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Open Audit Recommendations

Below is a list of our open audit recommendations. When a report is issued, the Postal Service responds to each recommendation, and if there is agreement, it provides a corrective action plan with a date of planned implementation. We request written confirmation from the Postal Service when those corrective actions are completed and evaluate this information and provide concurrence when the recommendation can be closed. 

 

If the Postal Service disagrees with a recommendation, we work towards agreement by elevating discussions between USPS and OIG management.  Any recommendations that the Postal Service does not act on remain open and are reported to Congress until a resolution is achieved.

 
 
$1,836,978,160
Report Title Report Number Issue Date Report Open Recommendations
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Review of PRC Compliance with FISMA Cover
Review of the Postal Regulatory Commission’s Compliance With the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 for Fiscal Year 2025 25-043-R25 2
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Design and implement Cyber Governance policies, procedures, and processes that address National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53, Rev. 5.1, Rel. 5.1.1 control requirements and OMB Circular A-130.

$0 Open Agree
2

Design and implement risk management and general support system policies, procedures, and processes that address National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53, Rev. 5.1, Rel. 5.1.1 control requirements and standard industry practices from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publications 800-39 and 800-18. This includes developing and implementing a system security plan for the Postal Regulatory Commission's general support system.

$0 Open Agree
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25-092-r25
Increasing Costs in Workers’ Compensation at the Postal Service 25-092-R25 1
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Develop a broad strategy to reduce costs associated with workplace injuries, including compiling data to support legislative options that could allow costs to better match industry norms.

$1,214,796,048 Open Agree
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Network Changes Transfer Hubs Cover
Network Changes: Regional Transfer Hubs 25-061-R25 5
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Conduct a feasibility study of capturing cost savings resulting from the Regional Transfer Hub initiative and, based on the results, implement tracking of costs related to the initiative.

$0 Open Disagree
2

Implement controls to enforce all required scanning at Regional Transfer Hubs in coordination with the Vice President of Processing Operations.

$0 Open Agree
3

Enforce corrective actions for contracted transportation with late departing transportation.

$0 Open Agree
4

Establish quantifiable key performance indicators (in coordination with Vice President Processing Operations), including acceptable impacts to service and a trailer utilization target, specific to the Regional Transfer Hub initiative.

$0 Open Disagree
5

Monitor performance of the Regional Transfer Hubs against established goals.

$0 Open Disagree
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Shipping Day-old Chicks Cover
Shipping and Handling of Day-Old Poultry 25-031-R25 10
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Create job positions where the primary responsibility is to oversee regional coordination of the shipping and handling of day-old poultry between internal and external stakeholders.

$0 Open Agree
2

Establish recurring meetings throughout peak shipping season of day-old poultry with the applicable internal and external stakeholders to discuss issues and implement immediate corrective action.

$0 Open Agree
3

Revise the Handling Lives Workbook to include procedures for accepting day-old poultry, including visual aids in accordance with mailing requirements in Publication 52.

$0 Open Agree
4

Communicate to staff each year the acceptance procedures for day-old poultry prior to the start of peak shipment season.

$0 Open Agree
5

Revise the Handling Lives Workbook and reissue annually, before each peak shipping. At a minimum, revisions to the workbook should include: performing a primary sort by transportation mode; proper bed loading; a limit for stacking packages; following first in, first out methods; and unloading day-old poultry timely from trailers.

$0 Open Agree
6

Establish processes and procedures for periodic on-site review of its air carrier operations to ensure proper loading and securing of day-old poultry shipments.

$0 Closed Agree
7

Revise Publication 52 to require the mailer to include a "deliver by" date, which is 72-hours after hatching, on all packages of day-old poultry.

$0 Open Disagree
8

Develop electronic methods to uniquely track shipments of day-old poultry, including shipments that have perished.

$0 Open Disagree
9

Develop a process specifically for the processing and handling of missent shipments of day-old poultry.

$0 Open Agree
10

Revise Publication 52 to define when day-old poultry should be disposed of as an injurious item.

$0 Open Agree
11

Along with the Vice President, Delivery Operations; Vice President, Processing Operations; and Vice President, Logistics, develop and provide training to staff on the correct processes for the disposal of day-old poultry.

$0 Open Disagree
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Serving America Retail Unit Accessibility Cover
Serving America: Retail Unit Accessibility 25-030-R25 7
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Develop procedures to ensure survey responses are properly completed and reviewed in a timely manner and that managers are held accountable for when units are closed without valid justification.

$0 Open Disagree
2

Develop an automated tool for notifying field staff in real-time when units open late or close early and sending justification requests to local staff.

$0 Open Disagree
3

Develop system capabilities for recording, analyzing, reporting, and retaining data on units that open late or close early.

$0 Open Disagree
4

Develop procedures to ensure justification responses are properly completed and reviewed in a timely manner and that managers are held accountable when units open late or close early.

$0 Open Disagree
5

Augment suspension-related policies to include strategies for periodically and regularly communicating suspension statuses to impacted customers.

$0 Open Disagree
6

Establish accountability mechanisms, such as timeliness targets, for resolving suspensions in a timely manner and for monitoring performance.

