Notice of Set-Aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns: Offers will be solicited only from service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns. Offers received from concerns that are not service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns shall not be considered. Offerors should be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) program for NAICS Code 541930. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is seeking the services of a qualified contractor to perform language-related services including interpreting, translating and transcription. The Contractor must provide all management, supervisory, and project personnel to perform these services, which will be provided on a daily basis and will support the efforts of the U.S. Government’s Embassy, Consulates, and Regional Embassy Offices (REO) in Iraq. Performance under this contract shall include various locations within Iraq. Force protection will be provided by DOS Diplomatic Security Agents, U.S. Military personnel, and certified contracted Personal Security Details (PSD). This is a pre-solicitation notice, not a solicitation. Request for Proposal (RFP) number S-AQMPD-06-R-1008 will be made available to interested service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses on or about November 7, 2005. Proposal evaluation criteria will be provided in the solicitation. All responsible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns may submit a proposal in response to the solicitation which shall be considered by the Department of State. Proposals must be submitted within 30 days from the date the solicitation is issued. Award of the contract is anticipated during the first week of January, 2006 with a start date of January 10, 2006. The Government is contemplating a Time and Materials/Labor Hour contract containing fixed daily and hourly rates. The actual number of contract personnel required may vary to accommodate the increased or decreased workload. This contract is envisioned to provide not more than 40 linguists. The anticipated term of the contract will consist of a one-year base period and four one-year option periods, not to exceed a total of five years. Historically, the value of similar contracts for six month periods has been between $2 million and $3 million. The DOS recognizes a standard workweek from Sunday to Thursday, eight to ten hours per day, with a minimum 45 minute lunch and one 30 minute break in the afternoon. At times, there may be 12 hour workdays. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is transitioning from an environment with intense action to one that the Contractor can expect to normalize. Offices occasionally perform extraordinary hours to accomplish missions on short or no notice. The Contractor must be prepared to provide Linguists for activities 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week. The contractor must, at a minimum, currently possess a Secret facility security clearance issued by the Defense Security Service in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (DOD 5220.22-M). All contractor personnel performing duties in Iraq must have Secret or Interim Secret personnel security clearances issued by Defense Security Service (DSS). Source data will need to be translated from Arabic, generally Iraqi dialect, and Kurdish languages to English. Native or near native capability in the foreign language and an excellent command of the English language are required. Under this contract, the government will require, at a minimum, Linguist(s) be fluent in Arabic, mostly as spoken in Iraq and Kurd. Language proficiency testing in the source language(s) and English is required for all levels of linguists in the four basic communications skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). Evidence of language proficiency testing with acceptable results is required for all linguists prior to assignment to a DOS contract. Testing shall have occurred no more than one year in the past. In-house testing by companies that provide linguistics services will not be accepted. DOS will not reimburse fees charged for language proficiency testing and/or costs associated with state certification, e.g., training and travel. The minimum acceptable language proficiency requirements will be set forth in the solicitation. On occasion, the DOS will identify a special need or requirement that will be identified as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) /Translator, Interpreter, or Transcriber. Examples of subject matter include management, law, education, commercial banking, finance, investment, manufacturing, economics, political, security, intelligence, technical writing, oil production, commerce, medical, sociology, welfare and others. The Contractor will be required to develop a Quality Control Plan (QC Plan) for the term of this contract that establishes and maintains well-documented quality control procedures that ensures adequate quality control throughout all areas of contract performance, and shall be implemented to assure reliability and effective performance. Minimum requirements of the QC Plan will be set forth in the solicitation. It is the intention of the Government to provide personal protective equipment (PPE). However, the Contractor may be required to procure approved Level III body armor and helmets on a cost reimbursement basis, such material to become the property of the USG after invoicing and payment. The Contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COR to ensure that required training is available and personnel receive mandatory training prior to entering Iraq. Personnel must have the necessary experience, education, training and skills to perform the work and manage the requirements included in the contract. Detailed service definitions and descriptions will be set forth in the solicitation. The Contractor shall provide qualified Linguists and Supervisors. Supervisors shall perform as linguists or translators and, unless specifically authorized by the CO or COR, shall be working members of the Contractor’s work force, performing administration and supervision as part of their normal duties. Detailed Linguist qualifications will be described in the solicitation. All Linguists must be capable of satisfactorily performing various linguistic functions and duties, as described below: a. Monitoring, translating, transcribing, interpreting, performing quality control and performing validating services. Linguists shall be responsible for monitoring varying numbers of communications recordings during any given shift. Monitoring (listening to), recording, translating and synopsizing content of real-time oral communications recordings. Transcribing from storage media, but not limited to audiocassettes, videocassettes or digital media and typing in both the required foreign language and English. Preparing typed English translations from other source media. Performing quality control reviews of completed work. Validating the accuracy of completed translations and transcriptions. Interpreting oral conversations, concurrently and simultaneously. b. Providing reliable and accurate transcriptions, translation or interceptions and/or summaries of source materials or recordings, into English. All Linguists shall be capable of performing multi-functional duties; i.e., when not intercepting, there may be a requirement to translate or transcribe source materials/documents and/or perform quality control functions on documents/materials completed by other Linguists. c. At the Government’s expense, attending DOS-sponsored training pertaining to the operation and upgrade of specific equipment and software utilized by DOS. The equipment and software may include audio recording machines, computerized word processor/data management software and other pertinent equipment determined necessary by DOS. d. Performing as required administrative duties related to tasks. Requests for the solicitation, RFP number S-AQMPD-06-R-1008, must be submitted to the Contracting Officer, Mr. Ralph Sutherland, in writing. Inquiries may be submitted by facsimile to (703) 875-6085 or by E-Mail to
[email protected]. The postal mailing address is: Mr. Ralph Sutherland, U.S. Department of State, A/LM/AQM/IT, P.O. Box 9115, Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA 22219-9115. Express mail courier or hand delivery is recommended. The express mail (such as FedEx, DHL, etc.), courier and hand delivery address is: Mr. Ralph Sutherland, U.S. Department of State, A/LM/AQM/IT, Room 219, 1701 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209.