HSFEHQ-12-R-0017 ATTACHMENT A TELEPHONIC INTERPRETATION SERVICES PWS.pdf

ATTACHMENT A

U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Interpreter Services (Language Line)

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 INTRODUCTION

When the President declares a disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) accepts registrations from individuals and businesses for disaster assistance from the designated geographical area via toll-free telephone numbers. In addition, FEMA call centers support other disaster relief functions as needed including Pre-Placement Interviews (PPIs) to screen disaster survivors for placement in Temporary Housing Units (THUs), family tracking and reunification services, and intake of donation offers from the public.

FEMA is responsible for the accurate and efficient routing and processing of fluctuating disaster applicant call volume. Live agents perform the call center supported data entry, screening and registration processes. FEMA’s National Processing Services Center (NPSC) accepts calls from disaster applicants and enters disaster information into FEMA’s National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) and other FEMA approved databases as required.

FEMA requires over the phone telephonic interpretation services be available on a continuous basis to support its disaster relief mission. Interpretative service providers need to be able to address the multitude of languages spoken within the United States as well as with the surge of call volume encountered during disaster situations.

2.0 BACKGROUND

2.1 In order to assist its disaster support mission, FEMA agents in a number of dedicated response centers receive calls on a general 1-800 number from disaster survivors. The agent takes information from the disaster survivor, then transcribes the information required to apply for disaster assistance. If an agent services a caller who speaks a language that the agent is not directly capable of understanding, the agent shall have immediate access to an interpretation support service. The FEMA agent can then establish a three-way conference including a representative from the support service able to interactively translate the conversation. One of the most specialized and high priority aspects of this requirement is the ability to handle calls made by the linguistically diverse residents and potential disaster survivors of the United States and its territories. Since the birth of FEMA's 1-800-disaster response system, the agency has encountered at least 81 different languages (see Appendix B). NOTE: the Contractor shall interpret all spoken languages irrespective if FEMA has encountered them in the past.

2.2 Since it is impossible for FEMA to retain a permanent staff in adequate numbers to handle the potential surges in call traffic resulting from sudden disasters, FEMA must have a reliable source of contract language services support. The historical usage patterns of FEMA disaster relief hotlines (see Appendix C) are subject to both high volumes and extreme fluctuations. The Contractor providing interpreter support shall be capable of providing service subject to these demands on a continuous 24-hour a day basis. FEMA's unique response requirement, including specific surge related responses, makes it imperative that FEMA has continuous access to over the phone interpretation support services for the inbound calls FEMA receives as well as the outbound calls FEMA makes.

3.0 CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES

This contract will require the Contractor to recruit and maintain interpretation services using properly adjudicated personnel that will be able to immediately interpret for FEMA call agents.

3.1 Contractors shall demonstrate in their proposal they have successfully provided interpreters for call agents to support caller data entry services to commercial sources or other Federal agencies in the past. The Contractor shall provide sufficient employees to fulfill the “peacetime” and disaster (surge) requirements within 45 calendar days of award.

Within the 45 calendar day period the Contractor shall complete the following sequential steps:

• E-mail FEMA the names and social security numbers of those employees who the Contractor believes has already gone through the adjudication/e-QIP process in a password protected Excel file within the first 7 calendar days. The Excel file password shall be sent in a separate e-mail.

• Obtain Contractor employees’ fingerprints and send to FEMA within the first 20 calendar days.

• Wait approximately 20 business days for fingerprints to clear at FEMA Headquarters.

• Wait approximately 5 business days for FEMA Headquarters to send e-QIP invite to Contractor employees.

• Contractor employees shall complete e-QIP within 10 calendar days of receiving the e-QIP invite.

***Note 1: If a Contractor states in their proposal they have employees who have already gone through the adjudication/e-QIP process with another DHS agency then the Contractor shall not list those employees if they are not available to work on the requirements/contract stated herein. Meaning and for example: the Contractor shall not state in their proposal that they have 600 employees who have gone through the adjudication/e-QIP process and then after award state that those 600 employees really work on another DHS contract and will only work on the FEMA contract if they’re not working on the other DHS contract, and then request FEMA to process 650 more employees through the adjudication/e-QIP process. That act/scenario is misleading the Government and will be grounds for contract termination and a negative entry into the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

***Note 2: This is a performance based contract therefore it is the Contractor’s responsibility to prioritize which of their employees go through the adjudication/e-QIP process first. Example: if Spanish represents 80% of the calls FEMA needs interpreted then it would not make sense for the Contractor to send 100 Toucouleur interpreters through the process first. Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin and Vietnamese make up 99.2% of language usage (reference Appendix B).

