Questions_and_AnswersFinal.docx
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- Sign Language Interpreter Service DENVER REGIONAL OFFICE Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- OEOCR-393-2013-0053-RAW
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| SOW_DENVER_2012-13_revised_Final.docx | DOCX document | |
| SOW_DENVER_2012-13_B 1 .docx | DOCX document |
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Questions and Answers
OEOCR-393-2013-0053
Question set #1
| Q1. | Is there an incumbent on this work? If so, who? |
| A1. | The incumbent is Sign Language Resources. |
| Q2. | Will the work being performed take place during the average workday (8AM – 5PM)? |
| A2. | Primarily yes. |
| Q3. | What is the estimated number of hours that sign language interpretation will be required per week? |
| A3. | 16 hours. |
| Q4. | Will interpreters who travel off-site be reimbursed for travel? |
| A4. | Travel to and from the interpreters home to the job site is not covered. If the assignment involves off site travel, the vendor can charge for mileage (based on the current government rate). |
| Q5. | Section 1.0: “…requires the services of a certified sign language interpreter” (underlining and bolding added). Based on this language, can we assume that only one (1) certified sign language interpreter will be required for the purposes of this requirement? Due to the physical and mental strain involved in interpreting, it is industry standard to provide a team of two (2) interpreters for any request that goes beyond two hours. We kindly recommend that the number of interpreters requested be increased for this purpose. |
| A5. | The number of interpreters needed is driven by the length of time of the assignment and the number, if any, of overlapping assignments. Section 1.0 may best be understood as “one or more”…instead of “a |
| Q6. | Section 1.0: “…requires the services of a certified sign language interpreter” (underlining and bolding added). Due to the potential for requests throughout the greater Denver area, how many sign language interpreters could be requested for any one day (e.g. multiple locations on the same day request an interpreter for a full day of work)? |
| A6. | We have used as many as 4 in one day. |
Q7. Section 1.0: “Should the original event get cancelled, and another event takes its place, the interpreter shall be available to provide interpreting services based on the time specified by the COR.” Can you clarify exactly what you mean by this? It stipulates in the SOW that if the event is cancelled more than 48 hours in advance, the agency will not be billed. Can we assume that if the request is canceled less than 48 hours beforehand that CMS will be billed in full? We can handle last minute requests on a case-by-case basis.
A7. (In the event that we have requested an interpreter for a certain event and time frame and on the day of the event it is cancelled, CMS reserves the right to reassign the interpreter to another event that requires interpreting services with no additional charges for the change. If the new event is not located at the same worksite, the vendor may charge for mileage.
Q8a. Section 4.0: “When the contractor is not engaged in providing interpreter services, she/he will conduct administrative services. This may involve research, analysis, writing and interacting with others in support of the CMS civil rights and disability employment and reasonable accommodation program”. When you refer to the “contractor,” are you speaking about the agency with whom the work is contracted, or the individual sign language interpreter assigned to the project?
A8a. The individual interpreter.
Q8b. How many estimated hours of work will this require?
A8b. It will never exceed the number of hours the interpreter is scheduled to work that day. Moreover, the priority is always to provide interpreting services.
Q8c. What exactly is required in “administrative services” and must they be carried out on CMS sites, or can they be done remotely?
A8c. They cannot be done remotely as the administrative tasks occur when the interpreter is not interpreting (down time). The interpreter will be assigned projects by the COR who is a representative of the OEOCR Reasonable Accommodations Program. The projects may include tasks such as 1) tracking the number of actual interpreting hours. 2) He/she may be asked to create documents that would assist other interpreters when they are assigned there including a list of commonly used phrases or acronyms. 3) Researching information on interpreting issues in the federal government. 4) Researching specific issues related to the reasonable accommodations program.)
Q9a. Section 4.0: “The sign language interpreter will be involved in designing, developing, and maintaining reports to convey the utilization and effectiveness of the services provided. Additionally, the sign language interpreter will assist the colleagues of the deaf or hard of hearing consumers about aspects of deaf culture and sign language.” What exactly is expected of the interpreter in terms of time commitment and desired output?
A9a. (The time for this type of work is confined to “down time”, the time when the interpreter is not engaged in interpreting) .
Q9b. What exactly would you like in the content of the “report”?
A9b. The interpreter will be assigned projects by the COR who is a representative of the OEOCR Reasonable Accommodations Program. The projects may include tasks such as 1) tracking the number of actual interpreting hours. 2) He/she may be asked to create documents that would assist other interpreters when they are assigned there including a list of commonly used phrases or acronyms. 3) Researching information on interpreting issues in the federal government. 4) Researching specific issues related to the reasonable accommodations program.)
