STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

TRANSCRIPTION, TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES

1. DESCRIPTION OF AGREEMENT
The contractor shall furnish services in accordance with this SOW and applicable attachments, when
requested by the Contracting Officer or the authorized representative of the Contracting Officer during the
5 year period commencing on the effective date of this agreement.
All supplies and services shall conform to and be performed in accordance with the highest commercial
standard practices.

2. BACKGROUND
The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship. It does so by sending
approximately 8,000 Volunteers to 65 countries, to assist with their development needs and to build crosscultural understanding. The Peace Corps maintains offices staffed by U.S. Direct Hire and Personal
Services Contractors in almost all of the countries where Volunteers serve. In the majority of the countries
served by Peace Corps, English is not the primary spoken and written language.
The Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (PC OIG) conducts audits, evaluations and investigations of
waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in Peace Corps programs and operations both domestically and
overseas. PC OIG investigators have full law enforcement authority. PC OIG investigates both criminal
and administrative misconduct allegations involving Peace Corps staff, contractors, and Volunteers,
including violations of Peace Corps and U.S. government standards of conduct. Overseas Audits and
Evaluations are normally planned activities that provide more flexibility in obtaining translation and
interpretation support when needed. Investigations are usually reactive, predicated by allegations
received from staff, Volunteers or the general public. Investigations are often time-sensitive, potentially
requiring an investigator to deploy immediately in order to locate and interview available witnesses,
secure statements and evidence, and take other actions in a timely manner.
Because subjects, potential witnesses, and investigative partners often may not speak English, PC OIG
frequently requires spoken and written translation services both in the United States and abroad. The
contractor shall:
1

a.
Provide PC OIG with a competent translations and/or interpretation services as required in each
call. Translation/ interpretation services may be provided remotely by telephone/teleconference, in person
at PC OIG Headquarters, or in person at any Peace Corps Post in locations worldwide. Availability for
teleconference translation/interpretation services shall be within 5 hours of call.
b.
The contractor may be required to conduct simultaneous face-to-face or telephonic interpretation
of conversations for meetings, interviews or conference calls.
c.
As detailed in each call depending on the amount of material to be translated (see e. below), the
contractor may be required to perform general or verbatim translation of written text from foreign
language into English, or vice versa. Documents will often not be in electronic format. Documents may
comprise police reports, court documents, or other information requiring the contractor to have some
degree of familiarity with police or legal procedures.
d.
The contractor shall be able to produce written translation of documents at a minimum daily rate
of 3,000 words per day. Unless otherwise specified in the call, all documents translated shall be delivered
on the delivery due date. The delivery due date shall be calculated using the number of words in the
documents provided divided by 3,000 to arrive at a number of days plus 48 hours or 2 days.
e.
The contractor may be required to transcribe, on a real time basis, the substance of spoken
interviews into a foreign language and/or English in the form of a written statement for the interviewee to
sign.
f.
Because investigations are often Law Enforcement Sensitive, the contractor may be required to
sign a non-disclosure agreement. Specific standard operating procedures for handling investigative
information will be provided at the time of award. The contractor may not transmit documents or
otherwise disclose OIG or investigative information to persons without a need to know, unless directed by
an investigator or appropriate OIG staff.
g.
As detailed in each call, the contractor should have the ability to deploy with an OIG staff person
to any location worldwide. The contractor may be required to travel overseas within 24 hours. Upon
arrival in country, the contractor must have the ability to travel to remote areas, often where health and
sanitary conditions do not meet U.S. standards. Work may occur outside normal business hours, or under
conditions of moderate hardship.
h.
The contractor shall demonstrate certification with EN 15038, European Quality Standard for
Translation Services. The standard encompasses the core processes for written translations, including
commissioning, translation, proofreading, review, project management, quality control, traceability, and
delivery. The standard offers a specific set of procedures and best practices covering all aspects of the
translation process.
i.
For verbal translation and interpretation services the contractor shall provide certification of
proficiency in the source or target language as required in the call. Proof of certification will be
completed and provided in accordance with the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable Scale.
Certification of English proficiency will be completed for non-native speakers of English, as necessary.
2

3. EXTENT OF OBLIGATION
This BPA does not obligate any funds. The Government is obligated only to the extent of authorized
calls/order actually made under this agreement.

