HQ0423-15-T-0017.pdf

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

This is solicitation number HQ0423-15-T-0017 and is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ).

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular, Fac 2005-81, Effective 10 Apr 2015.

This requirement is a Total Small Business Set-Aside with a NAICS of 541930 which has a small business size standard of $7.5 million.

The contract type is: Under FAR Part 13.5 the Government intends to award a single Labor Hour (LH) order for the Base and two Option Years.

Note: Due to the need to coordinate requirements with limited notice and utilizing local interpreters, only service providers with scheduling staff located within the state of Indiana will be considered for award.

Offers are due by 10:00 a.m. Eastern on 5/15/2015.

Point of Contact (POC): William Mark Mayo Phone Number: 614-701-2774 Fax Number: 614-701-2918 e-mail address: william.m.mayo8.civ@mail.mil

Facsimile and e-mail quotes are acceptable and preferred.

Furnish quotes to the POC on or before the closing time listed in this RFQ.

1. Requirement:

Performance Work Statement (PWS) for Interpreter Services DFAS-IN

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, providing 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 capitol; paying military members, civilian employees, military retirees and annuitants; collecting and disbursing DoD funds, including contract, vendor, security assistance, transportation and travel payments; managing the DoD travel card program; and providing 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

There are approximately 34 personnel that need interpretation services on a daily basis. Without interpretation services, the hearing impaired employees are unable to participate in necessary training events and meetings, or receive daily status updates and information essential to performance of their assigned tasks. As a result, they have limited opportunities to cross-train and/or advance in their career fields, and the inability to effectively communicate limits the organization’s opportunities to best utilizing hearing impaired personnel to meet varying workload requirements.

Due to the increase in the demand for and the lack of the resources necessary for effective, and timely interpreting services for the deaf and hard of hearing employees, DFAS has determined that contractor-provided services for this requirement are in the best interest of the Government.

HQ0423-15-T-0017 / DFAS-IN Interpreting

A GENERAL CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

A.1 Description of Work

A.1.1. The purpose of this contract is to obtain onsite or offsite interpreting services 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 Indianapolis, IN to include interpreting consecutively from:

• Oral spoken English into signed English and American Sign Language (ASL),

• Pidgen sign English (PSE),

• Tactile (deaf and blind),

• Oral,

• Oral with sign or ASL (in reverse) back to oral English, The Contractor shall provide interpretation services with all necessary personnel and equipment as requested on an as needed basis, which shall perform the work identified in this PWS.

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

• Staff meetings

• Commemorative programs

• Award ceremonies

• Safety talks

• Discussions on work procedures, policies, or assignments for formal and informal settings

• Quarterly performance discussions

• Annual performance appraisals

• Disciplinary discussions

• Basic staff training & classroom training

• Interviews

• All Hands meetings

• 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 interpretation services for DFAS Indianapolis, IN throughout the facilities occupied by the Agency (Buildings 1 also known as the Emmett J. Bean Federal Center) located at 8899 East 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46249.

Though the location specified above will be the primary place of performance, services may also be required for DFAS-sponsored events at offsite locations in the metro Indianapolis region.

Services will need to be performed in offices, training rooms, warehouses, auditoriums and conference rooms. The conditions may be hot, cold, dirty, dusty, noisy, and involve hazards of working around material handling equipment and operations.

A.2.2 Period of Performance. This contract will be established for a one (1) year* base period with two (2)- one

(1) year option periods. (*from date of award)

A.2.3 Closures

A.2.3.a Federal Holidays. No interpretation services will be required on federal holidays. The Contractor will not bill the Government for interpretation 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. Interpreters will not report to an 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 interpreter 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.

A.2.3.c Inclement Weather - Non-Closures. In the event of severe inclement weather or an emergency that does not result in closure, interpreters 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 8 business hours (equals 1 business day) 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 interpretation service hours when required service is not provided.

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 operating hours for DFAS-IN are 0600 to 1800 hours; Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays.

Due to changing traffic requirements brought on by construction, changing missions and security concerns within the host installation, access to the host installation is subject to change, sometimes with little or no warning.

