Invitation for Bid (IFB) # C24-32746, for In-Person American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting Services for the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) Greater East Bay District and Branch Offices

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES/DELIVERABLES
I. Description Contractor will provide current RID and/or RID-NAD certified American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters, on an ¿as-needed¿ basis, for In-Person ASL Interpreting Services, at the discretion of the contract administrator, to meet the needs of the DOR employees to attend meetings, conferences and/or trainings.
II. Location American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services will be provided for the DOR District and Branch Offices. The locations include, but are not limited to, the list in Exhibit F. 
III. Service Hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT), holidays excluded unless otherwise stated in the Sign Language Interpreter service request.
IV. Special Provisions 1. Types of Services a. The Contractor will be required to provide one or more Sign Language Interpreter(s) to interpret for the DOR employees attending a variety of conferences, meetings and/or trainings.
b. The Contractor may be requested to provide interpreting services to the DOR employees who receive training in a classroom setting. Within a classroom setting the Sign Language Interpreter(s) may interpret presentations, lectures, videotapes, small group discussions etc.
2. Requirements and Proof of Certification of Interpreters a. Sign Language Interpreter(s) shall hold a minimum of one (or more) valid and current certifications of the following:
¿ Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) with a level no less than Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC), National Interpreting Certification (NIC), and/or Certificate of Interpretation (CI), Certificate of Translation (CT) both are required.
OR
¿ Certification by National Association of the Deaf (NAD) with a level no less than Level III (Generalist), IV (Advanced) or Level V (Master)
OR
¿ RID ¿ Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) will be requested specifically as needed.
b. Sign Language Interpreter(s) must present proof of current certification to the DOR representative at the location of the assignment.  The following proof of certification(s) will qualify as stated in Provision #2a:
¿ Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) current membership card ¿ National Association of the Deaf (NAD) current membership card when accompanied with the above RID membership card. (If applicable).
c. Category I Qualifications ¿ Non -Legal, in person ASL Interpreting Contractor shall provide at least one of the following: 1. National Interpreting Certification (NIC) 2. NIC Advanced 3. NIC Master 4. National Association of the Deaf (NAD) III 5. NAD IV 6. NAD V 7. Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) ¿ Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC) 8. RID ¿ Certificate of Interpretation (CI) and Certificate of Transliteration (CT). Both required. 9. RID ¿ Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI)
NOTE: If the contractor fails to provide certified interpreters, DOR has the right to initiate a corrective action plan.  Continued failure to provide certified interpreters may be grounds to cancel this contract.
For Category I the interpreter(s) will be in the same room with the deaf or hard of hearing individuals.
3. Contracting for Services a. The DOR Contract Administrator is the point of contact for this contract. All requests will be made by the DOR Contract Administrator. b. The DOR Contract Administrator will request services through a ¿Work Authorization¿ c. The work authorization shall consist of a detailed statement of the services requested from the Contractor, an estimated time schedule for the delivery of these services by the Contractor and completion criteria for the work to be performed. The work authorization may be submitted to the contractor upon receipt by the Contract Administrator or no earlier than 2 months before the service date.  d. Contractor must respond to the Work Authorization within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt. The date work is to commence is herein referenced as the ¿assignment date¿. e. In the event of an emergency, the Contractor¿s response time frame will be identified in the Work Authorization. f. Excluding emergencies, if Contractor does not accept the Work Authorization within the required timeframe (twenty-four hours), denies the Work Authorization, and/or cannot complete the work described in the Work Authorization, the DOR may elect to send the Work Authorization to another In-Person ASL Interpreting Services Contractor. g. Excluding emergencies, if a Contractor does not accept Work Authorizations within the required timeframe, did not complete the work described in the Work Authorization, is a no-show, and/or misses an assignment five (5) or more times, the DOR may suspend Work Authorizations to the Contractor for a period up to six months. During the suspension, the DOR may elect to send Work Authorizations to another In-Person ASL Interpreting Services Contractor. h. The DOR may at it¿s discretion, terminate the contract where a Contractor has been suspended. i. Work Authorizations executed during the term of the contract must be completed prior to the end date of the contract j. The Prime Contractor shall be the sole point of contact with regard to all contractual matter with the DOR. A prime contractor is an individual, sole proprietorship, firm, partnership, corporation or any other business entity which the DOR has established a contract. k. When requesting In-Person ASL services, the DOR Contract Administrator shall provide the following information to the Contractor:
1. Name of DOR Contact Person 2. DOR Contract Number 3. The Service Address Location and brief description of work performed. 4. Date 5. Time 6. Service Hours - Duration of Assignment Date(s) work is to be performed 7. Number of Interpreters needed to provide the ASL service 8. Dress Code for assignment 9. Any additional information or requirements specific to the job(s) requests, e.g. Zoom links or names of DOR interpreters who will also be providing services.