4.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The contractor shall provide transcription, translation and/or interpretation services to PC OIG both
domestically and internationally to support its mission.

I.

CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

a.
Maintain accurate, timely records of services provided available for the Peace Corps inspection
and provide copies as needed, during normal business hours without other restrictions;
b.

Ensure contractor personnel possess the following requirements/desired skills/education;

i.

Required Skills:

a)
Professional level of proficiency in spoken, written and oral English and at least one other foreign
language native to one of the countries in Appendix A.
b)
Minimum of 10 years experience providing translation/interpretation services in a professional or
academic setting
c)
Ability to provide timely accurate verbal and written translation foreign language to English and
vice versa
ii.

Desired Skills/Professional Certifications:

a)

Experience working in a law enforcement environment.

b)

Familiarity with police or legal procedures.

c)
Possess official score report issued by Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) , National
Standards for Foreign Language Learning or equivalent entity attesting qualified language proficiency of
3 on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale.
iii.

Desired Education and Experience:

a)
field.

Bachelors degree with a concentration in foreign language, business, law enforcement or related

b)

Providing translation and interpretation services in a variety of settings

c)

Overseas travel
3

c.
Certification of the contractors proficiency will be completed in accordance with the
requirements of the Call Orders. Certification of English proficiency will be completed for non-native
speakers of English, as necessary.
d.
Select qualified personnel capable of performing the duties assigned at the Peace Corps to meet
mission requirements for foreign language support services. Contractor will provide a copy of the
selected personnels official certification attesting the language proficiency. The contractor will notify the
Peace Corps in writing of the identity of the assigned contractor personnel for each call. Peace Corps at
its sole discretion may accept or reject assigned contractor personnel for each call.
e.
As necessary, assign contractor personnel for temporary duty at Peace Corps for a period and
place (headquarters or any Peace Corps post throughout the world) as specified in the Call Orders, under
the supervision of OIG staff;
f.

As necessary, ensure contractor personnel are able to travel.

g.
As necessary, ensure that the assigned contractor personnel will sign an individual agreement and
other relevant documents provided by the Peace Corps concerning compliance with responsibilities
regarding security, information technology security, confidentiality, and applicable Peace Corps security
policies, and agree to be directed by appropriate Peace Corps personnel during the assignment to the
Peace Corps;
h.
Where contractor personnel resources are insufficient to meet Peace Corps requirements, carry
out marketing and recruiting to enroll additional contractor personnel.

II.

PEACE CORPS ROLES/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

a.

Issue Call Orders as needed

b.

Provide full funding for all services ordered

c.
Provide information on security requirements; coordinate with security office to ensure that the
required clearances of contractor personnel supporting Peace Corps are on file and current, and
appropriate to the effort
d.

Execute responsibilities in a timely fashion, paying due obligations

e.
Provide the assigned contractor personnel with office space, as needed, and systems access, as
required, to perform the assigned duties
f.
Evaluate, measure, and validate the effectiveness of the delivered services to ensure successful
accomplishment of goals, objectives, and projected return-on-investment. Ensure evaluation feedback and
results are incorporated into improved solutions and continuous improvement;

5.

