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Translation and interpreting FOI Request

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Dear FOI Team,

I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of Information Act, details in respect to the contract below.

Language Services:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov....

The details we require are:
• What are the contractual performance KPI's for this contract?
• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were successful & not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages
• Actual spend on this contract/framework (and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the current date
• Start date & duration of framework/contract?
• Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?
• Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so, the duration of the extension?
• Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being either extended or renewed?
• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?
1. Total number of onsite face-to-face interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021 and year-to-date.
a. Please provide a breakdown by language for 2021 and year-to-date.
2. Total number of onsite face-to-face interpreting hours in 2020, 2021 and year-to-date.
3. What are the minimum qualifications of the onsite face-to-face interpreters you use (if you access a government framework (i.e., the CCS Languages Service framework) and it is easier to advise the interpreter qualification band (i.e., band 1, 2 or 3 etc) this would be acceptable?
4. Have you undertaken a physical audit on interpreter banding in line with the contract in the last 12 month?
a. If yes, please share the findings
5. Do you pay your supplier travel payments for face-to-face interpreting or is it an all-inclusive rate?
a. If you pay travel. Please advise how much travel you paid in 2020, 2021 year-to-date
6. Total number of onsite BSL interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021 and year-to-date.
7. Total number of remote video interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021 and year-to-date.
8. Total number of remote video interpreting hours in 2020, 2021 and year-to-date.
9. Total number of remote telephone interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021 and year-to-date.

11. Are there KPI’s in place with attached service credit penalties/liquidated damages?
a. If so, how much has the supplier paid in service credit penalties?
12. Does the current contract have a provision to increase rates within the contract period?
a. Have any rates been increased within the contract period?
b. What services have had a rate increase?
c. What was the percentage increase?

Thank you for your help.

Yours sincerely

foi@dvsa.gov.uk, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Thank you for emailing the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).  
If you are requesting information under: the Freedom of Information Act or
the Environmental Information Regulations – we will normally respond
within 20 working days.

foi@dvsa.gov.uk, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

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Mirza Ali 

by email: [FOI #868469 email]    

   

Our ref: IA/00648/22  

   

28 June 2022  

   

Dear Sir/Madam,    

   

Information requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA)   

   

Further to your email of 8 June, I can confirm that we hold some of the
information you have requested and have handled your request within the
terms of the FoIA.    

   

Your request and our response is as follows:    

  

I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of
Information Act, details in respect to the contract below. 

 

Language Services: 

 

[1]https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov....

 

 

The details we require are: 

 

• What are the contractual performance KPI's for this contract? 

 

Our response:   

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold this
information. 

 

• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were
successful & not successful at the PQQ & ITT stages 

 

Our response:   

The requested information is withheld from disclosure under section 43(2)
(commercial interests) of the FoIA. Section 43(2) states that information
is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be
likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the
public authority holding it).  

 

Section 43(2) is a qualified prejudiced exemption and we have considered
the public interest in disclosure, via the Public Interest Test (PIT)
attached at Annex A, and the harm or prejudice disclosure of the
information into the public domain would cause. 

 

You can read more information about section 43 of the FoIA [2]here. 

 

• Actual spend on this contract/framework (and any sub lots), from the
start of the contract to the current date 

 

Our response:   

Approximately £301,000. 

 

• Start date & duration of framework/contract? 

 

Our response:   

29 June 2020 

 

• Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification
given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised? 

 

Our response:   

Please see attached Annex B. 

 

• Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so,
the duration of the extension? 

 

Our response:   

The contract is for 2 years with 2 further option years. 

 

• Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are
being either extended or renewed? 

 

Our response:   

It is expected that DVSA will extend the contract by both option years.
After this, it is anticipated that this requirement will be re-competed
via the prevailing Crown Commercial Service framework. 

 

• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this
contract? 

 

Our response:   

The majority of this contract serves the Enforcement directorate, led by
Marion Kitson.  

 

1. Total number of onsite face-to-face interpreting assignments in 2020,
2021 and year-to-date. 

 

a.    Please provide a breakdown by language for 2021 and year-to-date. 

 

2. Total number of onsite face-to-face interpreting hours in 2020, 2021
and year-to-date. 

 

Our response:   

DVSA does not hold information relating to questions 1, 1a and 2. 

 

3. What are the minimum qualifications of the onsite face-to-face
interpreters you use (if you access a government framework (i.e., the CCS
Languages Service framework) and it is easier to advise the interpreter
qualification band (i.e., band 1, 2 or 3 etc) this would be acceptable? 

 

Our response:   

This contract hangs off an overarching framework agreement from the Crown
Commercial Service (CCS) Framework Agreement for Language Services and so
the supplier must meet the standards specified therein.  

 

4. Have you undertaken a physical audit on interpreter banding in line
with the contract in the last 12 month? 

 

a.    If yes, please share the findings 

 

Our response:   

No. 

 

5. Do you pay your supplier travel payments for face-to-face interpreting
or is it an all-inclusive rate? 

 

Our response:   

Travel is paid in accordance with a set of thresholds specified in the
contract, please see attached Annex B. 

 

a.    If you pay travel. Please advise how much travel you paid in 2020,
2021 year-to-date 

 

6. Total number of onsite BSL interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021 and
year-to-date. 

 

7. Total number of remote video interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021 and
year-to-date. 

 

8. Total number of remote video interpreting hours in 2020, 2021 and
year-to-date. 

 

9. Total number of remote telephone interpreting assignments in 2020, 2021
and year-to-date. 

 

Our response:   

DVSA does not hold information relating to questions 5a, 6, 7, 8, and 9. 

 

11. Are there KPI’s in place with attached service credit
penalties/liquidated damages? 

 

a.    If so, how much has the supplier paid in service credit penalties? 

 

Our response:   

DVSA does not hold this information, please see our response to the first
dot point. 

 

12. Does the current contract have a provision to increase rates within
the contract period? 

 

Our response:  

Please see attached Annex B. There is an indexation clause within the
contract against CPI. 

 

a.    Have any rates been increased within the contract period? 

 

b.    What services have had a rate increase? 

 

c.    What was the percentage increase? 

  

Our response:  

Please see attached Annex B. Indexation has not yet been applied to this
contract. 

 

  

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you can ask
for an internal review to be conducted by our Information Management and
Security Team by emailing: [3][email address] .  

  

If you are not happy with the outcome of your internal review, you have
the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a
decision. You can find further information about the complaints process on
their website [4]here.  

    

Yours sincerely,   

 

Public Liaison Team

Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, Tyneside House, Skinnerburn Road,
Newcastle Business Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 7AR

The best place to find government services and information is
[5]www.gov.uk

Follow us: [6]facebook.com/dvsagovuk  |  [7]youtube.com/dvsagovuk 
| [8]twitter.com/dvsagovuk

 

References

Visible links
1. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov....
2. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/200...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
5. http://www.gov.uk/
6. https://www.facebook.com/dvsagovuk
7. http://www.youtube.com/dvsagovuk
8. https://twitter.com/DVSAgovuk

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Mirza Ali please sign in and let everyone know.