Attachment_0001_Performance_Work_Statement.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Sign Language Interpreting Services

Part 1

General Information

1. GENERAL: This is a non-personal services contract to provide American Sign Language interpreting services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees at the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA-JMTC). The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services described herein. As employees of the Contractor, such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn shall be responsible to the Government.

1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: The services of sign language interpreter(s) are required to conduct sign language interpreting for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees at RIA-JMTC.

The sign language agency (also referred to as the “Contractor”) should be able to fulfill required response time. The sign language agency shall provide coverage for Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees at RIA-JMTC during regularly scheduled daily meetings as well as on an “as needed” basis during RIA-JMTC’s operating hours.

RIA-JMTC operates on three shifts, Monday through Friday and sometimes on Saturday and Sunday, except for Federal holidays identified in paragraph 1.6.3 below.

1.2 Background: Located on the Mississippi River in Rock Island, IL, the Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing & Technology Center (RIA-JMTC) is the only multi-purpose and vertically integrated metal manufacturer in the U.S. Department of Defense.

Encompassing more than 3 million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space with over 1000 machining centers and the only active foundry in the U.S. Army, RIA- JMTC’s mission is to support the Nation with world-class manufactured products and services. Capabilities include composite manufacturing, engineering and laboratory facilities, tool/die manufacturing, forging, blasting, forming, extensive laser cutting, plating, assembly and packaging, machining, casting and investment casting, welding, water jet cutting, 3-Dimensional modeling, and painting.

The need for qualified interpreting services exists because of the continual growth, professional development and daily work routine for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and visitors.

1.3 Objectives: The COR will maintain primary responsibility and oversight of the contract. This PWS is for functional and technical assistance in this effort.

1.4 Scope:

Interpreter Service Appointments.

The COR is the main point of contact and deciding authority for all sign language assignments. If the COR is out of the office or otherwise not available, an alternate COR point of contact (POC) will be identified by the Government.

If the COR is unavailable or out of the office, the Contractor shall contact and inform the production directorate staff of any business pertaining to sign language interpreting services.

Assignments may be arranged via telephone or email, but phone arrangements will be followed-up with an email assignment request from the COR.

Interpreter services will be coordinated a minimum of two (2) business days in advance of appointment request date and time. However, if the Government should submit a request for interpreters with less than two (2) business days advanced notice, the Contractor shall attempt to provide an interpreter, but the Government understands that the Contractor may not always be able to comply with such requests; provided that the Contractor must notify the Government of its inability to provide an interpreter via email as soon as possible.

The Contractor shall provide sign language interpreter(s) in compliance with the qualification and certification requirements set forth below. The contractor has 48 hours to accept the proposed assignment and provide the COR with email notification of the acceptance.

The Contractor shall provide the COR with an emergency cell number(s), and/or phone number(s) for immediate communication to the Contractor for acquisition of a sign language interpreter(s).

Each Wednesday, by 3:00pm (local time), the Contractor shall provide to the COR, via email, verification of assigned interpreters for the upcoming week’s scheduled appointments. The Contractor shall promptly respond to requests from the COR for this verification of assigned interpreters for the coming week’s scheduled appointments if and when such requests are made by the COR before Wednesday at 3:00pm.

If the Contractor believes due to the circumstances surrounding the appointment that more than the number of interpreters authorized above are required to provide adequate interpreter service, additional interpreters may be assigned, but only after the Contractor has provided justification to the COR via email and/or by phone. The number of additional interpreters provided for any appointment or event shall be kept to the minimum necessary to provide quality and effective service.

If the Contractor, for training or other purposes, chooses to assign more interpreters than the number agreed to by the COR, the Contractor may do so at the Contractor’s expense. The Government shall only pay for the number of interpreters officially retained to provide the required service as authorized by the COR and no one else. The Contractor must also obtain the written approval of the COR for the assignment of additional interpreters for training or other purposes in advance of the commencement of the appointment or event.

