SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Board of Veterans' Appeal Hearing TranscriptionCourt Reporting Services
- Notice Date
- 6/15/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 561410
— Document Preparation Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;VA Central Office;Acquisition Operations Service (049A3);810 Vermont Avenue, NW;Washington DC 20420
- ZIP Code
- 20420
- Solicitation Number
- VA-101-06-RQ-0146
- Response Due
- 6/21/2006
- Archive Date
- 6/23/2006
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Board of Veterans' Appeal Hearing Transcription Court Reporting Services This RFQ VA-101-06-RQ-0146 is intended to procure Hearing Transcription Court Reporting Services. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation document incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through FAC 05-09. This associated NAICS Code work shall be performed under is 561410. This acquisition is restricted as a Small Business set aside. The total dollar size standard is $6.0 Million. The provisions at 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items, and 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items apply to this solicitation. Offerors are responsible for returning a copy of the Representation and Certifications at FAR 52.212-3 with their proposal. A copy of the provision can be obtained at www.arnet.gov . Commercial items FAR clauses 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, and 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders - Commercial Items, apply to this acquisition. All Contractors are required to register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database prior to being awarded a contract. Contractors are responsible for the accuracy of information added to CCR. To register go to http://www.ccr.gov/. If you are interested in this acquisition, you may participate by submitting your response in accordance with the following instructions. QUESTIONS Questions for this RFQ are due on June 16, 2006 no later than 5:00pm Eastern Time. All questions shall be sent via email at the address specified below. RFQ DUE DATE: The due date for responses to this RFQ, both technical and price quotes, shall be via email at the addresses specified below, on or before 2:00pm Eastern Time, no later than June 21, 2006. Also, the email submission MUST be followed up with an original hard copy at the address specified for receipt of offers below. ADDRESS FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS Submit your offers electronically to the following email address: hilbert.caesar@va.gov Hard Copies should be delivered to the following address: Department of Veterans Affairs Attn: Hilbert Caesar Acquisition Operations Services 810 Vermont Ave, NW - Room 765AA Washington, DC 20420 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance (POP) shall be for 1 base year beginning at date of award and with 4 optional renewal years. Statement of Work GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Title of Project: BVA Hearing Transcription Court Reporting Services Background: Hearings before a Veterans Law Judge of the BVA are for the purpose of receiving testimony and evidence in support of an appellant's claim. Generally, the appellant and representative appear and present argument in support of an appeal. In some circumstances a witness or witnesses may also be present. Hearings are informal and non-adversarial. Parties are permitted to ask questions, including follow-up questions of all witnesses but cross-examination is not permitted. The Board conducts personal hearings in Washington, DC and on travel board at various regional offices throughout the U.S. and via video conferencing. The majority of hearings are less than 60 minutes in length and are recorded on audiocassette tape or digital media, transcribed, and a paper copy is associated with the appellant's record. The Board's projection for transcription contract services for fiscal year 2006 is 5,500 hearings, at approximately 458 per month as needed. Types of Hearings: Central Office Hearings are where all the parties are present in a BVA hearing room located in Washington, DC. Travel Board Hearings are where all the parties are present in a hearing room located in a VA Regional Office throughout the United States; Manila, the Phillipines; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Video Conference Hearings are where the appellant and representative are present in a VA Regional Office and the Veterans Law Judge is located in Washington, DC. The hearing is conducted using videoconference equipment with the recording of the hearing occurring in Washington, DC. Scope: Contractor(s) shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this SOW. The scope includes, but is not limited to, the accurate recording and transcription of BVA hearings. Work Orders: Upon request by authorized BVA personnel, the Contractor shall accurately record and transcribe each hearing in MS Word 2003 format and provide one paper copy, a corresponding diskette, and return the original audiocassette tapes or digital media to BVA. Type of Contract: The Government requests multiple contractors. Each Contractor will be on a firm-fixed price, performance-based service work order. Offers should indicate pricing. Pricing: The price per page will be a firm-fixed price. The cover page is provided by the Government via electronic template and will not be included in the price per page. Period of Performance: The period of performance is one base year (12) months beginning the date of award of contract, along with four (4) twelve (12) months option years that may be exercised at the Government's discretion based on availability of funds and the Government's needs for services. Data Rights: BVA reserves the right to make additional printed and electronic copies, or portions thereof, of all transcriptions as it deems necessary and the Contractor(s) shall have no claim for additional copies. DELIVERABLES Delivery of tapes, paper copy of transcripts, and diskettes shall be by overnight delivery (or through the VA computer network where applicable) with the ability to track by a tracking number. The Government will provide postage paid mailing labels and, unless otherwise requested, the deliverables should be sent to the address provided by the Government. Each Contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below based on the type of services provided. On site court reporter services: delivery of recorded hearing tapes or digital media, paper transcripts, and diskettes containing electronic