for the benefit of an individual consumer or larger group in a variety of settings, anywhere communication access is needed.

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The Contractor shall provide onsite and remote CART services with all necessary personnel and equipment (hereinafter referred to as writers) as requested on an as needed basis, which shall perform the work identified in this PWS.

For onsite requests contactor must supply the laptop, stenotype machine, and applicable CART/Captioning software and all hardware for connecting the devices. Software must be able to adjust the size of the fonts to match the needs of employees with low vision.

For remote requests contractor must supply stenotype machine, applicable CART/Captioning software, and a DFAS approved secure link for the transmission of Text Media Streaming. Cart/Captioning must be compatibility with Windows 7 or Internet Explorer version 8.0. The secure link for Text Media Streaming must also be compatible with Android Operating Systems, Apple Operating Systems, and BlackBerry Operating Systems for mobile devices.

The contractor will have no access to DFAS computers, programs, or systems.

A.1.2. A sample list of onsite and remote CART events is provided below. This list is not inclusive and is subject to change dependent upon the requirements of DFAS-Cleveland:

• Staff meetings,

• Safety talks,

• Discussions on work procedures, policies, or assignments,

• Quarterly performance discussions,

• Annual performance appraisals,

• Disciplinary discussions,

• Basic staff training,

• Classroom training,

• All Hands meetings,

• Teleconferences, and

• Other ad hoc assignments similar in nature on an as-need basis.

A.2 General Operating Conditions

A.2.1 Place of Performance. The Contractor shall perform on site CART services for DFAS Cleveland, CL throughout the facilities occupied by the Agency located at 1240 E.

9th St. Cleveland, Oh 44119. Other Federal Facilities including but not limited to the Bratenahl Facility located in Bratenahl, Ohio. Remote CART services are to be provided for DFAS-CL employees while teleworking during Duty and Operating hours. (See A.2.4 for Duty and Operating hours)

For remote requests contractor must supply stenotype machine, applicable CART/Captioning software, and a DFAS approved secure link for the transmission of Text Media Streaming. Cart/Captioning software must be compatibility with Windows 7

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A.2.2 Period of Performance This contract will be established for a one (1) year base period with a one (1) year option period.

A.2.3 Closures

A.2.3.a Federal Holidays No CART services will be required on federal holidays. The Contractor will not bill the Government for service hours when the Government is closed due to Federal holidays. Federal holidays generally observed include:

New Year’s Day Martin Luther King Day Presidents Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

A.2.3.b Inclement Weather, Emergency or Unscheduled Closure and Early Release Writers will not report to an on-site assignment if the federal government is closed due to inclement weather, emergency or in the event of an unscheduled closure. No cancellation fee or charges shall be assessed. The contractor will not bill the government for service hours when the government is closed due to inclement weather or emergency. Delay and closure information will be announced on the radio and TV stations in addition the Contractor POC may call the number for Center wide information at (216) 902-6185.

The COR or an approved DFAS-CL Interpreting Office designee will notify the Contractor POC via telephone, SMS text message, and/or email in the event the building is closed. Writers are expected to report to remote assignments unless otherwise cancelled. (Reference Section C.3.1 for cancellations.)

A.2.3.c Inclement Weather - Non-Closure In the event of severe inclement weather or an emergency that does not result in closure, writers are responsible for calling the on-site POC provided on their assignment document or the COR to determine if the assignment is still scheduled. If services have been cancelled with less than 12 hours’ notice, the contractor may assess the cancellation fee established in C.3.1. (Reference C.2.2 for defined business hours.) If services are still required and the Contractor is not able to provide the service, the Contractor will not bill the Government for service hours when required service is not provided. Writers are expected to report to remote assignments unless otherwise cancelled. (Reference Section C.3.1 for cancellations.)

A.2.4 Current Duty Hours and Access to the Host Installation

The Contractor shall perform services required under this PWS during the operating hours of the Government activity. Normal Duty and Operating hours for DFAS Cleveland are 0600 to 1800 hours; Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays.

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Contractor writers must arrive no later than thirty (30) minutes prior to scheduled assignment to clear security for onsite assignments. Upon clearing security, Writer(s) must contact the COR or designee for assistance with accessing the facility, as required.

The COR or designee is responsible for ensuring that writer(s) are signed-in upon arrival, escorted to the event(s) where the service is needed, and ensuring the writer(s) is escorted to the check-out location, as necessary. The Contractor shall not bill the Agency for any of the time described in this paragraph.