The Government has the right to evaluate interpreters provided under this contract. If the agency feels that an interpreter is not meeting the standards outlined in the contract, the COR may contact the contractor to develop a remedy for the sub-standard performance.

Business Protocol The Contractor and the sign language interpreter(s) shall not act as agents or employees of the Federal Government.

The Contractor and the sign language interpreter(s) shall not discuss personal business; distribute personal business cards or promote themselves or the Contractor while on assignment in order to develop clientele from assignment(s) originating from the Federal Government.

Interpreter Qualifications and Requirements Interpreters provided by the Contractor shall proficiently interpret for Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employees, customers, or applicants. The Contractor shall have interpreters on staff that can use American Sign Language (ASL), Signed English (SE), and Manually Coded English (MCE) to perform interpreting for Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing employees and applicants.

Certifications for all contractor supplied interpreters for the State of Illinois must comply with rules implemented by the Interpreter for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007. Interpreters must have certificates for either provisional, intermediate, advanced, or master proficiency levels set out per Illinois Administrative Code.

https://www.illinois.gov/idhhc/licensure/Pages/Licensure.aspx

Certifications for all contractor supplied interpreters for the State of Iowa must comply with the rules implemented by the state and all interpreters must meet requirements imposed by Iowa Administrative Code.

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/administrativeRules/rules?agency=645&chapt er=361

All parties involved agree that all information obtained while on assignment(s) shall be kept strictly confidential and shall not be used or disclosed to others after completed assignment(s). All interpreters will be required to sign non-disclosure agreements prior to performing any service under this contract at any location.

Sign language interpreters must possess fluency of sign language on the entire sign language continuum to effectively facilitate communication between Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees and hearing employees.

Many of the offices at RIA-JMTC use language and acronyms that are technical in nature or unique to the Government and the military. If requested by the Contractor, the COR will provide a written list of standard acronyms or language specifically used by the RIA-JMTC that is the subject of a request for an interpreter. The Contractor must take this unique environment into consideration when providing interpreters.

Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the ability to accurately interpret in a variety of settings, have the ability to keep pace with communications in conferences, meetings, in a factory environment, seminars, training classes, etc., and have the ability to abstract, select and highlight information within context when dealing with complicated concepts, idioms, etc.

The sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the ability to negotiate with speakers as “colleagues” to mediate pace of communication as necessary and appropriate; or voice interpret when a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person’s speech is not easily understood.

Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall have the knowledge and diversity of culture and skill required to prepare for each interpreting assignment, including knowledge needed to assist in setting up an environment that is conducive to meeting the communication needs of both the hearing and Deaf or Hard of Hearing participants in an assigned event or appointment.

Sign language interpreters supplied under this contract shall have the ability to assess the language needs of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing consumer and to apply analytical skills necessary to determine which communication modes the Deaf or Hard of Hearing consumer is utilizing.

Sign language interpreter(s) supplied under this contract shall be well groomed and dressed in an acceptable manner that is appropriate to the situation which usually involves business meetings or platform interpreting.

In certain circumstances color appropriate attire may be necessary. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that interpreters wear suitable clothing.

Service Assignments Service assignments may be made by the Government under this contract for any time during RIA-JMTC operational hours that are 24 hours a day, across three shifts Monday through Friday and potentially on weekends with the exception of Federal holidays.

All assignments will be considered to be a minimum 60 minutes in length and can be billed as such no matter the actual duration of the completed assignment. Assignments of over one hour in duration shall be billed in 15 minute increments.

All service assignments will begin at the scheduled start time.

If an assignment(s) made under this contract goes over the contracted time, the sign language interpreter(s) shall be paid the rate applicable to assignments with less than 24 hour notice for the additional time, provided the additional time shall not exceed one hour without the COR’s written approval. The sign language interpreter(s) provided pursuant to the contract must inform the COR by telephone of the additional time required to complete the assignment prior to leaving the site of the assignment. The Contractor shall then invoice the Government for the total time worked with respect to the assignment, including the two-hour minimum initial assignment and each and every 15 minute increment required after the two-hour minimum to complete the assignment.