$0 Open Disagree
7

Develop mechanisms to require Postmasters to properly update the status of suspended units to be displayed publicly on USPS.com.

$0 Open Agree
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Omaha Processing and Distribution Center Cover
Efficiency of Operations at the Omaha Processing & Distribution Center, Omaha, NE 25-119-R25 8
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Complete an analysis and realignment of processing operations staff to improve efficiency and meet clearance time targets at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center.

$0 Open Agree
2

Implement a plan for supervisors to hold employees accountable for their performance, promote supervisor engagement with employees, and provide supervisor training to the remaining two supervisors at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center.

$0 Open Agree
3

Develop and implement a plan to verify thorough preventative maintenance is performed on all mail processing equipment at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center.

$0 Open Agree
4

Develop and implement a plan to verify employees attach accurate placards on mail transportation equipment at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center.

$0 Open Agree
5

Use the Mail Arrival Quality/Plant Arrival Quality system at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center to communicate and resolve mail arrival quality issues with delivery units and other processing facilities.

$0 Open Agree
6

Conduct a study to determine the feasibility of replacing or refurbishing the freight elevators at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center for improved service.

$0 Open Agree
7

Verify that the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center has sufficient trailers to accommodate its mail transport needs.

$0 Open Agree
8

Coordinate with the Midwest Division Director, Processing, to develop and implement a plan to verify supervisors monitor and enforce scanning to improve compliance with the load and unload scanning goals at the Omaha Processing and Distribution Center.

$0 Open Agree
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Kansas Missouri Dist Delivery Ops Cover
Kansas-Missouri District: Delivery Operations in the St. Louis, MO, Area 25-100-R25 1
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Train management at all delivery units in the district on the proper procedures for reporting delayed mail.

$0 Closed Agree
2

Provide adequate staff to the O'Fallon Main Post Office, Ballwin Main Post Office, Maryville Gardens Station, Southwest Station, and Clayton Branch to process and deliver all committed mail daily.

$0 Open Agree
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Protecting Revenue Parcel Select Cover
Protecting Revenue for Returned Parcel Select Packages 25-053-R25 7
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Develop a mechanism to identify all applicable charges when calculating postage due to incorporate into its automated calculations.

$0 Open Agree
2

Incorporate large and oversized package charges into postage due calculations for return-to-sender packages.

$21,376,852 Open Agree
3

Retroactively invoice return addressees for large package charges that should have been paid.

$24,617,947 Open Disagree
4

Electronically link the payment of postage due to the specific packages for which the payments are based.

$0 Open Agree
5

Further automate the postage due calculation and collection process for undeliverable packages, using weights and dimensions captured by mail processing equipment.

$0 Open Agree
6

Assess which delivery units need additional equipment, including scales, and provide it to efficiently process return-to-sender packages.

$0 Open Disagree
7

Provide updated training and corrected guidance to clerks and staff on the latest policies and procedures for return-to-sender packages.

$0 Closed Agree
8

Add reminders to the Remote Forwarding System application to prompt clerks to process and weigh packages correctly.

$0 Closed Agree
9

Institute and enforce a policy requiring clerks and managers to restrict access to return packages that exceed the facility's interior capacity or develop other mitigation strategies.

$0 Open Disagree
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Fleet Modernization E-transit Cover
Fleet Modernization: E-Transit Vehicle Acquisition Update 25-063-R25 6
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Develop a short-term strategy for mitigating the impacts of storing E-Transits in holding lots that would include an analysis of related costs (in other words, acquisition, staffing, maintenance, transportation, and so forth) and assessment of other options such as divestment.

$0 Open Agree
2

Correct inconsistencies in the Fleet Management Information System (FMIS) for E-Transits in holding lots and implement internal controls to periodically assess the accuracy of E-Transit vehicle data in FMIS.

$0 Open Agree
3

Correct inconsistencies in preventative maintenance inspections and battery maintenance for E-Transits in holding lots and implement internal controls to periodically assess the consistency of these activities.

$0 Open Agree
4

Correct deficiencies associated with E-Transit deployments and implement internal controls to periodically assess compliance with related deployment procedures.

$0 Open Agree
5

Develop strategies and controls to ensure local holding lot staff are appropriately using applicable service contracts.

$37,058 Open Disagree
6

Develop strategies to enhance communication of policies and procedures to E-Transit local holding lot staff, particularly related to the consistency of Fleet Management Information System data, preventative maintenance inspections, battery maintenance, and deployment.

$0 Open Agree
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USPS Workplace Violence Prevention Cover
Postal Service’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program 25-062-R25 4
# Recommendation Value Status Initial Management Response Final Resolution
1

Require the Threat Assessment Team to assess threats identified in Assault Threat Specialty Reports as jacketed cases and document them in the Threat Assessment Case Tracking system.

$0 Open Disagree
2

Reiterate guidance to the Threat Assessment Team lead on responsibilities for reporting incidents in the Threat Assessment Case Tracking system.

$0 Open Agree
3

Clarify and reiterate guidance to facility managers on timely reporting incidents of workplace violence to their Threat Assessment Team.

$0 Open Agree
4

Develop and implement a process to verify outcome memos are timely provided to applicable facility managers and maintained accordingly.

$0 Open Disagree