4. Availability/Service Hours a. Unless otherwise stated in the Work Authorization, in-person ASL interpreters must be available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m. (PT), California State holidays excluded. b. After five (5) hours of work, in-person ASL interpreters are required to take an unpaid lunch break of at least thirty (30) minutes. Multiple in-person ASL interpreters working an assignment must take unpaid lunch breaks in shifts. c. Contractor must be available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PT), California State holidays excluded, to respond to telephone calls requesting support.
5. Replacements a. Prior to the assignment date, Contractor shall identify for the DOR the in-person ASL interpreter assigned and provide a photocopy of the qualifying certification. b. The Contractor shall notify the DOR in writing with at least twenty-four (24) hours¿ notice of an assigned in-person ASL interpreter change. In the case of emergencies (e.g. death, disasters, medical or legal circumstances) Contractor shall notify the DOR immediately by phone or email, same day as the emergency, or as early as practicable. c. Contractor shall provide at least one (1) replacement candidate that will meet or exceed the certifications, experience and skill level of the in-person ASL interpreter being replaced. d. The DOR shall not compensate the Contractor for any time or effort required to prepare the new in-person ASL interpreter for the assignment. e. The DOR reserves the right to require the Contractor to replace an assigned in-person ASL interpreter at any time. Should the DOR exercise this right, the DOR will notify the Contractor in writing and identify the cause.
6. Problems with Assignments a. No-Shows A ¿no-show¿ is when the in-person ASL interpreter(s) does not report for an assignment without notification as required, and no suitable substitute interpreter is provided by the Contractor by the scheduled start time. If a ¿no-show¿ occurs, the DOR may cancel the Work Authorization. Five (5) no shows may cause the Contractor to be suspended by the DOR for up to six (6) months.
b. Missed Assignments A missed assignment is defined as any of the following: ¿ Interpreter(s) arrived fifteen (15) or more minutes late for an assignment at the designated time and place. ¿ Interpreter(s) did not have valid ID or valid certification. ¿ Interpreter(s) did not meet standards for the work environment as defined by the DOR. ¿ Five (5) missed assignments may cause the Contractor to be suspended by the DOR for up to six (6) months.
7. Number of Interpreters Required The number of paid interpreters required will depend on the duration of the assignment:
1-30 minutes: One interpreter 31-60 minutes: Option of one or two interpreters* Over 60 minutes: Two interpreters
*The DOR may request one or two interpreters. In the event that the DOR requests two interpreters, both interpreters will be paid for the duration of the assignment.
8. Multiple Interpreters a. When multiple interpreters are required, and only one (1) interpreter arrives to perform work, at the discretion of the DOR, the in-person ASL interpreter may provide services up to a maximum of sixty (60) minutes until the ¿no-show¿ or a replacement arrives. b. If the ¿no-show¿ or a replacement does not report for the assignment, the working in-person ASL interpreter will be excused from the assignment after 60 minutes. The DOR may deem the occurrence a failure to perform. Contractor may be subject to suspension in accordance to Section 6 of this Agreement. If the Contractor is suspended and the assignment is re-scheduled, the DOR may send the Work Authorization to another Contractor. c. If a replacement reports for the assignment within the first 60 minutes, the Contractor may charge for the actual work performed.