RFI_VRI-CART.pdf

DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is seeking information and sources capable of providing the services described below. The purpose of this notice is to gather capabilities and market information pertinent to acquisition planning. The responses to this Sources Sought notice will contribute to determining the method of procurement and identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support this requirement.

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME

This Sources Sought does not constitute a request for quotes. Submission of any information in response to this Sources Sought notice is purely voluntary. The Government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT

The VA Office of Information & Technology (OIT), Compliance, Risk, and Remediation, Office of 508

Compliance is in need of relay conference captioning (RCC) and video remote interpreting (VRI)-identified Federal relay services to communicate with individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind, or speech disabled, including Federal employees, for communications with and within the

Federal Government.

The contractor shall provide effective communication access services to ensure all information and events are accessible to employees who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have other disabilities affecting their communication access for the United States and its territories. The contractor shall provide sign language interpretation. Language services may include, but are not limited to, the following: VRI and RCC/CART. These services ensure accessibility to VA programs and services for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and comply with Federal laws, including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA Title II.

Please see the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS).

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

If your organization is capable of providing these services, please respond to this Sources Sought as follows:

A. Cover Sheet (1 page)

1. Organization name, address, SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UIE) number, and website.

2. Primary point of contact, including an e-mail address and phone number.

3. Company size status as listed in SAM under NAICS 541930 – Translation and Interpretation

Services. State if your company is also verified as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small

Business (SDVOSB) or a Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) in the Small Business

Administration’s (SBA) Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) database. State if your company is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned

Small Business (VOSB), Small Business, or Large Business.

4. If these services are available on your company’s GSA contract, provide the GSA contract number, schedule, and SIN category; for a NASA SEWP contract, provide the NASA SEWP contract number.

B. Capabilities Statement and Market Information (no more than 3 pages)

Sources Sought Notice

1. If this contract were an SDVOSB set aside, can your SDVOSB comply with VAAR Clause 852.219-

75, VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting – Certificate of Compliance for Services and

Construction?

2. What key questions do you need to see answered in a future PD before you decide to respond to the solicitation?

3. Please describe your experience working with Government agencies. Specifically, what processes do you have in place to submit a timely and quality quote?

4. Would you be interested in proposing a solicitation for this work?

5. ASL/CART: It is a requirement of the contract to ensure that all Personally Identifiable Information

(PII) collected, stored, and processed through your scheduling management system is fully compliant with VA Privacy policy, including encryption, access controls, audit procedures, and incident responses.

a. What specific security measures and privacy protocols will you implement to ensure that you are compliant with the requirements set forth in the contract?

b. How will you ensure continuous training and awareness for your staff to maintain the highest level of security and privacy protection?

c. And, how do you maintain PII measures during scheduling (i.e., users should not be able to see the scheduling of other users)?

6. CART: For live remote captioning, which industry standard platform provides the best results? How will the captioning be accessed by participants, and on which devices will it be viewable?

7. CART: The VA is projecting 600 hours per month for this live remote captioning service for an organization that has 400,000 personnel. The VA is projecting to use hours as a standard unit of measurement. Does this approach align with the commercial community?

8. CART: What are the specific quality and accuracy standards that the vendor will meet when providing live remote captioning services for the VA?

9. ASL: It is preferred that the ASL Coordinator be RID-certified to understand all the nuances and needs of users requiring ASL interpreters. How will the coordinator ensure a consistent interpreting experience for the VA consumer?

10. ASL: Scheduling for an organization the size of VA can be fluid. How will you ensure that last-minute changes to requests are relayed in real-time to the affected parties? How far in advance does the coordinator schedule interpreters?

11. ASL: Based on industry trends and your professional experience in VRI, how are you able to incorporate a variety of platforms/technologies (current and emergent) to support a large organization such as the VA?

12. ASL: All interpreters on this contract shall be qualified within the state where services are delivered.

a. How will you manage differing requirements, including certifications, on a state-by-state basis to ensure that all interpreters are qualified to interpret within the requirements in their state?

b. 508-compliant regulations require multiple interpreters for events over 75 minutes. Are you able to provide multiple interpreters who meet individual state requirements?

13. There is quite a bit of information provided regarding different types of interpreting situations within the background information provided in the PWS/SOW. Is it clear that the services are for virtual

Sources Sought Notice services only? What changes, if any, do you recommend to ensure that the PWS/SOW is clear in detailing the types of interpreting services included in this contract?

14. Are there any areas in the PWS that would need updated/clarified to ensure all necessary requirements can be covered?

15. How do you propose being able to have an interpreter for last-minute needs? How can industry meet the requirement?

16. Would you propose other NAICS for these services?

17. Please provide any other feedback or suggestions that you deem appropriate.

Submissions must be emailed to Brian Tedesco (Brian.Tedesco@va.gov), Brandi Luna

(Brandi.Luna@va.gov), and Justin Cole (Justin.Cole4@va.gov) by the date/time listed in the posting.