PRICING

a.
The contractor warrants that prices set forth in each call are in accordance with the applicable
GSA Schedule contract. The contractor is strongly encouraged to offer price reductions from the
applicable GSA rates. The contractor warrants that prices set forth are as low as, or lower than those
charged to most favored customers for comparable services under similar terms and conditions, in
addition to any discounts for prompt payments.
b.
Peace Corps agrees to pay the contractor for services provided under the terms and conditions of
the BPA as authorized by the Contracting Officer or an authorized representative of the Contracting
Officer and substantiated by invoices and delivery tickets for each call order placed under this agreement.
Travel costs (if any) will be reimbursed based on actual costs that shall not exceed authorized
Government rates, as outlined in the Federal Travel Regulations, and supporting documentation. The
contractor shall provide the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) separate summary listings
itemizing costs for air fares claimed and other travel related expenses including visa fees, immunizations,
preventative medications, etc., together with supporting receipts, In additional, the contractor shall
provide the COR with detailed supporting documentation for lodging, authorized government per diem,
and related travel expense for each individual traveler.
For international travel the contractor shall be reimbursed for allowable expenses and per diem in
accordance with the Uniform Foreign Service Travel Regulations published by the Department of State.
Reimbursement for domestic lodging and M&IE shall be reimbursed at the established per diem rates
published by the General Services Administration (GSA).
The COR or designee must review all contractor requests for reimbursement of travel expenses. The COR
will notify the contractor of the results of their review, including any differences in the amounts claimed.
After a determination of amounts owed for travel costs and agreed upon by both the Contractor and COR,
the Contractor may prepare its invoice and submit it to Peace Corps for reimbursement. See Annex 1 for
more information regarding Travel.

6.

TERM OF BPA

The duration of this BPA is five (5) years from the date it was established, unless the BPA is cancelled or
expires. A BPA automatically expires when the Schedule contract from which it was established no longer
exists (e.g., the Schedule contract was cancelled or expired). If the Schedule contract from which this
BPA is established will be migrated to a Consolidated Schedule contract, the contractor shall provide
thirty (30) days notice prior to the estimated migration date to the BPA Contracting Officer. A change in
the referenced Schedule contract number as a result of the migration does not change the terms and
conditions of this BPA. As most systems cannot accommodate an administrative change of the referenced
Schedule contract number, a new BPA number will be established referencing the new Schedule contract
number.

The Government will review this agreement annually, as necessary, and may make adjustments to ensure
the terms of the agreement remain favorable. The government may cancel this BPA by providing written
notice. The cancellation will take effect 30 calendar days after the BPA Contractor receives notice of
cancellation. BPA cancellation does not release the BPA Contractor from the duty to continue
performance on existing orders or complete BPA level reporting requirements. Ongoing orders already
issued continue in accordance with their own period of performance, even if the BPA is cancelled.
Termination procedures for orders are addressed in the underlying Schedule Contract.
Order Period of Performance
Orders can only be issued against existing BPAs. Each order has its own period of performance. Orders
issued prior to, but not completed before the BPA ends shall be completed in accordance with FAR clause
52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY OCT 1995 (DEVIATION IJAN 1994), paragraph (d) unless
terminated by the ordering activity.
GSA has a web page with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Professional Services Schedule
(PSS) at www.gsa.gov/psschedule where you can find the latest information on the Professional Services
Schedule initiative.
If you have any questions regarding GSAs Professional Services Schedule initiative, please contact
Kathy Jocoy, PSS Project Manager at Kathy.jocoy@gsa.gov. If you have questions related to the
migration process or acquisition issues, please contact Kim McFall, GSA Supervisory Contract Specialist,
at Kimberly.mcfall@gsa.gov.

7.

AUTHORIZED CALLERS

a.
An authorized caller letter will be approved in writing by the Contracting Officer and provided to
the Contractor. Individuals authorized to place calls against this agreement are the Contracting Officer
and/or the authorized representatives of the Contracting Officer.
b.
The contractor SHALL NOT accept calls from any individual not authorized to place calls under
this BPA. As appropriate, the BPA will be modified to add and deleted individuals authorized to place
orders.
8. BPA ORDERING PROCEDURES/REQUIREMENTS
a.
Orders shall be placed in accordance with the procedures outlined in FAR 8.405-3(c)(2). Orders
valued at above the micro purchase threshold will be competed amongst BPA holders. For translation and
transcription orders that are competed, the requiring office shall give preference to SBA certified, small
disadvantaged business BPA holders that are able to fulfill the requirement as described in the RFQ for
each individual order and within the scope of the base BPA SOW.
b.