3.2 All Contractor and subcontractor employees who collect or are privy to Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data shall comply with the guidance prescribed in Homeland Security Acquisition Regulations, HSPD-12 (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040827-8.html) and fulfill HSPD-12 requirements. Additionally, Contractor personnel shall meet the SF-85P Public Trust Position clearance requirements and be United States citizens. Confirming language match is not considered (PII).

***Note 1: FEMA may allow already cleared SF-85 interpreters to work on this contract and that decision will be made on a case-by-case basis. The Contractor shall not allow any SF-85 cleared personnel to work on this contract unless they have received express written permission from the COR or the Contracting Officer indicating which specific personnel (by name) are cleared by FEMA Security and are therefore allowed to work on this contract.

Contractors shall demonstrate in their proposal the number of employees with their associated job titles; e.g. 200 interpreters, 50 coordinators, 4 program managers, etc., that currently comply with HSPD-12 and have gone through the entire adjudication/e- QIP process. Within 7 calendar days after award, the Contractor shall provide the COR the interpreters’ names and languages spoken in a Microsoft Excel format.

Prior to working on the FEMA contract, personnel shall be fingerprinted and processed successfully through Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP).

This includes but is not limited to persons performing the following responsibilities:

a. Call agents who collect DR# or other call information.

b. Personnel who serve as an interpreter for call agents who are a direct telephone point of contact for disaster applicants registering for federal disaster assistance and callers seeking relief program referrals.

c. Interpreters for call agents conducting PPIs to screen disaster survivors for placement in THUs.

d. Interpreters for call agents who enter caller provided information into FEMA’s Windows-based computer database while following instructions and conducting a scripted interview.

All individuals, including individuals not assigned to this contract in the area where FEMA PII or disaster survivor information is located or is being interpreted, shall also have a background investigation done by FEMA before being allowed access to or be in the vicinity of such PII or disaster survivor information. Never shall the Contractor or its employees interpret a call via a cell phone or in a public environment; e.g. malls, classrooms, restaurants, friends’ homes, automobile, etc., where non-HSPD-12 cleared people are located, regardless if it is believed that no one other than the interpreter can hear the call.

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***FEMA is the deciding authority in determining who will be fingerprinted and go through the e-QIP process.

3.3 All interpreters involved in providing service to FEMA shall be trained to a professional level that includes but is not limited everything from common everyday language to the skills necessary to understand and accurately interpret disaster recovery terminology (e.g. building, household, automotive, and medical) and express the distinction of both language and culture to all parties involved in each action.

Contractor personnel will also possess the following skills:

a. Read, write, and speak English fluently in addition to their target languages.

b. Display excellent communication and customer service skills.

c. Exhibit a high level of professionalism in all communications with FEMA call agents and applicants (disaster survivors).

***Note 1: The Contractor and its employees shall interpret only what the FEMA call agent and or disaster survivor has said and nothing else. . Interpreters shall also not terminate a call until the FEMA call agent verifies that the call is indeed over.

***Note 2: The Contractor and its employees shall interpret one call right after another without hanging up, which is known as a Delta call. Example: after a Hurricane many disaster survivors are forced out of their homes and into a shelter. A disaster survivor in the shelter calls FEMA for assistance and people start lining up behind the disaster survivor making the first call; once the first caller completes the call then the phone is handed to the next disaster survivor and FEMA starts another registration. Thus, the Contractor and its employees shall remain on the phone and continue interpreting as required.

3.4 The Contractor shall provide sufficient lines and maintain adequate telecommunications systems capable of meeting the proposed FEMA call volumes. The Contractor shall also have technology that provides clear voice transmission. This presupposes the availability of dedicated T-1 lines serving the call centers established for this purpose, a source of uninterruptible power, backup power facilities, and provisions to handle expected and unexpected volumes of call traffic as shown in Appendix C.

3.5 Interpreters shall be available and capable of servicing diverse language requirements.

For purposes of this PWS, this number is assumed to be at least 81 different languages as these are the languages FEMA has encountered at one time or another (reference Appendix B). NOTE: the Contractor shall interpret all spoken languages irrespective if FEMA has encountered them in the past.

