Primary Department: Purchasing
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Kimberly J. Williams, JD
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Renewal
Project ID (if applicable): 210374
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Masterword Services, Inc.; Language Line Services, Inc.; GLOBO Language Solutions, LLC; WorldWide Interpreters, Inc.
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): 0%
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: 0% - Minimal MWDBE Availability
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval of a renewal option with Masterword Services, Inc. in the amount of $700,000; Language Line Services, Inc., $700,000; GLOBO Language Solutions, LLC, $300,000; and WorldWide Interpreters, Inc., $300,000 for translation and interpretation services for Harris County for the period of April 5, 2026 - April 4, 2027 (210374), Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: 0% - Minimal MWDBE Availability.
end
Background and Discussion:
Request by the Office of the Purchasing Agent for approval of the third renewal. As the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous county in the United States, a major international city, Houston and its environment is home to more than 100 ethnic groups and cultures. There has been increasing requests from various Departments seeking the services of document translators, in-person and over the phone interpreters. Most the departments are dealing with a substantial amount of highly confidential information.
To keep up services with the increasing population, it is crucial to have a county-wide translation and interpretation services that will be available for the departments in delivering their essential services by communicating clearly and reliably with the public and naturalized residents from other countries. Inaccurate translation or interpretation can cause a disconnect, whether on a legal document, an email, directive, or a policy brief. The interpreters and translators awarded are best able to provide the services with the needs of the county departments because they understand the confidentiality and security requirements and they know how to operate effectively in fast-paced environments with high expectations. The most commonly found ancestry in Houston area are: African, Cambodian, Chinese, Cuban, Dutch, English, Filipino, French, German Greek, Guatemalan, Honduran, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Mexican, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Salvadoran, Scottish, Swedish, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, etc.
Expected Impact:
N/A
Alternative Options:
N/A
County Strategic Plan Goal: Choose an item.
County Strategic Plan Objective: Choose an item.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): Choose an item.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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4/5/2022 |
242 |
Award |
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5/16/2023 |
250 |
Renewal No.1 |
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3/26/2024 |
330 |
Renewal No.2 |
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1/09/2025 |
260 |
Renewal No.3 |
Location: N/A
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Choose an item.
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
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CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 12/18/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Azadeh Rahmdel, Purchasing
Attachments (if applicable): Letter