Contractor writers must log onto DFAS approved secure link for Text Media Streaming website no later than ten (10) minutes prior to scheduled assignment for remote assignments. The COR or designee is responsible for ensuring that writer(s) are connected for Remote CART assignments and all open connections are terminate, as necessary.

A.3 Qualifications and Equipment Requirements

A.3.1 Qualifications The Americans with Disabilities Act requires the provision of qualified CART providers in a variety of settings. To satisfy this requirement, the Contractor shall provide writer(s) possessing the knowledge, skill and ability to produce complete, accurate, simultaneous translation and display of any live-event setting, utilizing computer-aided translation at speeds of 225+ words per minute with an accuracy of 95% or better. Proficiency will be evaluated based on the comments received from the hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing employees.

A.3.2 Equipment Requirements As is the normal business practice, the writer(s) shall provide their own equipment (stenotype machine, real time software, link to Secure Text Media Streaming website for remote assignments, and a laptop) during assignment(s).

DFAS-CL will supply a large screen monitor when applicable.

A.3.3 Culture and Language Writers must have a familiarity with the culture and language of a DFAS Government installation or familiarity with Government finance and accounting operations. Knowledge of specific industry jargon and acronyms are essential to the quality of the services provided.

A.3.4 Professional Conduct Writer(s) shall be dressed in business or business-casual attire when on-site. It is understood that the writer(s) shall not act as an agent or employee of the Federal Government or DFAS. The writer(s) shall not discuss personal business; distribute personal business cards or promotion of personal “cause” while on assignment in order to develop clientele from assignments originating from the Federal Government or DFAS. The writer(s) shall adhere to the Federal Government’s rules of protocol, ethics, procedures and professionalism while on assignment at DFAS. Any professional conduct in question warrants an immediate review at the discretion of the COR and the Contracting Officer.

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All parties involved agree that all information obtained while on assignment be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used or disclosed to others after completed assignment.

A.3.5 Licenses The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary licenses and for complying with all applicable Federal, State and local laws. The Contractor shall maintain updated copies of any applicable licenses and certifications for all Contractor personnel and subcontractors and make available to the Government upon request.

A.4 Security

A.4.1. All contractor personnel or any representative of the contractor entering any government facility or government leased facility shall abide by all security regulations and be subject to security checks. Contractor personnel or any representative and property shall be subject to search and seizure upon entering, while on, and upon leaving the government facility pursuant to installation regulations. Contractor personnel or representatives may be removed from the site whose continued presence or is deemed to adversely affect health, morale, welfare or good order and disciple on the installation or inconsistent with the best interest of national security.

A.4.2 Security and Privacy Act Requirements: All work-performed relative to the tasking identified in the PWS are unclassified or carry a Privacy Act Classification.

System security shall be in accordance with DoD Directive 5200.28, Security Requirements for AIS.

A.4.3 Security Investigation Requirements: No classified work will be required.

However, the contractor will be working with sensitive information which is covered by the Privacy Act.

B. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS

B.1 DOD Dictionary.

B.1.1 The DoD Dictionary of Definitions and Terms is available on the Internet at:

http://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/jitc_dri/pdfs/jp1_02.pdf.

C. SPECIFIC TASKS

C.1 General: The Contractor shall provide CART services for meeting the requirements as specified in the PWS. At any time assignments can be cancelled, additions made, type of assignment changed, and/or changes made to start and stop time. Contractor personnel and subcontractors provided should be able to easily be reassigned to another assignment if cancelled or current assignment concluded earlier than scheduled time and another need for services has

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The Contractor shall attend scheduled and unscheduled meetings with the COR and other government representatives to furnish input concerning the operation and management of the CART Services program. Meetings may be scheduled by the Contractor to determine program requirement.

C.2 Scheduling Requirements.

C.2.1 Method of Requesting Services The COR or designee shall contact the Contractor POC primarily via e-mail, and secondarily via telephone or SMS Text Message, with requests for, changes to or cancellations of CART services. DFAS-CL Interpreting Office operating hours are 0700-1600 Monday through Friday except for Federal Holidays. These hours are for the purpose of sending and confirming requests. Requests may begin as early as 0600 and finish as late as 1800.

C.2.2 Request Notification Time Schedule:

The Contractor must be able to provide CART services for requests received at least twenty-four (24) clock hours in advance. Business hours for requests are defined as Monday through Friday (0700 – 1700), except Federal Holidays. Upon receipt of request, the Contractor shall provide to the COR or designee in writing (email is acceptable) receipt confirmation within one (1) business day of receipt of request. For on-site requests, the name of the assigned writer(s) shall be provided to the COR or designee in writing (email is acceptable) no later than one (1) business day prior to start of assignment. For remote requests, the name of the assigned writer(s) and the DFAS approved secure link for Text Media Streaming shall be provided to the COR or designee in writing no less than four (4) hours prior to the start of assignment. Note: The COR or designee will provide all applicable information to the employee requiring services.