At a minimum Contractors shall demonstrate in their proposal the number of interpreters it employs for the top four (4) languages FEMA encounters, which are:

Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

3.6 The Contractor shall meet the surge requirements of FEMA, which are heavily dependent upon disaster activity as well as special campaign requirements. It is impossible to know exactly how many seconds worth of calls the Contractor will receive in any given period of time. Therefore, FEMA does not guarantee a minimum amount of call volume the Contractor will incur, nor can it be predicted which months will be the busiest. The Contractor shall be prepared for the worst at all times. For historical purposes only FEMA used over 100M seconds in language interpretation services between the years 2005 and 2010. Most recently, over 70M seconds were used between July – Oct 2011 in response to hurricane Irene. At a minimum the Contractor shall be able to interpret at least 30M seconds worth of calls in any given month.

3.7 The Contractor shall provide service on an as-needed basis 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Depending on the language requirement all calls shall be answered by an interpreter within either thirty (30) seconds or forty (40) seconds without fail, or penalties will occur in the form of deductions from invoices (reference the Task Performance Metrics).

3.8 The Contractor shall record the Disaster Recovery number (DR #) for reporting purposes as well as verbally report that DR # to the FEMA call agent at the time of the call. If a DR # is not available then the Contractor shall then record the city and state the disaster survivor is calling from and verbally report that information to the FEMA call agent at the time of the call. The Contractor shall not report, either internally or to the FEMA call agent, anything other than the DR # or city/state, unless the caller hangs up before the DR# or city/state can be obtained. In this instance the agent should simply indicate “hung up” in the DR# field. No other data is acceptable. Example: the Contractor shall not report, “N/A.”

3.9 The Contractor shall provide a Web-based real time reporting mechanism that select

FEMA personnel can use 24 x 7 x 365 to download a variety of real-time reports into an Excel format through the Contractor’s online secure portal. The variety of real time reports shall include but not be limited to:

• Cumulative contract-to-date activity, year-to-date activity, month-to-date activity, and daily activity.

• Detailed itemization of each call for which FEMA is billed showing the following:

the time of call, number of seconds to reach an interpreter, DR # or city/state the disaster survivor called from, and language that was interpreted.

• Number of calls completed, calls abandoned (caller hangs up before reaching an interpreter), incomplete calls (caller receives a busy signal or a message indicating high call volume.), or calls dropped before reaching a person.

• Wait time in queue (seconds) before reaching a coordinator.

• FEMA Agent ID, Contractor ID of agent answering the FEMA call and the

Contractor Interpreter ID on each call.

• Contractor’s control number (for call identification).

• Duration of each call in seconds.

• Total cost for each call.

• Summary showing the total seconds billed for each language for which services were provided.

• Data shall be real time, downloadable into Excel and available via e-mail, on-line, and hard copy format.

• Language, location, trend activity levels, and date and time of day.

• Usage metrics from contract award to contract termination and broken out by Task

Order numbers.

• Description of any problem(s), which may impede performance, and proposed corrective action for said problem(s).

3.10 The Contractor shall provide ad-hoc reports when requested by FEMA within 24 hours of the request, unless otherwise authorized by the COR.

3.11 Funding

The Contractor shall notify the COR by e-mail whenever the cost of services reaches 75% of the dollar amount funded. For example, funding provided to the Contractor is $100K. When $75K has been expended the Contractor shall immediately notify the

COR.

3.12 Invoicing

The Contractor shall e-mail an electronic copy of the invoice for the previous month’s activity to the following FEMA Finance Center e-mail address FEMA-Finance-Vendor- Payments@fema.dhs.gov for payment processing. The FEMA Finance Center will date/clock stamp the invoice and forward to the COR for final approval. Note: if e-mail is unavailable then the Contractor shall mail the invoice to the following FEMA Finance Center address:

FEMA FINANCE CENTER

P. O. Box 9001 Winchester, Virginia 22604

The invoice shall be supported by data for all work accomplished during the previous month of performance. Supporting documentation for the invoice shall include, but is not limited to:

• Detailed itemization of each call for which FEMA is billed showing the following:

o Time of call o Search time for an interpreter in seconds o FEMA Agent ID o FEMA DR# or callers city/state o Language interpreted.

o Contractor’s control number (for identification) o Contractor’s interpreters ID o Total seconds for each call o Total cost of each call mailto:FEMA-Finance-Vendor-Payments@fema.dhs.gov� mailto:FEMA-Finance-Vendor-Payments@fema.dhs.gov�

3.13 Quality Assurance Plan

Within seven (7) calendar days of contract award, the Contractor shall submit a proposed Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) for the Government’s consideration in development of the Government’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The Contractor’s performance will be monitored against specified performance measures outlined in the PWS and the QASP.