Ordering under this BPA shall be accomplished through one of the following methods:

- Issuance of a purchase order prepared and signed by an authorized user (or)

- Use of the Government Purchase Card up to $25,000.

c.
In all cases, a call order number shall be furnished to the contractor by the authorized user. The
contractor is required to insert the call order number on the delivery ticket and invoice. Failure to include
the call order number on the delivery ticket and invoice shall adversely impact the expeditious processing
of payments and shall be regarded as an invoice discrepancy.
d.
The contractor SHALL NOT accept orders from authorized users for services not specifically
listed in this BPA.
9.

DELIVERIES

a.

All services shall be delivered as indicated by the BPA call order.

b.
Only those services specifically listed on the approved BPA price list are authorized for delivery.
Delivery of unauthorized services shall be at the risk of and the sole responsibility of the contractor and
may result in non-payment as well as cancellation of this agreement.
c.

Partial delivery of services shall be accepted only if indicated on the call order in writing.

Delivery Tickets
All services provided under this agreement shall be substantiated by delivery tickets which contain the
following minimum information:
-

Name of contractor

BPA Number

Date of Purchase

Call order Number

Date of Delivery or Service

10. DELIVERY SCHEDULE

The delivery schedule to Peace Corps OIG will be specified in each call order.
Unless otherwise specified in the call order, Inspection & Acceptance for all items shall be performed by
the Government at the Peace Corps OIG, Washington, DC.

11.

PERFORMANCE

The contractor shall adhere to standards identified below representing a combination of best industry
practice and those agreements that are determined to be the most useful and desirable metrics for the
Peace Corps. Peace Corps shall conduct periodic performance reviews.
The table below reflects the current set of service levels the contractor agrees to meet to ensure acceptable
performance standards are maintained throughout the term of this BPA. However, these service levels
may be modified from time to time as agreed to by the parties.

Primary
Responsivenes
s

Responsivenes
s

Product
Delivery

Product
Delivery

Product
Accuracy

Performance
Standard
All quotes shall be
transmitted
electronically
within 1 business
day of issuance of
a call order
Contractor has a
translator available
for international
travel within the
timeframe detailed
in the call order
Deliverables are
received in the
agreed upon format
(electronically,
word document
format, verbally,
via email etc.) and
the agreed upon
method as detailed
in call order
All services shall
be competed and
delivered within 10
working days from
delivery date
agreed on call
order
Products are
delivered free of
errors in grammar
or content.

Acceptable Performance Level

95% of quotes are received
within 1 business day standard

Method
Surveillance
Manual
tracking

For the languages Contractor

indicates they can support,
Contractor provides a translator
available for international travel
75% of the time

Manual
tracking

95% of deliverables are received

as detailed in the call order

Manual
tracking

95% of orders delivered within

10 working day standard over
12 month period

Manual
Tracking

< 5% of products are returned

due to errors in grammar,
spelling or content over 12
month period. As products

Manual
Tracking

may be issued without

revision, technical judgments
or decisions by the Contractor
8

Product
suitability

Products delivered
by the interpreter
and translator have
been self-revised1

are likely to affect the work

of those for whom the
translations are being
prepared and errors are likely
to have an adverse impact
upon the target audience.
Substantive errors and
incomplete translations could,
if undetected, may cause
embarrassment to OIG.
<5% of products are
questioned or returned due to
clarity, readability or technical
completeness over a 12 month
period. This includes the
suitability of translations in
terms of accuracy,
completeness, technical
competence, clarity and
readability, and of producing a
revised text or a self-revised
translation which is ready for
processing in final form and
the determination of
appropriate terminology.

Manual
tracking

12.INVOICE REQUIREMENTS
Invoices shall be submitted to the address shown on the cover page of this contract. The format of the
invoice and/or accompanying documentation shall be agreed to between the Contracting Officers
Representative (COR) and the contractor. The invoice shall include, but not be limited to, the following
information:

Name and address of the contractor

Invoice date and invoice number

Period of performance covered by the invoice

BPA Number/Call Number

1 The concept of revision also encompasses self-revision, whereby a document is both translated
and revised by the self-revising translator who, like a reviser, is responsible for producing the final
text, faithful to the spirit and nuances of the original and meeting all the requisite standards
expected by OIG. The major duty of a self-revising translator is the translation of documents for
self-revision and the subsequent revision of these translations, however, the revision of his or her
own translation constitutes the primary and most critical function of a self-revising translator.


