A03 04-13-2020 Updated Final PWS-Interpreter-Cleveland.docx

HQ0423-20-R-0023

Performance Work Statement (PWS) for Interpreter 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.

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 8 personnel that need interpretation services on as needed basis. Due to the increase in the demand for and the lack of the resources necessary for effective, 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.

A GENERAL CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

A.1 Description of Work A.1.1. The purpose of this contract is to obtain onsite interpreter 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 Cleveland, OH to include interpreting simultaneously from:

· American Sign Language (ASL),

· Pidgin Sign English (PSE),

· Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE)

· Signed English

· Signed Languages mentioned above (in reverse) to spoken English, The Contractor shall provide onsite interpretation as described above with all necessary personnel as requested on an as needed basis, which shall perform the work identified in this PWS.

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

· 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, 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 interpreting services for DFAS-Cleveland, 1240 E. 9th St. Cleveland, Oh 44119. Other Federal Facilities including but not limited to the Bratenahl Facility located in Bratenahl, Ohio.

Services will need to be performed in offices, training rooms, auditoriums or conference rooms.

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.

A.2.3 Closures A.2.3.a Federal Holidays. No interpreting 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:

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 local radio and TV stations in addition the Contractor POC may call the DFAS-CL 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.

If the federal government releases employees early due to inclement weather, or delays employee report times by up to two (2) hours, emergency, or in event of an unscheduled closure the contractor will only bill the government for the time of the services provided.

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 24 clock 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 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 Cleveland are 0600 to 1800 hours; Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays.

Contractor interpreters must arrive no later than twenty (20) minutes prior to scheduled assignment to clear security. Upon clearing security, 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. Sign in/out must include arrival and departure times. 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 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.

A.4 Personnel Qualifications and Certifications.

A.4.1 Certification. All interpreters should have certification obtained from a recognized certifying organization. Certification must be obtained from organizations such as the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID, NIC, NIC Advanced, NIC Master, CI, CT, CI/CT or CSC), the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), or a recognized State Agency. All interpreters shall conduct themselves according to the NAD and/or RID Code of Ethics.

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), Pidgin Sign English (PSE), Conceptually Accurate Signed English (CASE), Signed English and the reverse to spoken English; ability to accurately interpret in a variety of settings; and ability to keep pace with communications in conferences, meetings, seminars, training classes, etc. The Contractor shall provide an interpreter who possesses the knowledge, skill and ability to produce complete, accurate, simultaneous translation/interpretation.

A.4.3 Exceptions to Certification/Qualification Requirement. If the Contractor does not provide interpreters with these preferred certifications/qualifications then the non-certified interpreters may be evaluated by the Agency’s Interpreter Coordinator to determine the level of ability and proficiency. Proficiency may also be evaluated based on comments received from the Deaf /Hard of Hearing employees.

A.4.4 Practicum Students. Requests for practicum students/interns to accompany certified interpreters for training purposes shall be submitted to the COR, in advance to start of assignment. Requests will be approved on a case by case basis. Students/interns’ time is not billable under this contract.

A.4.5 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 are essential to the quality of the interpretation services.

A.4.6 Interpreter Conduct. Interpreter(s) shall be dressed in business or business-casual attire. It is understood that the interpreter(s) shall not act as an agent or employee of the Federal Government or DFAS. The interpreter(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 interpreter(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.

A.4.7 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 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.5.2 Security and Privacy Act Requirements. All work-performed relative to the tasking 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. Contractor personnel and subcontractors are responsible for payment of parking. DFAS will not reimburse the contractor or subcontractor for payment of parking. No onsite parking is available.

A.5.5 Security Requirements. On-site contractor operations will follow the security and training requirements in DFAS 2000.1, “Force Protection Program,” DoDM 5200.01-V1-4, “DoD Information Security Program,” and DFAS 5200.1-I, “Information Security Program.” On-site contractor operations will follow all host security requirements IAW DoD 5220.22-M, paragraph 6-105. The contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of violation of stated regulations to the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

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 interpreter 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/or 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 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 SMS Text Message, with requests for, changes to or cancellations of Interpreting 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:

For classes that will be from nine (9) hours to two (2) weeks in duration, the Contractor must be able to provide interpretation services for requests received at least three (3) business days in advance. For assignments that will be less than 9 (9) hours in duration, the Contractor must be able to provide interpretation services for requests received at least one (1) business day in advance. Business hours are defined as Monday through Friday (0600 – 1600), 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 classes that will be from 9 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 one (1) business days prior to start of assignment. For assignments that will be less than nine (9) 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 eight (8) hours in duration and notice was not provided at least one (1) business days 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 nine (9) hours to two (2) weeks in duration and notice was not provided at least three (3) 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, Pidgin, 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.

· 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 Contractor and its interpreter(s) shall keep assignments. Canceled assignments are not tolerated except for true emergencies. If the scheduled interpreter(s) cancels an assignment, the Contractor shall provide a substitute interpreter(s) and notify the COR or designee within 24-hours. If the Contractor is not able to provide an interpreter(s), the contractor shall inform the COR or designee. 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.

The Government may cancel the services no less than 24 clock hours in advance with no penalty or charges assessed. If the Contractor is notified of a cancellation less than 24 clock hours prior to the scheduled assignment but before interpreter(s) arrival on site, the Contractor may invoice for a two (2) hour minimum. (For cancellations after interpreter(s) arrival 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 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.

C.3.2 Reassignments: If upon arrival to the assignment and 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 and C.1 for list of types of interpretation applicable.)

If the interpreter(s) cannot reach the COR or designee and the original scheduled time expires or the 2-hour minimum passed (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). The 2-hour minimum does not apply if the interpreter 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 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).

For any assignment over 6 hours in duration and lunch breaks are offered during the assignment(s) for Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employee(s), the same time for lunch breaks apply to the interpreter(s). Time taken for meals as described in this paragraph 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 am, 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 offered during the assignment to Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employee(s), the Contractor shall bill the Agency for seven and one-half hours (7.5) of service.

No travel 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 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 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.

C.7 Teaming The practice called team interpreting, is a necessary part of interpreting, some meetings may require teaming with interpreters from other agencies. Reference to RID Standard Practice on Teaming: (http://www.rid.org/userfiles/File/pdfs/Standard_Practice_Papers/Team_Interpreting_SPP.pdf. ), and the RID Code of Professional Conduct which outlines the respect for colleagues and professional conduct (http://www.rid.org/ethics/code/index.cfm).

In the instance where the teaming partner is with a DFAS interpreter, the DFAS interpreter would be the primary interpreter and the contract interpreter would be the support interpreter. Interpreters will meet prior to the scheduled event to determine their placement, language, signaling, continuity, and turn-taking.

C.8. Invoicing Invoices shall be submitted as cost vouchers on a monthly basis 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 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:

· Sequential invoice 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.9 Deliverables.

C.9.1 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 interpretation services, whether they were serviced (noted at Completed, Cancelled, or Late Cancel, the number of interpreters required and the length of service time.

C.9.2 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 interpreter 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.10 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-Cleveland 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.

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 the 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:

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.

3. Direct input from Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employee(s).

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.

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