3.14 Customer Service

The Contractor shall ensure all of its employees handle contacts with FEMA call agents and applicants (disaster survivors) with tact and diplomacy and demonstrate good listening skills, and accurately interpret applicant information for the call agent.

3.15 FEMA or DHS Names or Symbols

The Contractor shall not use FEMA or DHS names or symbols in public advertisements. Under no circumstances shall the Contractor, or anyone acting on behalf of the Contractor, publicly refer to the supplies, services, or equipment furnished under this contract in any publicity and/or news release or commercial advertising without the explicit written consent from the Contracting Officer.

4.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS)

The Contractor shall perform all requirements outlined in this PWS and achieve the performance standards for each function of the operation as described below:

These requirements are critical to mission success. As such FEMA will assess disincentives for not meeting critical performance standards. The PRS is organized in accordance with paragraphs 4.1 - 4.5.

4.1 Column 1- Selected Service Performance Area (SSPA).

Lists the SSPA on which the Government will perform surveillance. The absence of any contract requirement from the PRS shall not detract from its enforceability nor limit the rights or remedies of the Government under any other provisions of the contract.

4.2 Column 2 - Standard.

Defines the standards of performance for each listed SSPA.

4.3 Column 3 - Performance Requirement.

Sets forth the maximum allowable deviation from standard performance for that service that may incur before the Government will invoke the payment computation formula, resulting in a deduction for unsatisfactory performance, or non-compliance with the contract.

4.4 Column 4 - Method of Surveillance.

Sets forth the surveillance methods the Government will use to evaluate the Contractor's performance for the listed tasks.

4.5 Column 5 - Performance/Calculation.

Sets forth the performance evaluation area percentage weighting that the listed contract requirement represents.

Task Order Performance Metrics Selected Service

Performance Areas

Standard Performance Requirement

Method of Surveillance

Performance Calculation

SSPA-l- Reporting to the Government 1.2- Gather required information from callers, including but not limited to reporting DR # or city/state for each call.

Report every month on the statistical or other information that has been gathered.

No more than 2% of information gathered may be irrelevant or inaccurate.

1. Random sampling

2. Test calls

3. Monthly reports

4. Validated customer or agency complaints

5. Periodic surveillance

6. Submission dates

7. Management reports

8. Status reviews

Period: Monthly

Deduct 2% from monthly invoice if 2%-8% of monthly calls do not meet requirements.

Deduct 10% from monthly invoice if 9%-25% of monthly calls do not meet requirements.

Deduct 25% from monthly invoice if 26% or greater of monthly calls do not meet requirements.

1.3- Provide timely notification on items requiring Government action.

Report to the Government no later than 48 hours after situations requiring action arise.

No more than 1 report may be later than 48 hours. No situations requiring action may go unreported.

SSPA-2 - Access to the Service Maintain constant access to services

Service is available to FEMA 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Service shall be available to FEMA at all times. A COOP plan shall be in place to ensure service is available.

1. Random sampling

2. Test calls

3. Contractor reports

10% deduction from monthly invoice for any occurrence (this includes deflected calls).

SSPA-3 – Customer Service Customer Service Customers receive professional and polite service from personnel with positive attitudes.

No more than 3 complaints may be received during the month.

1. Random sampling

2. Test calls

3. Monthly reports

4. Validated customer or agency complaints

10% deduction from each occurrence greater than 3.

SSPA-4 – Responding to Inquiries 4.1- Accuracy of responses

Interpret only what the FEMA call agent or disaster survivor has said.

No more than 2 customer complaints may be received per month.

1. Random sampling

2. Test calls

3. Monthly reports

4. Validated customer or

Deduct 2% from monthly invoice if 2%-8% of monthly calls do not meet requirements.