Description, price(s), date of service, and quantity(ies) of services and supplies for which
payment is being requested

Shipping and payment terms, if any

EFT account/payment information (see below)

Costs incurred under the current voucher or costs incurred to date (cumulative)

Signature of the contractors authorized representative

Contractors Tax Identification Number (TIN)

a. Invoice Submission
The contractor shall prepare invoices and shall render an electronic copy original to the following
address:
Peace Corps/Attn: OGAP
Email: gapdomesticinvoices@peacecorps.gov
For questions regarding payments, please send an e-mail inquiry, including the invoice number,
contract/purchase order number, billed amount and date sent to Disbursing@peacecorps.gov
b. Invoice Certification
Upon receipt of the invoices, the Peace Corps will check the invoices for correctness and appropriateness
of the charges and will ensure that chargeable items appearing on the invoices have been formally
accepted by the Peace Corps. In the event that the Peace Corps discovers any discrepancies in the
invoice, the Peace Corps Contracting Officer and COR will, in addition to following the requirements of
the Prompt Payment Act, take steps necessary to resolve the discrepancies with the contractor.
c. Invoice Payment
For the purposes of this subsection, invoice payment is a Government disbursement of moneys to the
contractor under this contract for products and/or services which are formally accepted by the
Government. Invoices are payable in accordance with the requirements of the Prompt Payment Act.
Payment will be considered as being made on the day of the electronic funds transfer is made. A summary
invoice shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative for all deliveries made
during a billing period, identifying the delivery tickets covered therein, starting their total dollar value and
supported by receipted copies of the delivery tickets.

13.

CLAUSES/PROVISIONS
10

13.1

Clauses Incorporated By Reference (FAR 52.252-2) (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they
were given in full text. Upon request, the CO will make their full text available. Also, the full text can be
accessed electronically at these internet addresses: http//farsite.hill.af.mil/.
FAR Clause No.
52.204-13
52.212-4
52.222-50
52.219-7
52.219-8
52.219-9
52.219-14

13.2

Clause Title
System for Award Management Maintenance
Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items
Combating Trafficking in Persons
Notice of Partial Small Business Set-Aside
Utilization of Small Business Concerns
Small Business Subcontracting Plan Alt II (Applicable to
Offerors other than small businesses only)
Limitations on Subcontracting (Applicable to Small
Business set aside only)

Date
JUL 2013
DEC 2014
MAR 2015
Jun 2003
Oct 2014
Sep 2013
Nov 2011

FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999)

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates
specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor
rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the
total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may
exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days prior to expiration of contract.
(End of clause)

13.3

FAR 52.219-28 Post-Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause-Long-term contract means a contract of more than five years in duration, including options. However, the
term does not include contracts that exceed five years in duration because the period of performance has
been extended for a cumulative period not to exceed six months under the clause at 52.217-8, Option to
Extend Services, or other appropriate authority.
Small business concern means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and
operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and
qualified as a small business under the criteria in 13 CFR part 121 and the size standard in paragraph (c)
of this clause. Such a concern is not dominant in its field of operation when it does not exercise a
controlling or major influence on a national basis in a kind of business activity in which a number of
business concerns are primarily engaged. In determining whether dominance exists, consideration shall be
given to all appropriate factors, including volume of business, number of employees, financial resources,
11

