American Sign Language Interpreters

RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS; 1. Historically, what has been the State Department's biggest challenge in covering assignments? - The volume of interpreters needed for a single time slot. Having 9 requests for a 10 - 12 timeslots on any given day. - The skillsets of interpreters - Interpreters must not only possess executive level interpreting skills but also need to be able to tailor that skill to meet the multi-faceted needs of the Department's employees. 2. We understand that there could be 14,000 hours/year CONUS/OCONUS with 2,000 hours needing cleared interpreters with TS/SCI. Can the State Department clarify if this is 14,000 standard hours, with 2,000 additional cleared hours? - The current posture as it relates to COVID has led to a large decline in the number of cleared interpreters required. In 2020 we used 231.00 SCI hours, 150.00 Top Secret hours and 2,163.50 Secret hours. All labor hour are driven by requests for cleared services. 3. Can the State Department provide a historical data breakdown from the past year on: The total number of hours of services (for ASL Interpreting and CART services) a. The number of all-day on-call assignments (interpreters/writers scheduled 7 or more hours per day on the same days each week) - We currently request services for 6 daily on-call interpreters (8 hours) and 1 oncall for 6 hours. b. The number of assignments that were 3 hours or less c. The number of assignments that were 7 hours or more d. The number of hours of evening/weekend work - 2021 we had 0 Weekend hours. - 2019 we had 2 Saturday (24.00) requests and 4 Sunday (23.50) requests e. The number of short-notice assignments (less than 5 business days notice) f. The number of short-notice assignments (less than 1 business days notice) - Less than 72 hours notice - 2021 we had 294 requests totaling 742.50 hours. - Less than 72 hours notice - 2020 we had 287 requests totaling 611.25 hours. - Less than 72 hours notice - 2019 we had 360 requests totaling 513.75 hours g. How many requests were outside of the main location? - 2019 we supported one employee daily for 8 hours OCONUS with a TS/SCI clearance - 2019, 2021 and 2022 we also provide 8 hours daily interpreting on the West Coast at one of our locations. - We provide interpreting services in New Orleans, New York and San Francisco with less than 8 hours per month. 4. In the RFI document, it states - Interpret and/or transliterate continuously for not more than two (2) hours at a time without a break. In order to prevent repetitive motion injuries industry standard requires 2 interpreters for assignments requiring over 1.5 hours of continuous interpreting. Will the State Department confirm that a team will be provided when there will be 1.5 hours or more of continuous interpreting? - Our ASL team is comprised of Certified Sign Language Interpreters who actively provide interpreting services for the Department. Each request is approached as not only fulfilling the assignment but also ensuring that the integrity of the message can be maintained while examining factors such as length of time, technicality, number of customers involved etc. The Department follows the 2-hour minimum as a rule with consideration given to other factors. 5. The RFI states there is a requirement for CART but does not specify whether the requirement is for onsite or remote CART. Will the State Department clarify whether it requires onsite or remote CART or both? - The Government requires both. CART usage Is low (2019 - 19 requests totaling 114 hours). 6. There is a drastic difference between on-site CART writer and remote CART writer with on-site CART needing a 30-minute set-up time prior to the start of an assignment and each having very different minimum charges. Will the State Department recognize the difference when issuing their solicitation in the future? We suggest adding a CLIN to allow separate pricing for these services so that vendors can provide the most competitive pricing possible. - Yes, we will consider this. - All service providers are required to arrive 30 minutes prior to the assignment to provide enough time to get to the location and to be ready to begin at the designated time. In the case of interpreters, this time is not billed. Seeking responses from US Small Businesses only THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND DOES NOT ASSUME THE GOVERNMENT WILL AWARD A CONTRACT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THIS NOTICE IS ONLY FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES. This is a Request for Information (RFI) notice seeking responses from US Small Businesses only. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified vendors; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Be advised that acquisition strategy and set-aside decisions may be made based on the information provided in response to this RFI. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 541930. The submission of this information is for planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to procure any items/services. GENERAL: This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) and is NOT a Request for Proposals (RFP), nor is this a Request for Quotations (RFQ). The purpose of this RFI is to identify potential sources that are interested and capable of providing the services herein. Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor the beta.sam.gov site for additional information pertaining to this RFI. Please be advised that all submissions become U.S. Government property. Response to this RFI will not be returned. The RFI does not commit the government to procure or contract for said services. The contracting officer is the only individual who can commit the government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with the proposed procurement. Proprietary/competition sensitive information will be protected from disclosure to the greatest extent practical, however, it is preferred that respondents do not provide proprietary or otherwise restricted responses. Each page considered by a submitting organization to contain proprietary information should be clearly marked. The requested information is for planning and market research purposes only and WILL NOT be publicly released. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ), if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. RESPONSE PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: Responses must be submitted via email to Jo-Ann Stewart, stewartj@state.gov. The deadline for the submission of responses to this RFI is 2:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. All questions concerning this RFI must be submitted by sending an email to Ms. Stewart no later than 2:00 p.m. EST, Monday, May 23, 2022. Questions received after that date will not be answered, unless the Government determines the answer to the question imparts information material to Industry's ability to respond to this RFI. Government response to questions will be posted. All Government responses to questions will be made available on beta.sam.gov. No phone calls will be accepted. Do not submit any pricing information in response to this RFI. There is no commitment by the Government to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) or a Request for Quotations (RFQ), make an award or awards, or to be responsible for any monies expended by industry responses to this RFI. The capability package must be complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the firm's qualifications to perform the defined work. Responses should be as complete and informative as possible. Generic capability statements will not be accepted or reviewed. DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION