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Second
Contract Year - Executive Summary |
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The Worksite Enrichment Programs Branch (WEPB), Division
of Support Services (DSS), Office of Research Services
(ORS) is the Project Office for the NIH-wide performance
based contract for the provision of interpreting services
with Sign Language Associates (SLA). Upon completion
of the contract’s base and first option years,
the Project Office released Executive Summaries which
provided an overview of the contract’s activities
related to the performance standards and usage of our
web-based request system. As the contract’s Second
Option Year ended May 31st, the WEPB is once again pleased
to provide our most recent Executive Summary.
After the initial month of contract implementation, we
were pleased to see the number of NIH consumers who used
the web based system to place their request. However,
as the months progressed, use of the contract went far
beyond our initial projections. It is amazing that in
our first month of the contract we received requests for
442.5 hours of service, and that by the last month of
the base year, we received requests for 817.5 hours of
service. These numbers clearly illustrate that our NIH
consumers are using this contract with confidence, and
that current data supports future increases in use of
this essential service contract.
A tremendous high point for the WEPB last year was to
have been nominated by several of our NIH Deaf and Hard
of Hearing customers for an ORS Service Excellence Award.
We were extremely honored and grateful to have been nominated
directly by those who routinely utilize our services.
Even more special for us was when one of our nominators
came to the ceremony to personally congratulate the WEPB
for our continued success with administering the interpreting
services program.
An important part of performance based contract monitoring
involves feedback from our consumers. All interpreting
service request confirmations sent via email ask that
requesters/consumers take a few minutes to complete our
feedback form and send it back to the WEPB. The forms
ask questions relevant to the contract’s stated
performance standards, and includes space for additional
comments. Each month we share the forms with SLA as they
provide valuable in put which ensures that our consumers
are receiving the best services. However, during the last
contract year we provided services for 1,182 events, yet
we received a total of 68 completed feedback forms. So,
we are asking for everyone’s help in completing
these forms. We are also offering an incentive: the Project
Office will send a small "Thank You!" gift each
time a completed form is returned. Hopefully, when we
present next year’s data, the volume of completed
forms will have dramatically increased!
This past year we were again pleased to have been invited
to attend and/or participate in several NIH fairs, festivals
and meetings. The WEPB and SLA also co-hosted our annual
open house at the Natcher Conference Center on May 7th.
This forum offered us a chance for open feedback sessions
with consumers and to share the success of our web-based
request system. However, more importantly we were able
to meet face-to-face with our consumers, which is truly
the most illuminating and gratifying part of our work.
Please find attached informational highlights related
to this third year of our contract. We hope you
find it useful and of interest. The WEPB looks
forward to assisting
in providing exceptional interpreting services
to the NIH for the remainder of this contract.
Should you have
any questions, please feel free to contact Carole
Harman, Quality Assurance Assistant, at 402-8180
(v), 435-1908 (tty), or via email at harmanc@ors.od.nih.gov.
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