competitive status or position, ownership or control of materials, processes, patents, license agreements,
facilities, sales territory, and nature of business activity.
(b) If the Contractor represented that it was a small business concern prior to award of this contract, the
Contractor shall rerepresent its size status according to paragraph (e) of this clause or, if applicable,
paragraph (g) of this clause, upon the occurrence of any of the following:
(1) Within 30 days after execution of a novation agreement or within 30 days after modification of the
contract to include this clause, if the novation agreement was executed prior to inclusion of this clause in
the contract.
(2) Within 30 days after a merger or acquisition that does not require a novation or within 30 days after
modification of the contract to include this clause, if the merger or acquisition occurred prior to inclusion
of this clause in the contract.
(3) For long-term contracts
(i) Within 60 to 120 days prior to the end of the fifth year of the contract; and
(ii) Within 60 to 120 days prior to the date specified in the contract for exercising any option thereafter.
(c) The Contractor shall rerepresent its size status in accordance with the size standard in effect at the time
of this rerepresentation that corresponds to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
code assigned to this contract. The small business size standard corresponding to this NAICS code can be
found at http://www.sba.gov/content/table-small-business-size-standards .
(d) The small business size standard for a Contractor providing a product which it does not manufacture
itself, for a contract other than a construction or service contract, is 500 employees.
(e) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this clause, the Contractor shall make the representation
required by paragraph (b) of this clause by validating or updating all its representations in the
Representations and Certifications section of the System for Award Management (SAM) and its other data
in SAM, as necessary, to ensure that they reflect the Contractors current status. The Contractor shall
notify the contracting office in writing within the timeframes specified in paragraph (b) of this clause that
the data have been validated or updated, and provide the date of the validation or update.
(f) If the Contractor represented that it was other than a small business concern prior to award of this
contract, the Contractor may, but is not required to, take the actions required by paragraphs (e) or (g) of
this clause.
(g) If the Contractor does not have representations and certifications in SAM, or does not have a
representation in SAM for the NAICS code applicable to this contract, the Contractor is required to
complete the following rerepresentation and submit it to the contracting office, along with the contract
number and the date on which the rerepresentation was completed:
The Contractor represents that it [ ] is, [ ] is not a small business concern under NAICS Code
______________ assigned to contract number ______________.[Contractor to sign and date and insert
authorized signer's name and title].
12

13.4

Use of Peace Corps Relationship and Logo (May 2003)

Under the Peace Corps Act, no party is allowed to use the Peace Corps name or logo unless one is
referring to official Peace Corps programs and activities. The contractor shall make no publicity
announcements or issue other public relations material mentioning the contractor's connection with Peace
Corps and or use of the Peace Corps logo without the advance written concurrence of the Contracting
Officer. Under no circumstances shall the Peace Corps name or logo be used for personal or other nonofficial correspondence or e-mails.
13.5

PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS (November 2005)

It is the policy of Peace Corps to exclude from engagement via contractual relationship, including
subcontracts, any individuals who have engaged in intelligence activity or related work or who have been
employed by or connected with an intelligence agency either directly or by way of contract.
(End of clause)

13.6

52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and
effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text
available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed
by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those
provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate
information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed
electronically at this/these address(es):
http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm

52.204-7
52.212-3

52.225-25

13.7

52.212-1

System for Award Management

Offeror Representations and Certification--Commercial
Items
Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in
Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran-Representation and Certifications.
Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Items

JUL 2013
MAR 2015

DEC 2012

APR 2014

This is a best value, competitive requirement. Each quote shall be submitted with the most favorable
pricing and technical terms the vendor can provide to the Government. Award will be made through a
notice of award to the Offeror whose offer conforms to the solicitation requirements; who is determined
13

