Transcription Services

TRANSCRIPT SERVICE FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MEETINGS IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, WITHIN CANADA.

1.	Background
	
Verbatim transcripts are considered the official Record of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission public proceedings.  Transcripts are therefore required for all Public Hearings and Meetings of the Commission.

The Commission holds approximately 20 to 25 days of public hearings and meetings per year.  The proceedings are held in either or both of Canada’s official languages.  The subject matter frequently involves the use of specialized technical and scientific language.  The public hearing and meeting sessions vary in length, but usually occupy full days (7.5 hours) for one to three days in succession.  Occasionally, a session on a given day will exceed 7.5 hours and extend late into the evening.  Most of the public hearings and meetings are held at the CNSC headquarters in Ottawa.  Sessions are occasionally held elsewhere in Canada (normally 5 to 7 days per year).  An average of 45,000 words per day is produced.

2.	Scope     

The scope of the contract is to provide a transcript service at all Commission public proceedings in Canada on an “as and when requested basis”. 

3.	Tasks   

The contractor must provide transcription services from a live audio feed at proceedings in the National Capital Region and elsewhere in Canada. The system used for transcribing is at the discretion of the service provider. Audio versions must be able to be reviewed by the service provider, if necessary, to ensure the transcription accuracy.

The contractor must provide the necessary recording equipment and qualified personnel at the location of the proceedings from 08:00 am to 6:00 pm on each day of the proceedings, and up to 10:00 pm as required. Normally the proceedings begin at 9:00 am and finish at 5:30 pm, with a one hour break for lunch and two 10 minutes breaks.  On occasion, Commission hearings and meetings may extend into the evening.

The contractor must prepare transcripts in both electronic and hard copy format within the time frames, formats and levels of accuracy described below as deliverables.