[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority requests qualifications from firms to be selected for an on-call list of translation services providers. Selected providers of in-person (simultaneous and following) and written material translation will be tasked to support watershed nonprofits and agencies pursuing engagements with members of disadvantaged communities. This work is funded by the Proposition 1 Disadvantaged Communities Involvement (DCI) Program grant and supports the community engagement and education goals within the One Water One Watershed Plan Update 2018.
Submit a complete electronic copy of the proposal and related information to Mike Antos, Senior Watershed Manager at: mantos@sawpa.gov. Submittals should be delivered via email as a single pdf file, either attached or linked for download. All proposals must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 28, 2019. Proposals received after the stated time will be deleted and will not be considered. If needed, a review panel, composed of SAWPA staff and partner organizations, will conduct question and answer interviews. Any questions about this RFQ must be submitted to Mike Antos at (951) 354-4238 or mantos@sawpa.gov before January 9, 2019. SAWPA is closed 12/24 through 1/1. All questions and answers will be posted here: https://www.sawpa.gov/request-for-proposals/
Please see the complete RFQ packet at the link above.
QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
Question: Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? Whether we need to come over there for meetings? Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? Can we submit the proposals via email?
Answer: If your firm can comply with the requirements set out, there no other barrier to a firm outside the US submitting qualifications. Part of the RFQ is for in-person translation, but each submitter need not include that service in their qualifications. If a firm is selected that is not local, it is very unlikely we would require in-person project management meetings. The qualifications can only be provided by email.
Question: Are free to submit for written translations only?
Answer: Yes, you can submit to be on-call for only written translations.
Question: Does the meeting on January 30th is mandatory? Could it be an E-meeting scheduled instead?
Answer: If interviews are needed, and you are not local, we could handle it via phone or web.
Question: Do you prefer to see the Cost Proposal as a separate file or it should appear as part of our general qualifications document?
Answer: Please ensure the quals are a single pdf file, attached or linked for download in your submittal email.
Question: Do we need to provide the samples of our previous works for all language pairings? What is the page limit for each? Can we arrange these samples in one separate file and attached it to our message?
Answer: The decision of how many and what type of sample to provide is up to you, just comply with the posted RFQ page limits. Again, please ensure the quals are a single pdf file, attached or linked for download in your submittal email.
Question: Do we need to provide the samples of our previous works related to water-related education or communication?
Answer: The decision of how many and what type of sample to provide is up to you, just comply with the posted RFQ page limits.
Question: Do we need to provide translator CVs on this stage? Should these CVs be arranged in one separate file and attached it to our message?
Answer: Please ensure the quals are a single pdf file, attached or linked for download in your submittal email, and ensure you comply with the posted RFQ page limits.
Question: Is there a template for the Technical offer/ Financial Offer? Or can we use our own template?
Answer: There is no template.
Questions: Who is your current provider(s) of ASL services? Of spoken language services? What are the current ASL interpreting rates? What are the current spoken language services rates? If you currently have a service provider, what are the improvements that you would like to see? ASL – Spoken Language –
Answer: SAWPA does not have a current provider of these services.
Question: How many ASL interpreting hours did you use last year?
Answer: None.
Question: What percentage of your interpreting service requests are for “Emergency” needs (requests of less than 72 business hours’ notice)?
Answer: Please review the RFQ, which provides details of how on-call providers will be tasked with work.
Question: Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) can be a cost-effective and convenient alternative to in-person services. Do you currently use VRI for ASL? If yes, who is your current VRI provider? If no, are you interested in our including this service in our proposal?
Answer: SAWPA does not have a current provider of these services. You are welcome to provide any qualifications you deem are responsive to the request.
Question: What percentage of your service requests are for after business hours needs, i.e. 6pm or later and weekends?
Answer: It is hard to make this estimate. Because in-person translation is likely for community meetings, and those are held outside working hours, it is likely that some will occur after business hours.
Question: Will this be a solo or multi awarded bid? If it is a multi-vendor award, do you have a specific number of service providers in mind?
Answer: As is described in the RFQ, SAWPA is producing an on-call list that will include one or more consultants. Task orders will be contingent on requests-for-services made by partner agencies and non-profits, the translation need of that request, and availability of the on-call consultants.
Question: In the Scope of Work, it is mentioned that in-person simultaneous interpretation is required. Are all in-person interpretation appointments to be conducted as simultaneous interpretation, or will there be consecutive interpretation required as well?
Answer: Both simultaneous and following / consecutive in-person translation services are of-interest to SAWPA for the on-call list.
Question: How many appointments or in-person meetings are expected to be required from SAWPA per year?
Answer: This is not easily answered. There is $150,000 grant funding for all translation services, and, the number and kind of tasks are not known until after we request applications from our partners around the watershed.
Question: What are the largest-volume languages (languages requiring the most amount of in-person interpretation support per year)?
Answer: Refer to the RFQ for a discussion of the languages sought. It is not known which will be most engaged by this work, until after applications are received from watershed partners.
Question: Where will the in-person interpretation appointments be held?
Answer: Firms will be tasked to support watershed partners who apply for assistance. The location of each engagement will be dependent on those partners. If there are limitations on what locations you will serve, please make that clear in your qualification packet.
Question: Would SAWPA be open to allowing mileage to be charged (this would help us provide a more competitive hourly rate)?
Answer: Please refer to the RFQ for a discussion of how to incorporate mileage charges.
Question: Could you please provide clarification for both in-person and written services with regards to the following requirement in the Scope of Work: “If providing a fee proposal that include hourly billing rates it must be labor hours by each employee billing classification.” We will provide/present different hourly charges for various different services, such as different hourly rates for proofreading, engineering, multimedia support, interpretation by language, ASL interpretation, etc. Does this meet the requirement? If not, could you please elaborate upon or provide an example of what you mean by “employee billing classification”?
Answer: The nature of the grant funding source requires costs to be allocated to units times counts, so, personnel classification rate times hours, or cost per word, or service per hour, etc. A personnel classification is, for instance, project manager, field technician, pump operator, etc. These classifications would each have a cost rate which would be independent of the actual person doing the work.
Question: Where all answers to these questions will be published?
Answer: Answers are returned via email, and posted here: https://www.sawpa.gov/request-for-qualifications-translation-services/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