Should an assignment under this contract extend beyond the contracted time and the interpreter assigned by the Contractor cannot stay, then the supplied interpreter shall be permitted to leave without any penalty imposed on the Contractor or any negative report issued with respect to the Contractor’s performance of this contract.

Client Non-Attendance (“No Show”) In the event that a Government client (Deaf or Hard of Hearing employee) is late for a scheduled appointment, the interpreter assigned to the event may consider the client to be a “no show” if the client has not arrived within fifteen

(15) minutes after the scheduled start time.

The interpreter must notify the COR and/or the area supervisor regarding the “no show” before leaving RIA-JMTC.

Interpreter Attendance and Non-Attendance (“No Show”) Sign language interpreter(s) provided by the Contractor shall allow sufficient time to get through security and report to the interpreting location site not less than ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled start time for the meeting or event.

If a sign language interpreter provided under this contract is late by more than fifteen (15) minutes for a scheduled meeting or event, the Government may treat the interpreter as a “no show” and be relieved of responsibility for payment. If the Government elects to proceed with the meeting or event on a delayed basis due to the late arrival of the assigned interpreter, the sign language interpreter shall be required to interpret the meeting or event;

provided that the amount invoiced by the Contractor shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount payable to the Contractor under this contract for a time increment equal to the duration of the tardiness of the interpreter.

Sign language interpreter(s) provided under this contract shall arrive to work, meetings and scheduled events on time. Multiple instances of unexcused tardiness will not be tolerated, with the Government reserving the right to rely on such instances of tardiness as the basis for placing interpreters on the “Do Not to Send” list described above under the heading captioned “Interpreter Service Appointments”. If an instance of tardiness by an interpreter arises under this contract, the Contractor must inform the COR of the tardiness and provide an explanation.

Missed assignments shall not be tolerated and the Government will be relieved of responsibility of payment with respect to any such assignment.

The Contractor shall notify the COR with a written explanation of any missed assignment by a sign language interpreter supplied under this contract. The Contractor may provide an initial notice to the COR by phone, but must follow up on that initial notice with a written explanation via email.

Cancellations If a scheduled sign language interpreter(s) supplied by the Contractor is not available to cover the scheduled meeting or event, the Contractor shall notify the COR of the situation as soon as the Contractor is made aware of the situation. Delivery of this required notice does not relieve the Contractor of its obligation to provide the qualified personnel necessary to perform the needed service(s). The Contractor shall provide another certified sign language interpreter(s) to fill the requirement in question. The Government will only deal directly with the Contractor and not with interpreters supplied by the Contractor.

All Contractor cancellations shall be submitted to the COR via email.

Telephone calls are permitted for timely notification of such cancellations, but follow-up emails confirming appointment cancellations are required

Services to be performed under this contract may be cancelled by the COR by email, not less than twenty four (24) hours in advance of the scheduled start time for the meeting or event, Monday through Friday, with no penalty or charges for the cancelled services. If a previously scheduled assignment(s) is/are canceled by the COR, and the COR has given the Contractor the 24-hour notice herein described, no invoice for payment shall be submitted by the Contractor and the Government shall have no obligation to make any payment with respect to the cancelled appointment.

If the Government provides less than twenty four (24) hours advance notice of a cancellation(s) of an assigned meeting or event, then the Contractor may submit an invoice for all labor charges incurred by the Contractor which shall not exceed the cost for the initial day of a meeting or event scheduled for multiple days.

Interpreters provided under this contract shall not report to work or to a scheduled meeting or event if the meeting or event is cancelled due to the closure of the RIA-JMTC because of inclement weather or an emergency.

Billing The Contractor shall submit invoices for services performed under this contract on a monthly basis through the Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) system for payment purposes.

The Contractor must submit a verification letter along with the invoice informing the COR that the Contractor verifies that the sign language interpreter(s) identified in the invoice provided the services identified in the invoice during that month.