responsible in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) by possessing the financial and
other capabilities to fulfill the requirements of the contract; and whose quote is judged, by an integrated
assessment of price and other evaluation factor(s) to be the most advantageous to the Government.
Awards will only be made to an Offeror that has no organizational conflict of interest as defined in FAR
9.5 or that the Contracting Officer determines has provided a satisfactory mitigation plan. The
Government will use the best value trade-off process in determining which offer is in the best interest of
the Government. Interested Offerors shall provide a response to this solicitation in two volumes:
VOLUME 1 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (Page Limit: 15)
This volume must address the Offerors ability to meet the Peace Corps requirements as stated in the
SOW, a response to the sample Calls (Attachment D) and past performance references. Bidders should
provide the following information to allow the customer to compare their bids: Provide three references
of government (federal, D.C., or state) customers with which the contractor has worked, one of which
must be a current customer of the contractor. Preference will be given for references from law
enforcement agencies or entities. A reference source can be provided for all services described in the
SOW (translation, interpretation, transcription). Provide descriptions of the contractors experience, if
any, in providing translations, interpretations, or transcriptions for law enforcement entities. Provide an
alphabetized list of languages in which the contractor can provide translation, transcription and/or
interpretation services, limiting the list to languages commonly spoken in Peace Corps countries. A
language will be considered commonly spoken if more than ten percent of the population is listed in the
Central Intelligence Agency The World Factbook as speaking the language in question. Volume 1 must
not exceed fifteen (15) pages in length, including cover page, table of contents, and other addendum
(resumes do NOT count toward the page limit).
VOLUME 2 PRICE PROPOSAL (NTE 5 pages)
This volume must contain the following elements: (1) Offerors price proposal IN THE FORMAT
PRESCIBED IN THE TEMPLATE PROVIDED (Attachment B); (2) completed Domestic Vendor
File Request Form, PC-708 (Attachment C).
Questions about this solicitation must be received by Peace Corps no later than Tuesday, September 29th,
2015 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (ET). Questions in response to this RFQ shall be submitted via e-mail to
Dana Weimar at: dweimar@peacecorps.gov. Include in the subject line of the e-mail RFQ PC-15-Q-089
Transcription, Translation and Interpretation Services. Questions that are faxed will not be accepted.
Questions must be received by the closing date and time stated above.
All quotes in response to this RFQ# PC-15-Q-089 must be submitted to Dana Weimar at:
dweimar@peacecorps.gov no later than Thursday, October 8th, 2015, 12:00 PM (ET).
Offers must be valid for no less than 90 days after the submission deadline.

13.8

52.212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

14

(a) The Government will award a BPA resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose
offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors
considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:
(i) Technical capability of the service offered to meet the Government requirement; Contractor
shall provide to the Government proof that the work force possesses the skill, knowledge, experience,
proficiency, training and certifications to satisfactorily perform the services required by this contract in
accordance with the terms of their GSA Schedule and the Statement of Work, including an alphabetized
list of languages in which the contractor can provide translation, transcription and/or interpretation
services, limiting the list to languages commonly spoken in Peace Corps countries. A language will be
considered commonly spoken if more than ten percent of the population is listed in the Central
Intelligence Agency The World Factbook as speaking the language in question. Volume 1 must not exceed
fifteen (15) pages in length, including cover page, table of contents, and other addendum (resumes do
NOT count toward the page limit).
Sub factor: Response to sample Calls (Attachment D) The Contractor shall provide a response
to the sample Calls in accordance with the terms of their GSA Schedule and the Statement of Work.
(ii) Past Performance - Offerors shall submit three (3) references of government (federal, D.C., or
state) customers with which the contractor has worked, one of which must be a current customer of the
contractor. Preference will be given for references from law enforcement agencies or entities. A reference
source can be provided for all services described in the SOW (translation, interpretation, transcription).
Provide descriptions of the contractors experience, if any, in providing translations, interpretations, or
transcriptions for law enforcement entities. The government may use whatever resources are available at
the time of evaluation to determine past performance rating, including but not limited to information
taken from the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS).
(iii) Price See Attachment B Price Schedule Template for format. Pricing will be compared to
commercial standard pricing to make a determination of fair & reasonable. Offerors are encouraged to
offer discounts on their GSA Schedule rates.

EVALUATION FACTOR RATINGS

Technical Proposals will be evaluated on a best value, tradeoff basis.

The following adjectival ratings will be used to evaluate the content of the technical volume other than
past performance:

Table 1. Technical Capability Factor and Sample Call approach Factor Ratings

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OUTSTANDING

Quote satisfies all of the Governments requirements and indicates thorough and comprehensive
understanding of the requirement and offers numerous significant strengths, which are not offset
by weaknesses, with an overall low degree of risk in meeting the Governments requirement.

GOOD

Quote satisfies all of the Governments requirements and indicates a thorough understanding of
the requirement and offers some significant strengths or numerous minor strengths, which are
not offset by weaknesses, with an overall low to moderate degree of risk in meeting the
Governments requirement.