Inbound and outbound traffic restrictions exist.

Contractor interpreters must arrive no later than twenty (20) minutes prior to scheduled assignment to clear security.

Interpreters that exhibit a pattern of tardiness will be prohibited from providing services under this contract. Upon clearing security, interpreter(s) must contact the COR or designee for assistance with accessing the facility, as required. The COR or designee is responsible for ensuring that interpreters are signed-in upon arrival, escorted to the event(s) where the service is needed, and ensuring the interpreter(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.

A.3 Key Personnel.

The Contractor shall designate a point of contact (POC) for Government representatives. The Contractor POC should possess the basic knowledge and skills required to plan, control and manage the scheduling and accomplishment of interpretation services required for the successful completion of the work. The Contractor POC should have the authority to plan and manage the project to ensure work is scheduled properly to obtain maximum use of resources and prevent inefficient or wasteful methods in the performance of the services ordered; ensure that accurate and timely reports are provided; resolve problems; manage personnel and subcontractors; and monitor operation performance to ensure complete satisfaction.

In the event of the replacement of the Contractor POC, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer (KO) or Contracting Officer Representative (COR) in writing and shall submit a resume for the replacement. This notification shall take place at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to a planned replacement and within twenty-four

(24) hours following an unplanned replacement. The resume and other supporting documents submitted must include relevant qualifications, certifications as applicable, background and knowledge, in sufficient detail, to demonstrate the capability of the person.

A.4 Personnel Qualifications and Certifications.

A.4.1 Certification. All interpreters provided shall have a certification obtained from a recognized certifying organization. Certification for interpreter providers must be obtained from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

(NIC, NIC Advanced, NIC Master, CI, CT, CI / CT or CSC) or the National Association of the Deaf (NAD I, NAD II, NAD III, NAD IV and NAD V.)

A.4.2 Special Qualifications. Interpreters must demonstrate fluency in expressive and receptive skills in oral spoken English into signed English and American Sign Language (ASL), Pidgen sign English (PSE), tactile (deaf and blind), oral, oral with sign or ASL (in reverse) back to oral English; ability to accurately interpret in a variety of settings; and ability to keep pace with communications in conferences, meetings, seminars, training classes, etc.

A.4.3 Culture and Language. Interpreters 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 is essential to the quality of the interpretation services.

A.4.4 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.5 Security

A.5.1. 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 if their continued presence is deemed to adversely affect health, morale, welfare or good order and disciple on the installation or is inconsistent with the best interests of national security.

A.5.2 Security and Privacy Act Requirements: All work performed relative to the taskings identified in the SOW are unclassified or carry a Privacy Act Classification. System security shall be in accordance with DoD Directive 5200.28, Security Requirements for AIS.

A.5.3 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.

A.5.4 Parking and Traffic Control. Contractor personnel and subcontractors shall abide by host installation parking regulations. All vehicles shall be parked in designated parking areas only. The Contractor and its employees shall conform to Federal, State and host installation driving regulations.

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 interpretation services for meeting the requirements as specified in the PWS. At anytime 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 the current assignment is cancelled or concludes earlier than scheduled time and another need for services has been identified during the time scheduled. (Reference A.1.2 for types of interpretations assignments.)

Interpreters must possess a high level of language proficiency in English and sign language and must be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of DFAS that they are competent interpreters who can render spoken discourse http://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/jitc_dri/pdfs/jp1_02.pdf accurately from English into sign language and from sign language into spoken English, and as appropriate, perform interpretations in the simultaneous, as well as consecutive modes and/or render sight translations with a high degree of accuracy.

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 interpretation 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 facsimile, with requests for, changes to or cancellations of interpretation services.

C.2.2 Request Notification Time Schedule:

For classes that will be from 8 hours to 2 weeks in duration, the Contractor must be able to provide interpretation services for requests received at least fifty-six (56) business hours (7 business days) in advance. For assignments that will be less than 8 hours in duration, the Contractor must be able to provide interpretation services for requests received at least twenty-four (24) business hours in advance. Business hours are defined as Monday through Friday (0700 – 1500), 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 (equals 8 business hours) of receipt of request. For classes that will be from 8 hours to 2 weeks in duration, the name of the assigned interpreter(s) shall be provided to the COR or designee in writing (email is acceptable) no later than (3) business days prior to start of assignment. For assignments that will be less than 8 hours in duration, the name of the assigned interpreter(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.