The Contractor may invoice for any mileage incurred for meetings/events that require services outside the Rock Island Arsenal at the rate established by Joint Travel Regulation (JTR). The mileage is to be calculated from the daily place of performance (RIA-JMTC) to the event location. This is the only authorized mileage to be billed for this contract.

A separate monthly invoice shall be sent to the COR for verification of services and to expedite WAWF invoice acceptance. At a minimum invoices shall include the following information:

1. Original request number

2. Invoice Number

3. Date of service

4. Service start/stop time

5. Interpreter’s name

6. Name of Deaf or Hard of Hearing client

7. If the assignment was canceled within 24 hours

8. Mileage Cost

9. Interpreter Fee

10. Total charge

The Contractor shall state in its proposal which invoice format it will use during the term of the contract and provide a copy of the Contractor format as applicable. The format must be in a Microsoft Office compatible format and agreed to by the COR. The monthly invoices submitted by the Contractor shall follow the calendar and shall include the time from the first day of the month through the last day of the month, with each monthly invoice being due by the fifth day of the following month. For example, the invoice for 1 through 30 September shall be due by 5 October.

Security Requirements Contractor personnel shall not receive permanent badges for access to post but will receive a temporary visitor’s badges.

All Contractor personnel, including all interpreters provided by the

Contractor, shall be required to register for a visitor’s badge for access to

RIA-JMTC.

Contractor personnel shall adhere to all local security policies and regulations while on the Rock Island Arsenal

1.5 Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be for one (1) Base Year of 12 months following the date of award and up to four (4) consecutive 12-month option periods.

1.6 General Information

1.6.1 Quality Assurance: The Government shall evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract through the COR in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s).

1.6.2 Recognized Holidays: On the following days federal personnel and facilities will not be available to the Contractor nor will the Contractor be expected to provide interpreters.

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day President’s Day Veteran’s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Independence Day Christmas Day

1.6.3 RIA-JMTC Closures Related to Hazardous Weather or Other Emergency Conditions: In the event the Rock Island Arsenal closes due to hazardous weather or other emergency conditions, the closure will be posted on the RIA Inclement Weather Page (http://www.usagria.army.mil/sites/inclement_weather/dsp_main.cfm). RIA-JMTC will have a specific announcement that may differ from the rest of the installation. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that sign language interpreters provided by the Contractor are informed of closures. Information will be broadcasted internally if there is a need for the facility to close early. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to insure sufficient staff is available to support any non-canceled operations during inclement weather, even if the Government has announced official closure or liberal leave.

1.6.4 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at RIA-JMTC, on Rock Island Arsenal, and other off site facilities located in the counties of Scott (IA) or Rock Island (IL).

1.6.5 Interpreter Qualifications: All interpreters provided by the Contractor under this contract must be in compliance with the qualification requirements set out above in provision 1.4 under the heading “Interpreter Qualifications and Requirements.”

1.6.6 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 42.5. The Contracting Officer COR, and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the Contracting Officer will apprise the Contractor of how the government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced by the Contractor or its employees. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be attended by the Contractor at no additional cost to the government.

1.6.7 Key Personnel: The follow personnel are considered key personnel by the Government: Contract and alternate Contract Manager. The Contractor shall provide a manager (referred to as the “Contract Manager”) who shall be responsible for the sign language interpreter assignments and oversight of the performance of the interpreter’s work. The name of this person and an alternate Contract Manager who shall act for the Contractor when the Contract Manager is absent shall be provided in writing to the Contracting Officer. The Contract Manager and the Alternate Contract Manager shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract.

1.6.8 Identification of Contractor Employees: All contract personnel attending meetings and working in other situations where their Contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression that they are Government officials. Contract sign language interpreters will be required to obtain temporary badges and will be required to wear badges in the performance of this service.

1.6.9 Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, or have access to proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) which may result in a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI.

The Contractor’s mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may affect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.