The vendor is required to provide county for translation, interpretation, transcription and sign language services.
- The requested services are set out in five (5) categories:
• Spoken language interpretation
• Video remote interpretation
• Over the phone interpretation
• Written translation (which may include closed captioning/subtitle translation)
• American sign language interpretation
- Core languages
• Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Cantonese, chin Hakka, Dari, Farsi / Persian, French, Gujarati, Haitian creole, Hindi, Korean, mandarin, Nepali, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Swahili, Tagalog, Telegu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, ZOPHEI
- Over the phone language interpretation
1. General telephonic language interpretation services requirements:
• A single, toll-free, nationwide number, provided from a facility within the continental united states, to access all services.
• The contractor shall provide all language interpretation services at the per minute rates as provided within the offeror’s cost proposal.
• The offeror shall not require county to purchase or obtain any specific type of equipment to access telephonic interpreter services.
2. Core language interpretation services:
• Shall be continuously available.
• Shall be available within thirty (30) seconds of county request for Spanish and within thirty (30) minutes for all other core languages.
3. Non-core languages and dialects interpretation requirements:
• The contractor may be asked to provide telephone interpretation services for additional languages and dialects.
• The additional non-core languages and dialects for which interpretation services are available shall be indicated in the contractor’s technical proposal.
• If pricing is included, the pricing must be included with the cost proposal, not the technical proposal.
- Anticipated in-person or virtual interpretations longer than two (2) hours:
• If it is anticipated that interpreter services will be needed in excess of two (2) hours for a single session, county and the contractor will mutually determine if more than one interpreter shall be required, or if the same interpreter will work for the full required duration.
- Interpreter procedure manual:
• The offeror shall provide an electronic copy of their interpreter procedure manual with their proposal submission.
• If awarded, the offeror shall submit any changes to the interpreter procedure manual to the contract manager within two (2) weeks of the interpreter procedure manual being revised.
- Video remote interpretation
1. General video remote interpretation services requirements:
• The contractor shall provide all language interpretation services at the rates provided within the offeror’s cost proposal.
• The offeror shall not require county to purchase or obtain any specific type of equipment to access video remote interpreter services.
- On-site language interpretation
1. General on-site language interpretation service requirements:
• Also includes pricing for simultaneous translation and point-to-your- language cards.
• These additional services may be needed by county, but are not a requirement for submitting a proposal for on-site interpretation.
• An interpreter shall physically be present at the location specified by county.
• On a rare occasion, and with the approval of the contractor, interpreter services may be required a short distance into an adjoining state.
• All on-site interpreters shall conduct themselves professionally at all times while performing contract services.
• Professional or business attire must be worn by interpreters while on-site.
• If it is anticipated that interpreter services will be needed in excess of four (4) hours for a single session, state and the contractor will mutually determine if more than one interpreter shall be required, or if the same interpreter will work for the full duration required.
• The contractor must honor the normal business process.
• For example, if county requires one interpreter for eight hours, and only one interpreter is acceptable to county due to specific reasons known to county, then that determining factor must be honored by the contractor unless there is prior approval from county otherwise.
• On-site interpreters shall maintain the ability to interpret terminology related to the legal, medical, psychological and mental health, educational fields to the extent contained in each contractor’s technical proposal.
• On-site interpreters shall be continuously available, and provided per the following procedures:
o The contractor shall confirm receipt of each work order request by email within two (2) hours of its receipt.
o The contractor will obtain all necessary account, contact, and service information.
o The contractor will confirm the placement of an interpreter for each work order to county.
o All of the above-referenced communications and requirements in this section shall be in writing
(email) and provided to county.
2. Non-core languages and dialects interpretation requirements:
• In addition to the core languages, the contractor may be asked to provide on-site interpretation services for additional languages and dialects.
• The additional non-core languages and dialects for which interpreter services are available shall be detailed in the offeror’s technical proposal.
3. Interpreter procedure manual:
• Provide an electronic copy of their interpreter procedure manual with their proposal submission.
• If awarded, the offeror shall submit any on-site related changes to the interpreter procedure manual to the contract manager within two (2) weeks of the interpreter procedure manual being revised.
- Written document language translation
1. General written document language translation service requirements:
• The contractor shall be capable of receiving source language documents by e-mail or other electronic means (i.e. pdf or flat files, standard word processing languages, etc.).
• The typical delivery is expected to be by e-mail.
• Translation services shall be performed and provided within the continental united states.
