Response to Vendor Questions W569QE_23_Q_0016.pdf

Response to Vendor Questions to Solicitation: W569QE-23-Q-0016 As of 5 May 2023

1. Whether companies from Outside Ecuador can apply for this? (like, from India or USA, Canada)

Answer: Yes

2. Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

Answer: No

3. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside Ecuador? (like, from India or USA, Canada)

Answer: The requirement is for Ecuador; the services shall be provided in Ecuador.

4. Can we submit the proposals via email?

Answer: Yes – thoroughly review the solicitation posted via SAM.gov

5. Interpreters’ Escorting: “The Contractor and all associated sub-contractor employees performing services under this contract shall be escorted at all times by host nation security personnel or by an individual designated by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) while accessing U.S. facilities or activities.”. Could you please kindly explain further how this escorting will be provided and managed?

Answer: Escorting will be provided by US Military Soldiers, specifically the Soldiers they work with or Ecuadorian Military personnel. Escorts will be provided in and around the Ecuadorian military bases when working alongside the US military Soldiers, and if the interpreter is ever invited into the US Military Operations Center. Escorting will not be required outside of the 7:00am – 7:00pm time periods or on days when not working, just during work hours and days.

6. According to PWS, all technical equipment must be provided by the contractor, including the portable interpretation devices. However, in the CLIN Structure we can’t find where to add the pricing for this equipment. If you could please advise on how we should include this part of the pricing, we would appreciate it.

Answer: Solicitation for W569QE-23-Q-0016 has been amended to add a CLIN for Equipment.

7. ARSOUTH Biographical Screening Sheet: please kindly confirm whether this sheet must be filled with the information of the interpreters and submitted with our proposal at this stage of the process or, on the contrary, whether it is supposed to be completed once the contract is awarded.

Answer: Per the PWS, the Biographical sheet is required 25 days prior to the start of work, in this case the start of the Period of Performance. The intent behind this early suspense is to allow for vetting completion prior to the start of the contract. However, given the delay in submission of the requirements packet by ARSOUTH we will approve late submission of the biographical sheets, but they must still be provided prior to the start of the work, just not 25 days prior given the limited time before the start of the contract. The vendor still needs to provide the biographical sheets to the POC in the PWS, but we will allow a late submission that is under the 25 days suspense. We are not going to approve a waiver eliminating the need to submit the sheets all together.

Response to Vendor Questions to Solicitation: W569QE-23-Q-0016 As of 5 May 2023

8.We would also like to confirm, if possible, if on-site translations can be performed by the on-site interpreters.

Answer: Yes, on site translation is authorized in accordance with paragraph 5 of the PWS, where it states, “the contractor shall accomplish on-site and off-site translation.”

9. Translators and interpreters’ profiles: please kindly confirm whether we need to provide profiles of both interpreters and off-site translators. We would also like to confirm, if possible, if on-site translations can be performed by the on-site interpreters.

Answer: Per the PWS, the Biographical sheet is required 25 days prior to the start of work, in this case the start of the Period of Performance. The intent behind this early suspense is to allow for vetting completion prior to the start of the contract. However, given the delay in submission of the requirements packet by ARSOUTH we will approve late submission of the biographical sheets, but they must still be provided prior to the start of the work, just not 25 days prior given the limited time before the start of the contract. The vendor still needs to provide the biographical sheets to the POC in the PWS, but we will allow a late submission that is under the 25 days suspense. We are not going to approve a waiver eliminating the need to submit the sheets all together.

10.Will certified translations will be needed during the project.

Answer: The only requirements we have per the PWS are that the linguists have native speaking experience with at least 3 years experience to proof-read, edit, and provide the final product layout and output.

11. Do you expect the vendor to provide both services, interpretation and translation. If this is the case, I would like to know about the tight deadlines indicated in the contract. Is there any particular reason for the timelines of 5,000 words in 24 hours and 500 words in 20 minutes? Is there any possibility to receive the documents to be translated beforehand?

Answer: Yes, we do expect the vendor to provide both interpretation and translation services. These may not be executed simultaneously, but we do expect both services. The 24-hour suspense is given to ensure products are received from the vendor in translated form within an appropriate amount of time to be used during engagements with military partners. The 20-minute suspense will be used in short notice situations, if and when they arise. Yes, the US Military personnel can and will provide documents to be translated beforehand in most cases. Once the US military personnel are on ground and able to conduct initial meetings with the Ecuadorian military partners, they will be able to better understand planned briefings and slide shows and will be able to provide documents in advance to be translated. However, the short duration engagements and potential unplanned translation requirements, the US military personnel may not always be able to provide the translators more than 24 hours to prepare and translate documents.