If, however, the Government should require interpretation services and is unable to meet the notice periods specified above, the Contractor shall attempt to provide an interpreter, 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 that do not meet notice periods specified above. For assignments that will be less than 8 hours in duration and notice was not provided at least twenty-four (24) business hours in advance, the Contractor shall provide the COR or designee the name(s) of the interpreter(s) as soon as possible but no later than two (2) business hours prior to the assignment. For classes that will be from 8 hours to 2 weeks in duration and notice was not provided at least fifty-six (56) business hours (7 business days) in advance, the Contractor shall provide the COR or designee the name(s) of the interpreter(s) as soon as possible but not later than two (2) business days prior to the assignment.

C.2.3 Agency Provided Information at time of Request.

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

• Type of interpretation required (i.e., ASL, Pidgen, Oral, etc). (Reference A.1.1 for list of types of interpretation applicable.)

• Start/End Date to include daily start and end times and identified lunch break if applicable.

• On-site POC information for Contractor interpreter(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.

• Host installation Building Number for the event. Note: It should be expected that all events will be held at Building 1 unless otherwise specified.

• Offsite location and POC if applicable.

• Event Assignment Number.

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

• Description of event (i.e. staff meeting, appraisal meeting, one-on-one training, etc.). (Reference A.1.2 for list of types of events applicable.)

• 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 Government may cancel the services no less than 8 business hours (equals 1 business day) in advance with no penalty or charges assessed. If the Contractor is not notified of a cancellation 8 business hours prior to the scheduled assignment, the Contractor may invoice for a two (2) hour minimum. In lieu of assessing a cancellation fee, the COR or designee and the Contractor can mutually agree to reassign the interpreter(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.

If a Contractor interpreter appears for an assignment and the necessary parties fail to appear after 30 minutes of the scheduled start time of the assignment, the interpreter may leave and the Contractor may invoice for a two (2) hour minimum.

If the Contractor interpreter does not meet qualifications (reference A.4) 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.

C.3.2 Reassignments: If upon arrival to the assignment, service is no longer required or the assignment ends early, the interpreter(s) must notify the COR or designee for reassignment. The COR or designee has the option to assign the interpreter(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 for list of types of interpretation applicable.) If after thirty (30) minutes and the interpreter(s) cannot reach the COR or designee or the original scheduled time expires (whichever occurs first), the interpreter may leave. For assignments where no service was provided, the Contractor may invoice for a two (2) hour minimum (Reference C.3.1 Cancellations). 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 two (2) hours.

Assignments lasting more than two (2) hours 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 interpreter(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 interpreter, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for two (2) hours 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) of service.

No travel costs or per diem will be reimbursed for travel.

C.5 Evaluation of Services. Recipients of interpretation services may provide feedback on the quality of the interpretation 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 Interpreters Required Per Assignment

The number of interpreters required is subject to the approval of the COR. In general, two (2) interpreters shall be required for assignments lasting more than two (2) hours; requiring detailed or technical interpreting; or involving general audiences that last more than one (1) hour.

C.7. Invoices

Invoices shall be submitted monthly 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 invoice shall include a detailed list of each interpretation 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:

• Event Request Number

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

• Description of event worked

• Number of Interpreters

• Name of Interpreters(s) who provided service

• Cumulative totals

• Remarks: any specific/pertinent information

C.8 Deliverables. 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 interpretation services, whether they were serviced, the number of interpreters required and the length of service time.

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.

E. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan is the Government’s plan to ensure the Contractor provides the required services, and adheres to the quality standards as specified in the PWS. Both the Contractor and the Government will agree to the terms of the contract. During the life of the contract, administrative procedures such as inspections, documentation and retention of records, which reflect the Contractor’s performance, will be retained.