4.2- Speed of a. Calls shall be No more than 2% connects answered by an interpreter in < 30 seconds for the following top 4 languages:

Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin and Vietnamese.

b. Calls for any other language shall not exceed 40 seconds.

of calls may be answered by an interpreter beyond 30 seconds. No more than 2% of calls for the least accessed languages, which are other than the top 4 languages, may exceed 40 seconds.

agency complaints

Deduct 10% from monthly invoice if 9%-25% of monthly calls do not meet requirements.

Deduct 25% from monthly invoice if 26% or greater of monthly calls do not meet requirements.

SSPA 5 – Contractor personnel are properly adjudicated

5.1 All personnel

with access to applicant PII information, taking calls, interpreting data shall be successfully adjudicated and e- QIP cleared for Public Trust Positions.

All calls shall be answered and interpreted by personnel cleared by FEMA for public trust positions.

No calls shall be answered by an interpreter without being vetted (fingerprinted/e-

QIP).

Random sampling of call activity Monthly/ Daily reports.

Deduct 10% from each occurrence of non-vetted Contractor personnel taking FEMA calls or providing interpreter services.

Consideration for Termination for Default.

SSPA 6 – Access to Language Line with minimal in queue times

6.1 Callers shall

have access to language interpreters 24/7/365 with minimal time in queue.

Report daily the time in queue for each FEMA call.

Callers shall reach Contractor personnel (not IVR system) within 2 minutes or less of connecting to the language line and being placed in queue.

1.Test calls

2. Validated customer or agency complaints

3. Periodic surveillance

4. Reports

If 5% of monthly calls exceed 2 minute queue time then deduct 10% from invoice; if 6- 10% of calls exceed 2 minute queue time then deduct 20% from invoice; if 21% or more of calls exceed 2 minute queue time then deduct 25% from invoice--and will be consideration for Termination for Default.

SSPA 7 – Access to Language Line with minimal abandonment resulting from busy signals and high call volume messages.

Callers shall have access to language Interpreters 24/7/365 with minimal

Report the daily number of calls abandoned due to busy signals or high call volumes.

Calls abandoned shall not exceed 2% of daily total call volume.

1. Test calls

2. Validated customer or agency complaints

3. Periodic

If 3-5% of any day’s calls are abandoned, deduct 10% from invoice; if 6-10% of any day’s abandonments resulting from busy signals or high call volume messages.

surveillance

4. Reports calls are abandoned, deduct 20% from invoice; if 21% or more of any day’s calls are abandoned, deduct 25% from invoice--and will be consideration for Termination for Default.

5.0 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Performance of a service will be evaluated to determine whether or not it meets the performance requirements of the contract.

When the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) advises the Contracting Officer that Contractor performance is problematic, the Contracting Officer may deem it appropriate to issue a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) (Appendix A).

The Contractor shall respond to the CDR by completing the appropriate blocks of the form and returning it to the Contracting Officer within the specified timeframe. In the case of CDRs issued as the result of other methods of surveillance, the Contracting Officer shall take appropriate measures according to the clause entitled "Inspection of Services."

Upon evaluation of the Contractor’s response to a CDR the Contracting Officer will make a determination whether or not a deduction is still appropriate. Should the Contracting Officer determine that a deduction is necessary the deduction will be taken from the month in which the Contracting Officer makes the determination as stated in paragraph 4.

Contractor performance will be surveyed to determine if it meets the contract standards. A variety of surveillance methods may be used, including but not limited to those listed below.

5.1 Random Sampling

FEMA may conduct random sampling by monitoring live calls, receiving follow up from FEMA agents, surveying applicants etc. to determine if the level of performance is acceptable.

5.2 Customer complaints

FEMA may use validated customer complaints as the basis for actions against the Contractor.

6.0 AWARD

6.1 FEMA will award a Performance Based, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity with fully burdened rates. Task Orders under this contract may be Firm-Fixed Price or Time and Material.

7.0 DELIVERY/PERFORMANCE PERIOD REQUIREMENTS

7.1 The performance period will be for one (1) base year and four (4) option years for a total of 60 months.

7.2 Contract Line Items (CLINs) and the associated Performance Work Statement (PWS) will include all requirements for the entire period of performance.