2. Written document core language translation service requirements:
• Written document translation shall be continuously available.
• For source documents requiring twenty (20) or fewer pages of target language translation, the translation shall be completed within two (2) days, with maximum up to one (1) week from the day county sends the source language to the contractor.
• The timeframe for completion of written translations requiring more than twenty (20) pages of target language translation shall be completed within two (2) days, with maximum up to one week one (1) week, plus one (1) additional day for each additional ten (10) pages, or portion thereof, of target language translation
3. Translator procedure manual:
• The offeror shall provide an electronic copy of their translator procedure manual with their proposal submission.
• If awarded, the offeror shall submit any written translation related changes to the translator procedure manual to the contract manager within two (2) weeks of the translator procedure manual being revised.
- American sign language interpreters
1. General american sign language requirements:
• Ability to sign to voice and ability to voice to sign.
• Ability to sign and interpret in legal and confidential environments.
• Knowledge of school-related and academic vocabulary.
• Ability to navigate virtual interpreting platforms.
• Ability to provide service in different locations within county as needed.
• Must arrive at least fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of the assignment.
• Must follow registry of interpreters for the deaf (rid) and/or cued language transliterator (clt) code of conduct in all settings.
9. County has the right to reject any staff offered by the contractor or to request replacement of any person determined to be unacceptable.
• Each interpreter’s skill level will be screened by county.
• If personnel changes are made at any time during the contract term county must be notified to approve the change before services are provided.
• The contractor must report changes in staff to county two (2) weeks prior to any changes in service.
• The contractor shall provide county with copies of resumes and any proof of certification as applicable.
• The contractor must have flexibility for adding and withdrawing interpreter assignments with 48-hour notice.
• The contractor must notify county in the event a client does not show up.
• All interpreters will strictly adhere to the code of ethics adopted by the registry of interpreters of the deaf.
• All interpreters will be dressed in appropriate apparel consistent with standards of business, and will present and function as professionals.
• In the event that the assigned interpreter is unable to attend a scheduled event the contractor shall provide a qualified substitute, as scheduled.
• Independent contractors must notify the contract manager no less than three (3) hours prior to a scheduled event during a normal school day or by 4:00 p.m. for an evening event should there be a substitute interpreter assigned.
• County must approve this recommendation
2. Billing
a. Telephonic language interpretation:
• Telephonic language interpretation service will be billed in 1/10th of a minute increments after the first minute.
b. On-site language interpretation:
• The minimum billable time will be two (2) hours.
• After the first two (2) hours, service will be billed in 1/10th of an hour increments.
• At the time of assignment, the contractor will be notified whether the assignment is for a specific activity or an approximate timeframe (i.e., from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.).
• For a defined timeframe assignment, county reserves the right to request the availability of an on-site interpreter for multiple assignments during this timeframe provided all assignments are within the same location.
• The billing for on-site interpreters will be for the duration of the approximate timeframe, the initial 2-hour period from 9-11 a.m. and the duration of time after 11:00 a.m. in 1/10th of an hour increments, less a lunch period.
• Simultaneous interpretation services, after the first two (2) hours, will be billed in 1/10th of an hour increments.
c. Video remote interpretation
• Service will be billed in 1/10th of an hour increments.
• At the time of assignment, the contractor will be notified whether the assignment is for a specific activity or an approximate timeframe (i.e., from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.).
• For a defined timeframe assignment, county reserves the right to request the availability of a virtual interpreter for multiple assignments
• Simultaneous interpretation services will be billed in 1/10th of an hour increments.
d. Written document language translation:
• Written document language translation service will be billed at the per word rate submitted by contractor
• The contractor must allow at least five (5) days after the delivery of a translated document(s) before billing county.
• During this time period, county will review the translated document to ensure the document is translated to the academic and/or cultural level appropriate for the audience receiving the document.
• If changes need to be made to the translated document because it fails to comply with the instructions provided with the assignment, county will notify the contractor during this five (5) day period of review, and the contractor must make the requested changes. any revisions to the translated document(s) shall be provided at no additional cost to county within three (3) days for routine assignments and within one (1) day for expedited assignments.
• If any revision of the translated document is required, billing shall not occur until at least five (5) working days after the translation is accepted.
e. American sign language:
• The minimum billable time will be two (2) hours for onsite services.
• American sign language service will be billed in 1/10th of an hour increments after the first two (2) hours.
- Contract Period/Term: 1 year
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: April 10, 2025