A03_PWS_for_DMPO_Ft_Meade.pdf

Performance Work Statement (PWS) for

Interpreter Services DFAS, DFAS-DMPO Ft Meade, MD

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.

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 is approximately one (1) personnel located at Department of Military Pay Operation (DMPO) Ft

Meade, MD that is in need of interpretation services. Note: number of personnel is subject to change.

Without interpretation services, the hearing-impaired employee is 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 employee, 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 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 DFAS-DMPO in Ft Meade, Maryland, 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 DMPO, Ft Meade, Maryland:

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 DMPO Ft Meade, MD throughout the facilities occupied by the DMPO located at 2234 Huber Road, Fort Meade, MD, 20755-5122.

Though the location specified above will be the primary place of performance, services may also be required for DMPO-sponsored events at offsite locations in the metro Ft Meade 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. Typically normal operating hours for DMPO Ft Meade are defined as, but not limited to, 0730 to 1530 hours; Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays. This PWS allows for interpreting services for any DFAS approved event that may extend beyond normal operating hours subject to the preapproval by the Contracting Officer and/or designee.

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.)

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

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

C.2.2 Request Notification Time Schedule:

For classes that will be from eight (8) hours to two (2) weeks in duration, the Contractor must be able to provide interpretation services for requests received at least seven (7) business days in advance. For assignments that will be less than eight (8) hours in duration, the Contractor must be able to provide interpretation services for requests received at least three (3) business days 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 of receipt of request. For classes that will be from eight (8) hours to two (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 three (3) business days prior to start of assignment. For assignments that will be less than eight (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 eight (8) hours 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 no later than two (2) business hours prior to the assignment. For classes that will be from eight (8) hours to two (2) weeks in duration and notice was not provided at least seven (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.

Performance Location. Note: It should be expected that all events will be held at DMPO Ft

Meade unless otherwise specified.

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/Reductions in Duration and Reassignments: All invoicing associated with this section shall be based on the number of service hours actually affected.

C.3.1 Cancellations: The Government may cancel the services no less than one (1) business day in advance with no penalty or charges assessed. For assignments of one day or less, if the Contractor is not notified of a cancellation at least one (1) business day prior to the scheduled assignment, the Contractor may invoice for the assignment’s requested scheduled time. For multi-day assignments, if the Contractor is not notified of a cancellation at least one (1) business day prior to the first day of the scheduled assignment, the Contractor may invoice for the first day’s requested scheduled time. If the assignment is cancelled or reduced in duration on the first or any subsequent day, the Contractor may invoice for that day’s requested scheduled time. If the notice of cancellation or reduction in duration is issued less than one (1) business day before the start of the subsequent day’s start time, the Contractor may also invoice for the subsequent day’s requested scheduled time. Designated lunch breaks are billable. 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

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 that day’s requested scheduled time.

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 in accordance with C.3.1 Cancellations. For assignments concluded earlier than scheduled time, the Contractor may invoice in accordance with

Section C.4. Reassignements shall be for the same language mode and similar context.

If an assignment is cancelled, DFAS has a right to reassign (within the same language mode and similar context) for anything that is cancelled earlier than the requested end time. For example, if a three day class lets out at noon on the first day, and DFAS offers a reassignment for that afternoon that the interpreter turns down, the vendor will not be reimbursed from noon until the ending time for that day.

However, the vendor can invoice for the next day within the contract cancellation terms. Any reassignment that includes the following day must be done by 3:00 p.m. If the next day’s assignment is shorter in duration than the originally scheduled assignment, the vendor shall invoice for the originally scheduled duration. Unless covered by any reassignment, the third day would not be billable since it was cancelled with sufficient notice.

No special rates shall be used for requests accepted as described in this section.

C.4 Kept Appointments Billable Service Hours

The Contractor shall be reimbursed for the requested scheduled time within the limitations imposed by

C.3 Cancellations/Reductions in Duration and Reassignments. The assignment is considered complete when the later of the following occurs: 1.) conclusion of event equals or exceeds the scheduled duration specified when scheduling the request or 2.) the COR or designee releases the interpreter(s).

Assignments exceeding the original requested scheduled time shall be invoiced in half (½) hour increments for the actual duration of the assignment rounding up or down to the nearest half (1/2) hour.

Meals and other breaks are billable as they have been incorporated into the overall requested scheduled time.

For examples, if the COR 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 and no reassignment offered, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for six (6) hours of service.

8:00 am – 2:00 pm but the assignment actually lasts from 8:00 am to 11:30 pm and reassignment offered but refused, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for three and one-half

(3.5) hours of service.

8:00 am – 2:00 pm but the assignment actually lasts from 8:00 am to 11:30 pm and reassignment offered and accepted with new assignment concluded at 3:35 pm, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for seven and one-half (7.5) hours of service.

8:00 am – 4:00 pm but the assignment actually last from 8:00 am to 4:48 pm and includes a one

(1) hour lunch break, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for nine hours (9) of service.

Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (includes a daily one (1) hour lunch break) but concludes for any reason on Tuesday by 3:30 pm and no reassignment was offered, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for twenty-four (24) hours (Mon-Wed) of service. Thursday and Friday service is not billable as cancellation occurred within one (1) business day prior to the start of

Thursdays originally scheduled start.

Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (includes a daily one (1) hour lunch break) but concludes for any reason on Wednesday at 10:00 am, the Contractor shall bill the Agency for thirty-two

(32) hours (Mon-Thurs) of service.

The calculations in the above examples are based on one interpreter per assignment. If multiple interpreters are provided, each interpreter’s hours would be calculated individually and then tallied together for invoicing the fixed price for the specified assignment.

For example, if for the full duration of the assignment, the services of two interpreters are required in each of the last two examples noted above, the Contractor shall invoice for forty-eight (42) and sixty-four (64) hours, respectively.

Billable hours are not affected by the number actual interpreters required to fill an assignment slot that would normally be covered by one interpreter. For example, an assignment scheduled for eight (8) hours and the Contractor sends one pair of interpreters for the morning shift and then a second pair of interpreters to cover the afternoon shift for a total a four interpreters to cover the one (1) day assignment, the Contractor shall invoice only for a total of sixteen (16) hours.

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 once per month unless otherwise approved by the contracting officer or COR 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 (if applicable)

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 for the assignment billed, invoice of all assignments billed and overall contract total billed for to date of invoice

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.

C.9 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-DMPO Ft Meade 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.

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.

http://www.ecmra.mil/ http://www.ecmra.mil/