The COR will monitor performance to ensure services are received and carried out in accordance with the standards set in this PWS. The monitoring shall be done via Government inspections and Government review of the various reports and documentations defined above in the PWS. This QASP will be used to monitor compliance with contract terms and conditions, identify nonconforming services to determine appropriate action. This plan sets forth the method and manner by which the Government intends to conduct surveillance of work under the contract, and is subject to unilateral change by the Government without modification of the contract. All work required by the contract is subject to surveillance whether or not specifically included in the plan. When the Contractor performance fails to achieve the acceptable performance level and is clearly the fault of the Contractor, the COR will prepare a report detailing the deficiencies and forward it to the KO or designee to issue to the Contractor. In response, the Contractor shall explain within (7) business days, in writing, why performance was unacceptable, how performance will be returned to acceptable levels and how recurrence of the problem will be prevented in the future.

The KO will evaluate the Contractor’s explanation and determine the appropriate actions.

Performance Measures. Performance Measures will be assessed on a Pass and Fail Grading System as defined below:

Rating Definitions

Pass When performance complies with the PWS

Fail Contractor will fail when not in compliance with the PWS

Methods of Surveillance. There are various surveillance methods used to monitor contract performance and compliance. When selecting the appropriate method, the COR will take into consideration task criticality, task complexity, time available, mission requirements. The following are preferred methods of surveillance that may be used to assess contract performance.

1. Random Inspection. This type of surveillance based and assumes the Government receives acceptable performance by the Contractor if a given percentage or number of scheduled inspections is found to be acceptable.

2. Periodic Inspection. This type of surveillance is based upon selecting samples for evaluation on other than

100% inspection or on a statistically random basis.

Procedures. The COR will perform inspections to ensure Contractor compliance with the appropriate paragraphs in the PWS, other government requirements, and the Contractor’s own procedures, and will record the results of the inspections, noting the date and time. If inspection indicates a performance level is not met, the Contracting Officer (KO) will notify the Contractor of the deficiency for correction. The Contractor will be given a reasonable time after notification to correct the unacceptable performance. The length of time allowed to correct the problem will depend upon the requirement, complexity of corrective action(s) and the deficiency. The Contractor will notify the KO if the time allowed for correction is not adequate. The COR will not consider the correction action(s) until all deficiencies have been corrected and determined by the COR to be adequate (Government follow-up). Contractor non-responsiveness, deficiencies not adequately addressed or corrected after notification of such, or estimated dates of completion that are not acceptable to the COR will be forwarded to the KO for action.

Performance Standards Chart. The chart below provides performance standards for specific requirements already stated in the PWS.

Task Performance Threshold Grading Scale

Method of Surveillance

Scheduling Interpretation Services for each event

Interpreters are scheduled and perform at 99% of the required events.

Pass/Fail COR review/verification;

inspections; COR visual inspections; monitoring;

record keeping

Qualified personnel are performing sign language interpretation services

The Contractor shall provide qualified interpreters.

Pass/Fail The COR will perform random inspection of Contractor records for qualification documentation.

The Contractor shall attend scheduled and unscheduled meetings to furnish input concerning the operation and management of the interpretation program.

The Contractor shall attend regularly scheduled meetings and other meetings determined necessary by the COR.

Pass/Fail The COR will monitor meeting attendance.

Provide accurate and current interpretation tailored to the individual needs of the employee and to agency requirements.

Receive no more than 1 valid complaint about service during a month.

Pass/Fail Employee feedback

The Contractor shall provide all documentation properly formatted, accurate and submitted by due date.

97% reports completed accurately and on time; 1 day grace period

Pass/Fail 100% inspections

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 DFAS 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, beginning with 2013. Contractors may direct questions to the help desk at help desk at: http://www.ecmra.mil/

2. Evaluation: The Government will award to the contractor whose proposal is determined to be the “best value” to the Government, price and other factors considered. The factors that will be considered are Price, Past Performance and Key Personnel.

Offerors should address the following:

• Price: The provided information should clearly identify the unit price per hour for interpreter services for the base year and two one-year option periods. Please provide pricing on the attached Pricing and Contractor Information spreadsheet.