If, however, the Government should require CART services with less than twenty-four

(24) clock hours’ notice, the Contractor shall attempt to provide a writer, but the Government understands that the Contractor may not always be able to comply with such a request and therefore shall have the right to refuse the assignment. The Contractor’s acceptance must be given within two (2) hours of the time the request was placed during DFAS’ business days. If the Contractor fails to accept within the time specified, the Government will consider the assignment refused. If the Contractor accepts the request, the agency shall be billed at the hourly rate established. No special rates shall be used for requests placed with less than twenty-four (24) clock hours’ notice. The Contractor shall provide the COR or designee the name(s) of the writer(s) and the DFAS approved secure link for Text Media Streaming as soon as possible but no later than one (1) business hours prior to the assignment.

C.2.3 Agency Provided Information at time of Request.

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The COR or designee will provide the Contractor POC the following information at time of request:

• Type of service required (Remote or on-site). (Reference A.1.1.)

• Start/End Date to include daily start and end times.

• On-site POC information for Contractor writer(s) if other than COR to include office location, telephone number and email address. If no information is provided, it should be expected that the COR will be the primary point of contact for that request.

• Name(s) of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Employee(s)

• Description of event (i.e. staff meeting, training, awards ceremony, etc.). (Reference

A.1.2 for list of types of events applicable.)

• Location of event(s), remote or on-site. For remote assignments the COR or designee will provide the contractor with a secure DFAS established bridge-line or other secure approved virtual meeting room and ensure access for the Contractor for audio purposes.

• If available, copies of speeches, documents, program specific acronym lists, training materials that will be used during the event in advance of the event. However, there will be occasions when it is not possible for the Government to provide these materials in advance.

The Contractor POC is responsible for ensuring personnel and subcontractors have complete and accurate job information prior to day of assignment.

C.3 Cancellations/Reassignments

C.3.1 Cancellations: The Contractor and its writer(s) shall keep assignments. Canceled assignments are not tolerated except for true emergencies. If the scheduled writer(s) cancels an assignment, the Contractor shall provide a substitute writer(s) and notify the COR or designee within 24-hours. If the Contractor is not able to provide a writer(s), the contractor shall inform the COR or designee. If the Contractor writer(s) does not meet qualifications (reference A.3) or fails to appear at the event location within fifteen (15) minutes of the scheduled assignment start time, the assignment may be cancelled. The Government shall not incur any charges associated with such cancellations.

The Government may cancel the services no less than 24 clock hours in advance with any penalty or charges assessed. If the Contractor is notified of a cancellation less than 24 clock hours prior to the scheduled assignment but before writer(s) arrival on site, the Contractor may invoice for a one (1) hour minimum cancellation fee. (For cancellations after writer(s) arrive on site see C.3.2 Reassignments below.) In lieu of assessing a cancellation fee, the COR or designee and the Contractor can mutually agree to reassign the writer(s) to another service request covered by this PWS without incurring cancellation charges at the hourly rate established. No special rates shall be used for requests accepted as described in this paragraph.

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C.3.2 Reassignments: If upon arrival to the assignment and service is no longer required or the assignment ends early, the writer(s) must notify the COR or designee for reassignment. The COR or designee has the option to assign the writer(s) to another request without an additional charge/cancellation fee with the stipulation that if the new assignment runs over the original number of hours of the scheduled assignment, the difference will be charged. (Reference A.1.2.)

If the writer(s) cannot reach the COR or designee after thirty (30) minutes and the original scheduled time expires or the 1-hour minimum passed (whichever occurs first), the writer may leave. For assignments where no service was provided, the Contractor may invoice for a one (1) hour minimum cancellation fee. (Reference C.3.1 Cancellations) The 1-hour minimum does not apply if the writer leaves prior to notifying the COR or designee or before the times stated above. For assignments concluded earlier than scheduled time, the Contractor may invoice in accordance with Section C.4.

C.4 Kept Appointments Billable Service Hours

Regardless of assignment duration, the Contractor shall be reimbursed for a minimum of one (1) hour with the exception of the following: if the same writer is used for multiple assignments on the same day where their total performance for the day exceeds the 1-hour minimum, then the 1-hour minimum does not apply when using the same writer.