OEOCR-393-2013-0053
Question set #2
| Q1. | Will there be any preference given to any of the following: minority-owned vendors, small business, woman-owned vendors, veteran-owned vendors, or any other disadvantaged vendors? |
| A1. | Yes, as long as they are able to accommodate the needs of the contract. |
| Q2. | Our company is based out-of-state and we do not currently have an office in the Denver, Colorado area. Will out-of-state vendors be given the same consideration as in-state vendors? |
| A2. | Yes, as long as they can verify that they have the staff to cover the services. However, be advised that due to government efficient spending, we are not going to be responsible for daily travel expenses (from the interpreters residence to the job site) of any kind. The only time travel costs will be reimbursed is when the government client is on official government travel and an interpreter has been assigned to accompany them. |
| Q3. | Is there an incumbent currently performing the duties? If yes, can you identify the company or persons? How long have you been working with them? |
| A3. | Yes, the incumbent is Sign Language Resources; they have worked with CMS for the past 2 years. |
| Q4. | Currently how much are you paying for the services? |
| A4. | The last contract was awarded for $13,200. |
| Q5. | How often does the Department anticipate the need for working evening or weekend hours? |
| A5. | This is very rare, maybe 2-3 times a year. |
| Q6. | What is the Department’s understanding of utilizing a team of ASL interpreters for assignments lasting longer than two (2) hours and for group meetings? |
| A6. | Assignments that are confirmed-meaning we are aware that there are meetings lasting 2 or more hours or where there are overlapping assignments- we will have 2 or more interpreters assigned to the site. |
| Q7. | If a multiple award, under what criteria will you use to determine who is issued work and how much work will be issued? |
| A7. | This is not multiple award procurement. |
| Q8. | In the contents of the scope of work, you mention if the ASL interpreter is not performing interpreting functions, then that person will participate in various administrative related duties. Are you seeking full time contract labor in addition to having ASL linguists on an "at call" basis? |
| A8. | No |
| Q9. | Does your budget include any mileage/travel reimbursement costs that may arise in providing the “on call” linguists? |
| A9. | CMS will not pay for travel costs from the interpreter’s residence to the job site. Any additional travel (beyond the usual daily commuting) costs need to be approved by the COR prior to the assignment. |
| Q10. | Is Video Remote Interpreting an option that you might entertain? |
| A10. | This solicitation is not focused on VRI so at this time we are not entertaining that option. |
Question Set #3
| Q1. | Fully loaded labor rate and anticipated hours … Can you explain what this means? |
| Q2. | The fully loaded labor rates is just the amount of money it will cost your company to perform the statement of work. The anticipated hours was removed from the notice. |
Question Set #4
| Q1. | Would you accept a solicitation with an interpreter (candidate) that is in the process of recertifying? My candidate was certified for many years, allowed the certification to lapse, but is in the process of recertifying. |
| A1. | The interpreting services we will need in Denver may, on occasion, require more than one interpreter. The primary interpreter assigned to the project must be certified by the time of award of this contract. We will consider non-certified interpreters, as long as they are working with the primary interpreter who is certified (this applies only to times when a second interpreter is needed, due to the length of time of the assignment or overlapping meetings). Consequently, the vendor needs to have more than one certified interpreter on their roster as a) we may need more than one at times and b) if the consumers have difficulty with in understanding the interpreter that was sent, CMS reserves the right to request that a different interpreter be sent.) |
| Q2. | Also, does this position fall under the Service Contract Act? |
| A2. | No. |
| Q3. | Is this a new solicitation? If not, who is the current incumbent? |
| The incumbent is Sign Language Resources. | |
| Q4. | What is the value of the current contract? |
| A4. | The last contract was awarded for $13,200. |
Questions Set 5
| Q1. | I was wondering if the sign language professional would function in a full-time capacity from 9:00-5:00pm weekly or if the services would be upon demand/request by your agency with notice given to the contractor? My agency provide a wide range of interpreters, bilingual professional, and sign language professional, so I need to know the intended use and frequency to quote the RFP. |
| A1. | The usage is averaging about 16 hours per week-1 interpreter. However, demand does fluctuate. Sometimes up to 4 interpreters are needed to cover an event. The contractor will be given as much notice as possible-usually 3 to 5 days in advance. There are times when it will be less. During times when the government is closed or services are not needed, the weekly number of interpreting hours can be less). |
Questions Set 6
| Q1. | Do you intend to only require one (1) interpreter at a time, or do you anticipate multiple events, requiring multiple interpreters at the same time? |
| A1. | Most of the time we will only need one interpreter. However, there will be times-once or twice a week-where there will be the need for 2. In addition, there are times when we may need as many as 4. |
| Q2. | How will you handle travel allowances if the service is required away from the main location? |
| A2. | (We expect the vendor to have a network of interpreters that they could call on, some of whom live in other locations, outside of Denver and/or Colorado. Moreover, be advised that due to government efficient spending, we are not going to be responsible for daily travel expenses (from the interpreters residence to the job site) of any kind. The only time travel costs will be reimbursed is when the government client is on official government travel and an interpreter has been assigned to accompany them. This type of assignment will always be prearranged by CMS and agreed upon with the vendor. |
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