Options, will be evaluated at time of award. The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement.

Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

• Past Performance: The provided information should be for relevant past performance within the last 3 years and demonstrate the contractor’s ability to: provide certified interpreters, customer satisfaction, effective scheduling and communication, including accuracy of invoices. Quoters shall furnish the past performance questionnaire (attached separately) to at least three (3) references but no more than five (5) to complete regarding the quoter’s past performance. Questionnaires must be submitted to the Contract Specialist directly and no later than the response time and date stated in this announcement. The information submitted should reflect an experience in similar types of contracts. Preference will be given to quoters who have provided similar services at a DFAS Government installation or familiarity with Government finance and accounting operations. Nondisclosure of applicable past performance information, which may reflect poorly upon the Quoter’s capability, will be considered accordingly.

• Key Personnel: Resume and other supporting documents demonstrating relevant qualifications, certifications (as applicable), background and knowledge, in sufficient detail, to demonstrate the capability of the Contractor’s designated Point of Contract. (Reference A.3 in the Performance Work Statement.)

WAGE DETERMINATION: The Service Contract Act of 1965, as amended, applies to this acquisition, per the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses that have been incorporated by reference (FAR 52.212-5). Wage Determination No 1988-0742, Revision No 31, dated 1/20/2015 is applicable to this solicitation and may be viewed at http://www.wdol.gov/. Pursuant to FAR 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires, the following data is provided for informational purposes only and is not a Wage Determination: The General Schedule (GS) equivalent to this position is as follows:

Employee Class: Interpreter (Sign Language) – GS-9 with a Monetary Wage - Fringe Benefits of $23.30 - $6.20 per hour.

3. Provisions and clauses:

FAR 52.203-3 Gratuities (Apr 1984)

FAR 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Nov 2014)

FAR 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Nov 2014)

FAR 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors – Commercial (APR 2014)

FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representation and Certifications – Commercial Items (MAR 2015)

FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (DEC 2014) Alt 1 (MAY 2014)

FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (APR 2015) http://www.wdol.gov/

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items:

(1) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Dec 2014)

(2) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996)

(3) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004)

Note: The following clauses from paragraphs (b) and (c) are also applicable to this acquisition:

52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Aug 2013) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Aside (Nov 2011) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2014) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Apr 2007) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jul 2014) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Jul 2014) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (Aug 2013) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving (Aug 2011) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer— System for Award Management (Jul 2013) 52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards (May 2014) 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act -- Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (May 2014) 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014)

The following DFARS provisions and clauses are applicable:

DFARS 252.203-7000 Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials (SEP 2011) DFARS 252.203-7002 Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (SEP 2013) DFARS 252.203-7005 Representation Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials (NOV 2011) DFARS 252.204-7003 Control of Government Personnel Work Product. (APR 1992) DFARS 252.204-7004 Alternate A, System for Award Management (FEB 2014) DFARS 252.204-7006 Billing Instructions (OCT 2005) DFARS 252.204-7011 Alternative Line Item Structure (SEP 2011) DFARS 252.204-7012 Safeguarding of Unclassified Controlled Technical Information (NOV 2013) DFARS 252.204-7015 Disclosure of Information to Litigation Support Contractors (FEB 2014) DFARS 252.209-7001 Disclosure of Ownership or Control by the Government of a Terrorist Country (Jan 2009) DFARS 252.209-7999 Representation by Corporation Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under any Federal Law (Deviation) (JAN 2012) DFARS 252.222-7007 Representation Regarding Combating Trafficking in Persons (JAN 2015) DFARS 252.232-7003 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (JUN 2012) DFARS 252.232-7006 Wide Area WorkFlow Payment Instructions (MAY 2013) DFARS 252.232-7010 Levies on Contract Payments (DEC 2006) DFARS 252.237-7010 Prohibition on Interrogation of Detainees by Contractor Personnel (JUN 2013) DFARS 252.243-7002 Requests for Equitable Adjustment (DEC 2012) DFARS 252.244-7000 Subcontracts for Commercial Items (JUN 2013)

52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): http://farsite.hill.af.mil.