Assignments lasting more than one (1) hour shall be invoiced in half (½) hour increments for the actual duration of the assignment, not the estimated duration requested by the COR or designee when coordinating and scheduling the request.

The assignment is considered complete when the later of the following occurs: 1.) conclusion of event equals or exceeds the estimated duration specified when scheduling the request or 2.) the COR or designee releases the writer(s).

Time taken for meals shall not be billed. Other breaks are billable.

For examples, if the COR or designee coordinates and schedules a request for an assignment that is anticipated to last from:

• 8:00 am – 2:00 pm but the assignment actually lasts from 8:00 am to 11:30 pm, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for three and one-half hours (3.5) of service.

• 8:00 am – 10:00 am but the assignment concludes at 9:00 am and the COR releases the

Writer, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for one (1) hour of service.

• 8:00 am – 4:00 pm but the assignment actually last from 8:00 am to 4:20 pm and includes a one (1) hour lunch break, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for seven and one-half hours (7.5) hours of service.

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No travel or per diem will be reimbursed for travel.

C.5 Evaluation of Services. Recipients of CART services may provide feedback on the quality of the services received to the COR. This feedback will be provided to the Contractor POC by the COR within seven (7) business days of receipt of feedback. The Contractor shall take appropriate action based on the feedback and provide the COR with a written response to the feedback within seven (7) business days of receipt of feedback.

The COR and the Contractor POC will meet every six (6) months, unless mutually agreed to otherwise, to conduct a quality review of services being provided by the Contractor.

C.6 Number of Writers Required Per Assignment

Number of Writers Required Per Assignment. The number of writers required is subject to the approval of the COR.

C.7. Invoicing

Invoices shall be submitted as cost vouchers on a minimum of a monthly basis, but no more than weekly, via the automated system Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) in accordance with the rate/prices established in this contract. Payment will be made in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act. The voucher shall include a detailed list of each CART event worked which has been certified and approved by the COR or designee that billed hours are accurate and accepted.

The detailed list shall include at a minimum the following information:

• Sequential invoice number

• Date(s) work performed and hours expended to include start and stop times

• Description of event worked

• Number of Writers

• Name of Writer(s) who provided service

• Cumulative totals

• Remarks: any specific/pertinent information (Noting of Late Cancel assignments)

C.8 Deliverables/Reports.

C.8.1 Transcription Report The Contractor and its writer(s) shall provide a complete verbatim transcription of the service rendered to the COR and Deaf/Hard of Hearing employee via email within 24 hours of when the service was conducted. All transcriptions must be free of major errors and untranslations. The Contractor and its writer(s) are responsible for all errors and omissions.

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C.8.2 Weekly Status Report The Contractor POC shall submit a weekly status report to the COR no later than the Close of Business (COB) on the first workday following the work week, unless mutually agreed otherwise, that identifies an accurate record of all events that requested services, whether they were serviced, and the length of service time.

C.8.2 Contractor Manpower Reporting The contractor shall report all contractor labor hours (including subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of services provided under this contract for live captioning services at DFAS Cleveland via a 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 any time during the FY, all data shall be reported no later than October 31 of each calendar year. Contractors may direct questions to the help desk at http://www.ecmra.mil/.

C.9 Quality Control Plan (QCP)

The Contractor’s quality system shall demonstrate its prevention-based outlook by meeting the objectives stated in the PWS throughout all areas of performance (e.g., all functional areas and all performance standards). The QCP shall be developed to specify the Contractor’s responsibility for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract.

Within 10 business days from date of award, the Contractor shall provide to the COR the QCP for review.

The Contractor’s QCP shall be incorporated into and become part of this contract after the plan has been accepted by the Government. Changes made after the Contracting Officer (KO) or designee approval shall be submitted in writing to the KO or designee for review and acceptance.

The Contractor’s QCP shall be maintained throughout the life of the contract and shall include the Contractor’s procedures to routinely evaluate the effectiveness of the plan to ensure the Contractor is meeting the performance standards and requirements of the contract.

DFAS-Columbus will implement a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) to ensure the Contractor provides the required services and adheres to quality standards as specified in this PWS. The COR shall monitor performance. This monitoring by the COR shall be carried out via the QASP as identified below. The QASP document shall also ensure the Contractor’s QCP effectiveness and provide a systematic method to evaluate the services the Contractor is required to furnish.

D. CERTIFICATION AND ACCEPTANCE

The COR is designated as the point of final inspection and acceptance by the Government of all items and services required by the contract.