transcripts will be due at the completion of the Government's business day on the day the service is provided. Speaker phone transcription services: delivery of recorded hearing tapes or digital media, paper transcripts, and diskettes containing electronic transcripts will be due two business days after the day the service is provided. Transcription of hearings recorded by the Government: delivery of tapes or digital media, paper transcripts, and diskettes containing electronic transcripts will be due within 14 calendar days of BVA issuing of a work order. All deliverables per work order will be returned in the same bundle as received. The Contractor should identify the maximum number of hearing transcripts they are able to complete within the 14 calendar day time period. Deliverable One - On-site Court Reporter: When requested by the Government, the contractor will provide an "on-site" certified court reporter to appear at the St. Petersburg, FL and/or Waco, TX Department of Veterans' Affairs Regional Office, or the Board's offices in Washington, DC. The contractor will provide the court reporter to record and transcribe the spoken record of BVA hearings conducted. The court reporter will produce a recording of each hearing on audiocassette tape or digital media, an official transcript (paper copy as stated in the deliverables described in this SOW) of each hearing, and diskettes containing an electronic copy of each hearing transcript. The tentative dates for St. Petersburg and Waco are 6/26-6/30/06, 7/17-7/21/06, 8/7-8/11/06, 9/11-9/15/06, and undetermined dates starting October 2006 through January, 2007. The dates for the Washington office will commence at the start of the contract. The Government has the option to accept speaker phone transcription service in lieu of an "on-site" court reporter. Deliverable Two - Official Printed Hearing Transcript: Transcripts shall be prepared and delivered in a manner that would be acceptable to BVA. Accurately transcribed paper copy of each hearing in MS Word 2003 format. Transcripts shall be prepared and delivered on 8 ?" x 11" white bond paper. An electronic template cover page and a sample hearing transcript will be provided to the Contractor (Attachments A1, A2, & A3). The Specifications of Page Layout for the Cover Pages are: Central Office Hearings, use electronic template (Attachment A1) Travel Board Hearings, use electronic template (Attachment A2) Video Conference Hearing, use electronic template (Attachment A3) The Specifications of Page Layout for Text Pages are: Font - Times New Roman regular font size 13 Top margin - 1.5 inches from the top of page Left and right margins - 1 inch each Bottom margin - 1 inch from the bottom of page Footer - page numbering, starting at the center, .5 inches from the bottom of the page starting on the first page Line spacing - typing shall be 1.5 line-spacing There will be no line numbering on the transcripts Deliverable Three - Electronic Hearing Transcript: Corresponding electronic copy of the transcript, stored on a 3.5" double sided, high density diskette in MS Word 2003 format shall be prepared and delivered with the paper copy of the transcript. In lieu of a 3.5" diskette, where applicable, an electronic copy can be submitted by means of the VA virtual private network utilizing the hearing transcript management software in use at the Board. The Contractor(s) shall be responsible for their connectivity to the VA computer network and ensure that any connected computer equipment meets VA standards relating to security. Deliverable Four - Electronic Work Order: The Government will provide an electronic copy of each work order to the Contractor (Attachment B). Upon completion of the requirements associated with the work order, the Contractor will update the electronic work order and return the updated work order with all other deliverables. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF DELIVERABLES The Government will review finalized deliverables within 7 calendar days of receipt and will notify the Contractor of acceptance or rejection. The Government will not issue notice of acceptance until all required deliverables associated with the work order are received. In the event of rejection of any deliverables, the Contractor(s) shall be notified in writing and shall have up to 7 calendar days to correct the deficiencies at no cost to the Government. The Government shall have 7 calendar days to review subsequent submissions of the same deliverables. ASSUMPTIONS, CONDITIONS, OR EXCEPTIONS Offerors must submit, under separate cover, all (if any) assumptions, conditions, or exceptions with any of the terms and conditions of this solicitation including the SOW. If not noted in this section of your quote, it will be assumed that the 0fferor proposes no assumptions for award, and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein. TECHNICAL QUOTE (Volume 1) Offerors shall provide a technical quote that includes the following general areas: Understanding of the Problem, Personnel Assigned to Task, Knowledge and Experience of Offeror, and Past Performance Performing Similar Tasks PRICING QUOTE (Volume 2) Your price quote shall be a separate volume from your technical quote. The price quote is to be submitted as a Firm Fixed Price quote. The price data shall be segregated and identified by deliverable. A Cumulative Price Summary Price sheet will be submitted. The pricing sheet will have totals for all columns of data - labor price, travel (if applicable), software, etc will be summed and totaled. Your price quote shall be based on your current price list labor rates, utilizing any and all available discounts. The government requests a discount from your current GSA Schedule Rates. The Offeror must identify the labor category(s) to be utilized for this effort, a description of the skills and experience per category, and the hourly rate(s) proposed, and any other proposed associated prices, for calculating the proposed price for this effort. Subcontractor rate information shall also be included, if applicable. List all other direct prices necessary for the performance of this task order. Price quotes shall include the following: 1) A price for each task with tasks organized into the proposed organization structure. Travel should be priced as a separate line item if applicable. Also include with the price for each task a breakdown displaying hours wages and hours worked to complete that task. 2) A (electronic) copy of the Offeror's Contract with pricing (including contract clauses) listing the applicable labor categories and fixed rates (This