8.0 MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide all supervisory services to support the contract such as program management, human resources management, performance management, quality assurance, and administrative support tasks. At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide the following:

8.1 Program Manager

The Program Manager shall ensure all aspects of the contract are being adhered to and serve as the main point of contact to FEMA for all issues, including supervisory/management of personnel, human resource management, performance management, and quality assurance/quality improvement management. With a minimum of two hour notice the Program Manager and/or representative shall be available on a daily basis for conference calls conducted by the COR and/or other representatives during the period of performance to ensure contract compliance

8.2 In the event that the Program Manager is unavailable, an alternate Program Manager shall be designated.

8.3 Supervisor(s)

Contractor supervisors shall perform proper oversight of Contractor employees. The supervisor(s) shall perform supervisory/management activities to ensure that Contractor employees have necessary skills, information, and tools to perform tasks and that individual performance targets are met. All Contractor employees shall address personnel and program issues through their supervisors and not directly through FEMA’s management personnel.

9.0 SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS (DATA)

The Contractor shall maintain, transmit, retain in the strictest confidence, and prevent the unauthorized duplication, use, and disclosure of information. The Contractor shall provide information only to HSPD-12 cleared employees, Contractors, and subcontractors having a need to know such information in the performance of their duties for this project.

Information made available to the Contractor by the Government for the performance or administration of this effort shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the written agreement of the Contracting Officer.

If public information is provided to the Contractor for use in performance or administration of this effort, the Contractor, except with the written permission of the Contracting Officer, may not use such information for any other purpose. If the Contractor is uncertain about the availability or proposed use of information provided, the Contractor will consult with the COR regarding use of that.

The Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of Government records which are not public information. Each employee or subcontractor of the Contractor to whom information may be made available or disclosed shall use the information provided only for a purpose and to the extent authorized herein. Penalties for non-approved release of privacy data shall be subject to penalties described in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a.

Performance of this effort may require the Contractor to access and use data and information proprietary to a Government agency or Government Contractor which is of such a nature that its dissemination or use, other than in performance of this effort, would be adverse to the interests of the Government and/or others.

The Contractor and its personnel shall not divulge or release data or information developed or obtained in performance of this effort, until made public by the Government, except to authorized Government personnel or upon written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall not use, disclose, or reproduce proprietary data that bears a restrictive legend, other than as required in the performance of this effort. Nothing herein shall preclude the use of any data independently acquired by the Contractor without such limitations or prohibit an agreement at no cost to the Government between the Contractor and the data owner that provides for greater rights to the Contractor.

All deliverables, source code, reports, and data received, processed, evaluated, loaded, and/or created as a result of this contract shall remain the sole property of the Government unless specific exception is granted by the Contracting Officer.

10.0 EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION (E-Verify)

Executive Order 12989 mandates the electronic verification of all employees working on any federal contract. Each employee working on this contract will successfully pass the DHS Employment Eligibility Verification (E-Verify) program, which is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to establish work authorization.

Each employee working on this contract shall be a United States citizen and possess a valid Social Security Card issued and approved by the Social Security Administration. The http://www.justice.gov/opcl/privstat.htm�

Contractor shall be responsible to the Government for acts and omissions of his own employees and for any subcontractor(s) and their employees.

Subject to existing law, regulations and/ or other provisions of this contract, illegal or undocumented aliens will not be employed by the Contractor, or work on this contract. The Contractor will ensure that this provision is expressly incorporated into any and all subcontracts or subordinate agreements issued in support of this contract.

11.0. PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), located at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040827-8.html), performance of this contract requires Contractor personnel to undergo a Federal Government background check as stipulated in HSPD-12 and be cleared for a Public Trust Position (SF-85P) before being allowed any access to a DHS information system or PII. All Contractor employees working on this contract shall meet the security clearance requirements specified in HSPD-

12. Since the Firm Fixed Price contract and subsequent Firm Fixed Price Task Orders are fully burdened, the Government shall not be responsible for any costs associated with the HSPD-12 fingerprinting/e-QIP security requirements listed herein, which includes but is not limited to the following costs: airfare, per diem, rental cars, lodging, police/sheriff department administrative fees, etc.

All individuals working on this contract shall be United States Citizens and have a background investigation by FEMA demonstrating successful adjudication of fingerprint results and subsequent e-QIP suitability. All individuals, including individuals not assigned to this contract in the area where FEMA PII or disaster survivor information is located, shall also have a background investigation done by FEMA before being allowed access or in the vicinity of such information. All individuals working on this contract who were born outside the United States of America but are United States Citizens (required) shall show a passport and / or a Naturalized Citizenship Certificate as proof of citizenship.