ACCEPTABLE

Quote satisfies all of the Governments requirements and indicates an adequate understanding of
the requirement, with an overall moderate to high degree of risk in meeting the Governments
requirement.

MARGINAL

Quote satisfies the Governments entire requirement but indicates a superficial or vague
understanding of the requirement, with an overall high degree of risk in meeting the
Governments requirement.

UNACCEPTABLE

The quote contains major error(s), omission(s) or deficiency (ies) and indicates a lack of
understanding of the requirement and cannot be expected to meet the requirement or involves a
very high risk.

The Government will evaluate the Past Performance with the following ratings detailed in Table 2:
Table 2. Past Performance Factor Confidence Assessment
Rating

Description

ACCEPTABLE

Based on the offerors recent/relevant performance record, the Government has a reasonable
expectation that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

UNACCEPTABLE

Based on the offerors recent/relevant performance record, the Government has no expectation
that the offeror will be able to successfully perform the required effort.

NEUTRAL

No recent/relevant performance record is available or the offerors performance record is so

sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned.

BASIS FOR AWARD

Technical capability and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price.
(b) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful
offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without
further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an
offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of
withdrawal is received before award.
Annex 1
INTERNATIONAL & DOMESTIC TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
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In the performance of work under this task order contractor personnel may be required to travel to Peace
Corps Posts located overseas. The Posts are located in developing countries, often requiring several
connecting flights to reach destinations. See Appendix A for a list of examples of Peace Corps Posts and
countries served (subject to change). Contractor personnel traveling to these destinations should not
expect lodging and dining facilities that are equivalent to what is found in developed nations. Further,
communications and transportation systems are often not modern or convenient. Since Peace Corps
operates nine (9) domestic Volunteer Recruiting Stations, a limited amount of travel within the
Continental U.S. may also be necessary. Lastly, contractor and subcontractor personnel shall have
adequate amounts of insurance (i.e. health, accident, third party liability, emergency medical evacuation,
etc.) when traveling overseas. Peace Corps will not be responsible for providing medical care, emergency
evacuation, or treatment to contractor personnel in the event of illness of injury. All costs associated with
medical care are the responsibility of the contractor and subcontractor.
The contractor shall submit all travel plans to the COR for approval. The plan should include the purpose
of the visits, locations proposed, and projected travel itineraries, including the names of staff that will be
performing the review work. Also, the contractor shall include a review program detailing the procedures
applicable to the sites proposed for visits. For overseas trips, travel plans must be provided to the COR
within 30 calendar days of the date of the first planned visit. The COR shall provide their approval to the
contractor in writing or by e-mail.
For overseas travel the contractor shall be reimbursed for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses
(M&IE) at the current per diem rates published by the U.S. Department of State. Reimbursement for
domestic lodging and M&IE shall be reimbursed at the established per diem rates published by the
General Services Administration (GSA). Transportation for domestic and international travel should be
arranged through the Peace Corps commercial travel office or using the Contractors normal travel
services provider and/or associated processes. Air fares related to internal travel to Peace Corps posts
must be approved by the COR prior to final booking. In all cases involving travel procedures, policy, and
reimbursement, current Federal and applicable Peace Corps travel regulations must be followed. The
contractor shall be reimbursed for all authorized and approved travel expenses, and therefore anticipated
travel expenses should not be included in proposals to this RFQ. Travel expenses associated with
acquiring passports, country-specific visas, immunizations, preventative medicines (such as Malaria
pills), etc., may be reimbursed upon approval by the COR. The contractor must submit original travel
receipts for all travel-related expenses. The COR will review and approve travel expense documentation
submitted by the contractor. Individual contractor travelers must summarize and submit reimbursement
for travel expenses using forms designated by the COR. Final adjudication and approval of travel
reimbursements are made by the COR. Reimbursement of travel costs will be in accordance with the
Federal Travel Regulations per FAR 31.205-46. The contractor shall travel using the lower cost mode
transportation commensurate with the mission requirements.

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