document may be submitted on a Compact Disk). Fixed rates shall include all costs and fees, including overhead and profits, and shall identify any reduction in rates offered. The Government intends to award without discussions. Offerors are encouraged to discount their labor rates. Note: Ensure your firm is registered in CCR and VETS 100 - All vendors must be registered in CCR, www.ccr.gov, and VETS 100, www.vets100.cudenver.edu, to receive government contracts. EVALUATION Quotes will be reviewed and evaluated in accordance with the evaluation criteria identified below: Each offeror's submission is evaluated according to the factors shown below. Factors A. Understanding of the Problem, B. Personnel Assigned to Task, C. Knowledge and Experience of Offeror, and D. Past Performance Performing Similar Tasks. Factor E. Price is less important. Factors are listed in order of importance. TECHNICAL QUOTE (Volume 1) Understanding of the Problem - Submit a project plan for performing the tasks. The offeror clearly demonstrates full understanding of the problem, technical requirements, and the tasks to be performed - the approach proposed is complete and adequate and in accordance with accomplishing assessing, mapping, and determining the cost of the EEO counseling process. Personnel Assigned to Task - The qualifications of the professionals and technical experts proposed are adequate for performing the task order. Provide resumes for key personnel. Knowledge and Experience of Offeror - The offeror demonstrates experience and a performance record for required tasks. Past Performance Performing Similar Tasks - Please provide three references of similar efforts performed by your organization for the last three years. Include a description of the project, project title, contract number, contract amount, client identification including agency or company name, contracting and technical reviewing official, address and telephone number. In addition, provide one example (with reference contact information) of corporate experience that demonstrates how the corporation responded when a project went off tract, either over budget, behind schedule, below quality standards or some other difficulty. (References will be checked) Your quote must demonstrate that both your organization and proposed key personnel can successfully complete this project. The Government may also consider information obtained through other sources. Past performance information will be utilized to determine the quality of the contractor's past performance as it relates to the probability of success of the required effort. PRICE QUOTE (Volume 2) E. Price Technical Factors are more important than price. Selection of the company to perform this task order will be based on the Government's assessment of the best overall value. CONTRACT AWARD Contract award shall be made to the responsible offeror whose offer, in conforming to this RFQ, provides an overall best value to the Government, technical evaluation factors, and price considered. The Government's objective is to obtain the highest technical quality considered necessary to achieve the project objectives, with a realistic and reasonable price. An offeror's proposal may not be considered when the proposed price is unreasonably high or unrealistically low. Technical evaluation factors are more important than price. Since the technical criteria are considered to be of greatest importance, the Government reserves the right to award a contract to other than the offeror offering the lowest price. However, in the event quotes are evaluated as technically equal in quality, price will become a major consideration in selecting the successful offeror. Clauses 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. (End of Clause) FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (March 2000): a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 7 days; provided, that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension. (b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause. (c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 5 years. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF DELIVERABLES The Government will review finalized deliverables within 7 calendar days of receipt and will notify the Contractor of acceptance or rejection. The Government will not issue notice of acceptance until all required deliverables associated with the work order are received. In the event of rejection of any deliverables, the Contractor(s) shall be notified in writing and shall have up to 7 calendar days to correct the deficiencies at no cost to the Government. The Government shall have 7 calendar days to review subsequent submissions of the same deliverables. PENALTIES If the Contractor(s) fails to furnish to the BVA; an accurately transcribed paper copy of each hearing, the corresponding 3.5" diskette in MS Word 2003 format (where applicable, an electronic copy can be submitted by means of the VA virtual private network utilizing the hearing transcript management software in use at the Board), and the original audiocassette tapes or digital media for the entire work order within the specified time limit, the payment shall be reduced by 3% for each calendar day of delay in receipt. If it is necessary to have the hearing(s) transcribed by another Contractor, the original Contractor will have no claim for payment for the transcription of the unsatisfactory hearing(s). CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE All audiocassette tapes will be returned to the BVA. Once a transcript is accepted by BVA, the Contractor(s) will purge all paper and electronic systems of the hearing transcript. The Contractor(s) will not retain any information or personal identifiers that are subject to the Privacy Act. Confidentiality: The transcriber shall hold in the strictest confidence all information relating to the individuals and issues involved in the BVA proceeding that he/she may gain in the performance of his/her services. The Contractor(s) will ensure that contract personnel have met VA training requirements pertaining to the Privacy Act and VA Cyber Security Awareness, which are available via the VA virtual private network and can be completed in approximately one hour each.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Dept of Veterans Affairs;811 Vermont Ave, NW;See Statement of work for;other related POP.
- Zip Code: 20420
- Country: United States
- Zip Code: 20420
- Record
- SN01070554-W 20060617/060615220919 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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