The vendor is required to provide that will enable the city to determine which company and proposed solution will best meet the city’s needs for interpretation, translation, and transcription services.
- Interpretation, translation, and transcription services are anticipated to be utilized in several different government settings, including, but not limited to:
• Public safety;
• Non-emergency and general citizen support;
• Court and legal needs; and
• employee assessment and testing.
- Languages needed.
• Below are the core and desired languages needed based on the population of residents in the city of charlotte.
1. Core languages
• American sign language
2. Other desired languages
• Arabic, Laotian, Cambodian, Napali, Chinese and Mandarin, Russian, Filipino, Somali, French (African), Telugu, German, Thai, Haitian creole, Ukrainian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Korean
- Phone and in-person interpretation services requirements.
• The city requires interpreters for phone support and in-person support.
- Interpretation phone support requirements
• There are two (2) high-priority phone interpretation support categories used by city departments
- Emergency interpretation
• The primary need for phone support interpreters is during public safety issues.
• These are priority situations due to the potential urgency.
• A three-way call will be initiated to connect with a third-party interpreter.
• The response time for connecting with a third-party interpreter should be no more than thirty (30) seconds for core languages and sixty (60) seconds for non-core languages.
- Non-emergency and general citizen support.
• The secondary need for phone interpretation support is for a general interpretation of a phone call from a citizen expressing a community need.
• A three-way call will be initiated to connect with a third-party interpreter.
• The response time for connecting with a third-party interpreter should be no more than sixty (60) seconds for core languages and two (2) minutes for non-core languages.
- Interpretation in-person support requirements
• There are three (3) categories for in-person interpretation support services used by city departments.
1. American sign language (asl).
• The company will provide a qualified asl interpreter for in-person assignments as needed.
• The company must have the capacity to provide an interpreter for emergencies and for non-emergencies.
• The response time for emergencies is no more than one (1) hour and three (3) days for non-emergencies.
• All asl interpreters must be registered and be proficient in both expressive and receptive interpreting.
2. Court-certified interpreter
• The city may require a court-certified interpreter who can respond to a service request in two (2) hours or less for a core language and three (3) hours or less for a non-core language.
• Service acceptance or refusal must take place within ten (10) minutes for a core language and twenty (20) minutes for a non-core language.
• City departments will track the duration of each request before contacting a different vendor.
3. General interpretation.
• The city may require an interpreter for general services.
• A general interpretation calls for service is unplanned and requires an interpreter to be on the scene in one (1) hour or less for a core language and two (2) hours or less for a non-core language.
• The interpreter will use a consecutive and dialogue interpretation method of translation.
• After the source-language speaker has completed the message, the interpreter will be responsible for conveying the message.
• The speech is divided into segments, and the interpreter will sit or stand beside the source-language speaker, listening and taking notes as the speaker progresses through the message.
- Video remote interpretation services requirements.
• The city may need services from a company that can provide video remote interpretation (VRI) in the core languages, specifically american sign language (asl).
• The company shall be responsible for real-time, full-motion video and clear audio over a dedicated high-speed, wide bandwidth video connection or wireless connection.
• High-quality video images that do not produce lags, blurry, or irregular pauses in communication are a requirement.
• The selected company must be able to provide a sharply delineated image that is large enough to display the interpreter’s face, arms, hands, and fingers and the participating individual’s face, arms, hands, and fingers, regardless of the interpreter's body position
- Scheduled interpreter support requirements.
1. Consecutive interpretation.
• The interpreter will speak after the source-language speaker has finished speaking.
• The speech is divided into segments, and the interpreter sits or stands beside the source-language speaker, listening and taking notes as the speaker progresses through the message
2. Simultaneous interpretation
• The interpreter translates the message in the target-language as quickly as he or she can formulate it from the source-language while the source-language speaker continuously speaks.
- Translation service requirements
1. Written translation services.
• Document to document.
• These services include translating written documents, such as informational pamphlets, internal city documents, schedules, or general services information.
2. Document to audio translation services.
• These services include translating documents into an audio file, such as translating recorded messages for a department.
• audio file formats include .wav or .mp3.
3. Document to electronic format translation services.
• These services include translating documents into an electronic file, such as reports, informational pamphlets, or general city departmental information.
• Electronic file formats shall include MS word, pdf, or other electronic formats as requested.
- Transcription service requirements.
• The city has various needs for transcription services.
• These documents can be used in the courtroom.
• The company will convert spoken words into written text.
• This service can be done for live speech, recorded audio, or recorded video.
• Each project shall be provided to the department in the form of a hard copy on one-sided 8 ½” x 11” paper.
• The report should be in twelve (12) point font with half (1/2) inch margins.
• The company will be responsible for a five (5) business day turnaround for requests.
• For emergency and urgent requests, the company shall provide the department with a twenty-four (24) hour turnaround for requested services.
- Proficiency assessment/testing service requirements
• The city may be required to assess the language proficiency of its employees for specific job functions.
• The company will supply training documentation and certification attesting to its capability to accurately evaluate and measure both verbal and written language proficiency in each core and non-core language.
• The company shall deliver a proficiency assessment, including test results, to the relevant city department within two (2) to five (5) business days.
• The city will furnish additional details and specifications should such a requirement arise.
- Captioning service requirements
• The city may require captioning services for a scheduled event.
• City departments will provide a minimum of one (1) business day notice to facilitate scheduling. the company is expected to check in with the respective city department thirty (30) minutes prior to the event, unless otherwise instructed to check in earlier by the requesting department due to logistical arrangements for the event setup.
• City departments will supply all necessary equipment, which includes access to a computer or large display screen, internet connectivity, and an audio line to enable listening to the event.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Non-Mandatory Virtual Pre-Proposal Conference Date: March 26, 2025
- Pre-Proposal Conference Questions/Inquires Deadline: March 24, 2025