REQUESTED Responses to this RFI should include the organization's full name, DUNS number, CAGE code, Small Business Socioeconomic status (i.e., WOSB, 8(a), SDVOSB'etc.) and headquarters location. They should also include the name of a point-of-contact and his/her email and conventional mailing addresses. Firms are invited to indicate their interests and capabilities by providing the following: Confirm that your company is interested and intends to submit a quote / bid / proposal when a solicitation is issued Brief Capability Statement Other specific and pertinent information as it pertains to this service Description of capabilities and a general approach for meeting the requirements Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)/Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) Socioeconomic Classification chart is listed below, please identify which one applies to your company HUBZone SDVO WOSB 8(a) Small Business Firms interested in this requirement should submit a statement of interest and capabilities that is no more than five pages in length, single-spaced, 12-point font minimum demonstrating ability to perform the requested requirement. To determine if your firm can perform, please answer the following questions: Questions relate to American Sign Language (ASL)/English Interpreters who are credentialed through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. Do you currently have a facility clearance up to Top Secret? Does your company have a minimum of 3 years in scheduling and providing sign language interpreting services for the Federal Government in both classified and unclassified settings? Do you have interpreters with a minimum of 3 years of government experience, a bachelor's degree, and the required credentials to provide Interpreting Services? Do you have the capacity to schedule and guarantee 14,000 hours of interpreting within the Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS)/Internationally? Do you have the capacity to schedule and guarantee at least 2,000 hours of interpreting using interpreters who possess a security clearance up to TS/SCI CONUS and OCONUS? 4. Do you have interpreters who can provide high profile/highly visible events interpreting for principles such as the Secretary of State or prime ministers? 5. Do you have the capacity to provide hybrid interpreting services where some of the assignments are virtual and other are in person while keeping the same core interpreters to meet the needs of the customer? Do you have the flexibility to change an interpreter from a remote setting to an onsite setting with less than 24 hours notice? 6. Do you have interpreters on staff who possess a security clearance up to TS/SCI? 7. Do you have interpreters in the following locations (New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York, NY) who can provide interpreting services for requests of 2-hour durations several times monthly? 8. Do you currently have interpreters with a security clearance who are able to provide interpreting internationally for periods of 3 months at a time or longer? How many employees with security clearances? Which locations are they able to serve? (Washington, DC, New York, Overseas) 9. Do you have the capacity to backfill request with a certified replacement when a contracted designee is unable to fill a request because of an emergency? (Guarantee of service) What percentage of the time can you guarantee a certified replacement? _____ % 10. Do you have the infrastructure that enables you to recruit and sponsor interpreters CONUS and/or OCONUS for security clearances and for unclassified assignments? A list of services is below: General Requirements The United States Department of State's Disability and Reasonable Accommodations Division has a regulatory mandate to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities (per Rehabilitation Act of 1973). The Contractor shall provide interpreter employees or designees who hold active generalist certifications through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. ((i.e. RID: MCSC, CSC, CI/CT, NIC-M, NIC-A, NIC or NAD: NAD-V; or Certified CART Providers [CCP] through the National Court Reporters Association) to provide American Sign Language (ASL) to English interpreting and transliteration services and general support services as described herein for deaf Government employees posted to the United States of America domestic and/or international locations or to domestic or international locations temporarily duty (TDY). Such services will be provided in the United States of America and/or international locations as required. The Contractor shall provide employees or designees who are qualified Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) transcriptionists CART service providers will be Certified CART Providers (CCP) through the National Court Reporters Association. The Contractor's employee or designated assignee (on the roster) shall provide interpreting or CART services for all unclassified discussions in non-secured areas. The Contractor's employee or designated assignee (on the roster) shall interpret and/or transliterate or provide CART services for all classified discussions in secured areas. Specific Requirements The Contractor's certified employee or designee shall interpret and/or transliterate to/from American Sign Language/English in informal and formal situations involving in-depth exchanges on a wide variety of subjects to include technical knowledge (Information Technology, Communications, Human Resources, Finance and Budget, Forensics, and Document Examination /etc.). This shall be done in structured or unstructured settings, in private or in public, with high level officials on difficult or sensitive assignments while using a wide range of standard and non-standard terminology for official or unofficial statements. Included in this scope is any interpreting and/or transliterating for the Department of State (DOS) employees who are deaf in emergency situations domestically/internationally and on TDY. The Contractor's certified employee or designee interpreter(s) and CART provider(s) shall: Perform instant analysis to correctly understand the substance of the words and information to be interpreted, including attention to detail and nuances. Convey nuance (tone, diction, meaning, etc.) simultaneously with informational message. Adapt to constantly changing circumstances, personalities, and work environments. Flexibility is very important for successful interactions domestically/internationally and on TDY. Display fluent spoken English and ability to pull from a wide range of terminology in a wide array of professional fields as well as knowledge of the government history and culture of the United States, as well as the Department's mission to support diplomacy worldwide. Perform with clarity, accuracy, and professional, poised delivery. Adjust to the demands of diplomatic protocol, protective security requirements and similar considerations while interpreting with clarity and accuracy. The Contractor's certified employee or designee shall perform interpreting services with the desired tenor of a public statement or the goals to be reached in any situation. Interpret and/or transliterate continuously for not more than two (2) hours at a time without a break. Protocol dictates that the Contractor's certified employee or designee will follow all U.S. Government rules and regulations while domestically/internationally and on TDY locations and is viewed as a representative of the U. S. Government. (i.e., conduct themselves in professional and personal settings as an American representative. American laws apply, as well as the foreign host country laws even in personal conduct and personal actions while on assignment internationally and on TDY.)