There will be no exceptions.

To fulfill the Office of Security HSPD-12 requirements, all personnel working on tasks related to this PWS shall also be “identity-proofed” by presenting two forms of approved identification when fingerprints are scanned. If requested, the Contractor shall verify identity proofing is completed and report to the COR which forms of valid identification were presented by each individual.

If accessible/available, Contractor employees may go to FEMA Headquarters, any operating Joint Field Office (JFO), Regional office, or National Processing Service Center (NPSC) location to have fingerprints taken electronically for processing by the FEMA Personnel and Information Security Section. Note: FEMA offices may or may not be available to fingerprint non-FEMA personnel due to ongoing mission requirements at each particular site.

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If FEMA locations are not available, FEMA will send the Contractor a hard copy package including fingerprint cards, which can be taken to any trusted agent, such as a local police department. Upon completion of the fingerprinting process, the Contractor employee shall ensure all blocks on the fingerprint cards (FD 258) are filled out and signed by both the Contractor employee and police officer. The Contractor shall also ensure the fingerprint cards are filled out in their entirety before mailing them to the COR for processing. The Contractor shall mail the fingerprint cards and all supporting documentation to the address as directed by FEMA.

NOTE:

Fingerprints taken at a FEMA location are done electronically and typically take 5-10 business days to pass the initial FBI screening; whereas the traditional hardcopy “ink and roll” fingerprinting method at a police station typically takes 4-6 weeks to pass the initial FBI screening. The method of fingerprinting (electronically at a FEMA facility versus traditional “ink and roll” at a police station) will have a direct impact on when the Contractor can start providing interpretation/translation services.

The Contractor shall provide the COR or designee any information required for, but not limited to, criminal records checks, financial records check, as well as employment history, resident history, and nationality background necessary for the FEMA Personnel Security and Information Section to complete a suitability determination.

11.1 Contractor employees and visitors shall not have access to applicant data or conduct

FEMA work until they have received a favorably adjudicated FBI fingerprint check and e-QIP from the FEMA Personnel and Information Security Section.

11.2 The Contractor shall facilitate the DHS fingerprinting requirement for each

Contractor employee and have each employee fingerprinted and packages submitted to FEMA within 20 calendar days of award. Note: it is the Contractor’s responsibility to prioritize which of its personnel should go through the fingerprinting/e-QIP process first, which also includes coordinators. Example: it would be very problematic and delay the start of the contract if the Contractor hypothetically pushed 75 interpreters who spoke Punjabi through the fingerprinting/e-QIP process first, when over 80% of the calls FEMA receives are Spanish.

11.3 The Contractor shall provide FEMA with information on all Contractor-provided personnel working on the contract and subsequent Task Order(s), including but not limited to: full legal name, social security number, home address, contact phone, date of hire, date of birth, place of birth, and gender.

11.4 To ensure quick processing, all Contractor employees shall follow all of the guidelines for completing fingerprinting for the FBI Background Check (see Exhibit A below).

11.5 The Contractor shall immediately remove any employee that is found unfavorable or unsuitable as a result of the background check from any/all aspects of the FEMA contract. For the terms of this contract, FEMA determinations are final and FEMA will not provide details as to the FBI findings. Potential reasons for an “unfavorable” determination include, but are not limited to: unpaid back taxes, DUI convictions, unpaid child support, unpaid federal student loans, and felony convictions. **Only US citizens may apply.

11.6 SF-85 clearances are not acceptable. Contractor personnel shall be cleared for

Public Trust Positions SF-85P.

Exhibit A FEMA Background Check Process for Contractor Employees

Fingerprinting and Forms Submission:

The FEMA COR or designee will require a list of all employees to be fingerprinted or verified for suitability if previously fingerprinted. The Contractor shall provide full name, DOB, and full SSN electronically. The Contractor shall password protect any and all attachments, i.e. Microsoft Excel, that contain such Personally Identifiable Information, and send the password to the COR in a separate e-mail. All applicants shall be US Citizens.

The COR or designee will provide the Contractor with a security package for each person to be printed. Below is a list of the package contents:

• 4 (four) fingerprint cards (FD-258)

• Instruction Letter

• FEMA Form 121-2-1 Fingerprint Request

• e-QIP profile requirements

• Law enforcement disclosure letter (if applicable)

• List of acceptable documents

• ID verification form

Once fingerprints are completed, Contractor forwards the following completed forms to the COR or designee:

• 4 (four) fingerprint cards

• FEMA Form 121-2-1 Fingerprint Request

• e-QIP profile

• ID verification form

• Privacy Data cover sheet e-QIP Package Submission:

• After FBI favorable fingerprint adjudication, the Government will initiate the e-QIP invitation.