(End of clause)

52.217-8 -- Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999)

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within the period up to 14 days prior to the contract's expiration.

(End of Clause)

52.217-9 -- Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within the period up to 14 days prior to the contract's expiration; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 15 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed three years.

DFAS 52.223-9000, “ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PRODUCTS” (July 2013)

The Environmentally Preferable Products clause is included in this contract to articulate the Government’s policies on Green Contracting. FAR 23.403 sets forth the Federal Government’s policy to acquire items composed of the highest percentage of recycled-content practical, in a cost effective manner while still obtaining other contracting goals. Recycled-content products are identified in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPGs). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be producing a similar list which designates Bio-based products. EPA guideline items (and USDA designated bio-based products, when designated) are seen as the minimum that should be considered when evaluating environmentally preferable materials. Other environmentally preferable materials and products not listed, but commonly used in industry outside of the Government, should also be considered.

Executive Order 13423 (January 24, 2007) required federal agencies to use sustainable environmental practices, including acquisition of bio-based, environmentally preferable, energy-efficient, water-efficient, and recycled-content products. Moreover, it required that paper of at least 30 percent post-consumer fiber content must be acquired or used in Agency acquisitions of goods and services.

Executive Order 13514 (October 5, 2009), required federal agencies to analyze internal processes and revise reporting requirements in order to achieve such results as improvement of water use and efficiency, promoting pollution prevention and elimination of waste. But more particularly as related to procurement, an emphasis was placed on efforts to advance sustainable acquisitions to ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions including task and delivery orders, for products and services with the exception of acquisition of weapon systems, are energy-efficient (Energy Star or Federal Energy http://farsite.hill.af.mil/

Management Program (FEMP) designated – FAR 52.223-15, and -16 when specific to computer products), water-efficient (Goals within Executive Order 13514), bio-based (FAR 52.223-1 & -2), environmentally preferable (FAR 52.223-10) and/or Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT – FAR 52.223-16) certified, non-ozone depleting (FAR 52.223-11), contain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives (FAR 52.223-3 & DFARS 252.223-7006), where such products and services meet agency performance requirements.

§ 1. Mandatory Use of Paper and Other Products with Recycled Content.

(a) All paper utilized in the performance of this contract must be of at least 30 percent post-consumer fiber content.

(b) The contractor affirmatively acknowledges that it will, to the maximum extent practicable, use sustainable environmental practices including acquisition of bio-based, environmentally preferable, energy-efficient, water-efficient, and recycled-content products in the performance of this contract that meet the recycled-content recommendations for EPA designated items, which are found at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/products.htm. In addition, by responding to this solicitation the contractor is certifying the deliverables required under this contract shall meet the recycled-content recommendations for EPA designated items (FAR 52.223-17).

§ 2 Notice of Green Alternatives in Offerors’ Product/Service.

(a) When offering a product or service that contains “Green” components as that term is defined at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/products.htm, the contractor shall make the Contracting Officer aware of such facts in the submission of their quote or proposal.

(b) The contractor, when appropriate, shall comply with FAR Clause 52.223-9 Estimate of Percentage of Recovered Material Content for EPA Designated Products, and provide the certification required by FAR 52.223-4, when required.

§ 3 Affirmative Duty of Contractors to Adhere to Green Contracting Policy.

(a) Whenever practicable, the Contractor has an affirmative duty to examine its packaging to eliminate or reduce waste by volume, toxicity and/or weight and to utilize or substitute recyclable material for non-recyclable material in packaging.

(b) Whenever practicable, the Contractor has an affirmative duty to find other materials utilized in the delivery of services under this contract and examine whether it can reduce waste by volume, toxicity and/or weight and to utilize or substitute recyclable materials for non-recyclable materials of items consumed in the furnishing of their services.

DAS 52.233-9000 Agency Protests (March 2014)

Agency protests shall be resolved by the contracting officer. As an alternative, an independent review at a level above the contracting officer is available upon request by an offeror.

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/products.htm http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/products.htm