• Contractor employees have 10 (ten) calendar days from e-QIP invitation to complete e-QIP questionnaire and fax the complete package to Security Case Management, which includes all signed forms [FEMA will provide the fax information.] Note: this process is subject to change.

• If any issues arise as a result of the background investigation, the e-QIP applicant and COR will be notified that additional information is required. The e-QIP applicant has 10 (ten) calendar days to respond to the notification.

• If an e-QIP applicant is terminated from employment with the Contractor, the Contractor shall immediately notify the COR so that FEMA Personnel Security can terminate the e-QIP process.

APPENDIX A

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT

1. CONTRACT NUMBER

2. REPORT NO. FOR THIS DISCREPANCY

3. TO: (Contractor and Manager Name)

4. FROM: (IT Representative)

5. DATES

PREPARED RETURN BY CONTRACTOR ACTION COMPLETED

6. DISCREPANCY ORPROBLEM: (Describe in detail: include references to SOW/PRS)

Signature of Contracting Officer

8. TO: (Contracting Officer) FROM: (CONTRACTOR)

9. CONTRACTOR RESPONSE AS TO CAUSE, CORRECTIVE ACTION AND ACTIONS TO

PREVENT RECURRENCE. ATTACH CONTINUATION SHEET IF NECESSARY. (Cite applicable QC program procedure or new QC procedures)

10. SIGNATURE DATE

1l. GOVERNMENT EVALUATION (Acceptable, partial acceptance, rejection. Attach continuation sheet, if necessary)

12. GOVERNMENT ACTIONS (Payment deduction. cure notice, show cause, other)

CLOSE OUT

NAME/TITLE

CONTRACTOR NOTIFIED

COR

ACOR

APPENDIX B - Languages Previously Encountered

Afrikaans Akan Albanian Amharic Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Belorussian Bengali Bosnian Bulgarian Burmese Cambodian Cantonese Chaldeen Chao-Chow Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Farsi Finnish Flemish French French-Canadian Fukienese Fuzhou German Greek Gujarati Haitian Creole (8.2% of call volume) Hakka Hausa Hebrew Hindi Hmong Hungarian Ilocano Indonesian Italian Japanese

Korean Kurdish Laotian Lithuanian Malay Malayalam Maltese Mandarin (2.2% of call volume) Mongolian Oromo Pashto Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Samoan Serbian Shanghai Sinhalese Slovak Somali Spanish (81.5% of call volume) Swedish Tagalog Taiwanese Tamil Thai Tibetan Tigrinya Toishanese Tongan Toucouleur Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese (7.3% of call volume) Visayan Wolof Yiddish

**NOTE: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin and Vietnamese make up 99.2% of language usage.

APPENDIX C - Historical Usage Patterns

• 2005 – Low volume 143,460 seconds during January

High volume 4,422,800 seconds during October

Annual volume 20,703,840 seconds.

• 2006 - Low volume 196,980 seconds during December

High volume 1,770,540 seconds during January

Annual volume 7,620,720 seconds.

• 2007 – Low volume 142,620 seconds during April

High volume 1,275,720 seconds during September

Annual volume 6,685,800 seconds.

• 2008 – Low volume 152,100 seconds during April

High volume 13,790,940 seconds during October

Annual volume 46,623,600 seconds.

• 2009 - Low volume 21,780 seconds during August

High volume 4,870,920 seconds during January

Annual volume 9,840,300 seconds.

• 2010 - Low volume 23,880 seconds during January

High volume 3,022,320 seconds during September

Annual volume 9,486,000 seconds.

• 2011 – Hurricane Irene: July – October yielded over 70M seconds.

*NOTE: The variances in usage in 2005 are due to Hurricane Katrina (Mississippi and Louisiana), and Hurricane Rita (Louisiana/Texas). The lower volumes of calls in 2006 and 2007 are due to low event (disaster) years. In 2008 the increase is due to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike (Galveston, TX) and the lower coastal bend of Texas. In 2011 the surge between the months of July – October were attributed to Hurricane Irene.