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Our New Oversight Role Over the Postal Regulatory Commission

Pushing the Envelope Blog

Our New Oversight Role Over the Postal Regulatory Commission

Date: 07/10/23 | Category: OIG

You may have seen we recently published our first audit report on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). It’s a first because we only gained responsibility for oversight of the PRC on October 3, 2022. Why the recent change and what does it mean in terms of our work?

The PRC had its own Office of Inspector General (OIG) from 2007 through October 2, 2022. While much smaller than our office, its mission was similar — to provide oversight aimed at promoting efficiency and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse. But Congress transferred oversight of the PRC to our office in the Postal Reform Act of 2022.

The PRC, which was initially created as the Postal Rate Commission by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, exercises regulatory authority over the Postal Service, including ensuring USPS complies with the legal requirements for rates and service performance (click here to learn more about the PRC).

The PRC consists of five commissioners and a workforce of about 80 individuals, whereas the Postal Service employs more than 635,000 people. Given the difference in size and organizational complexity, our reports on the PRC are likely to be less frequent than those on USPS.

Our new role means we’ll help ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the PRC as well as the Postal Service through our audits, inspections, and evaluations. Our first audit looked at the PRC’s management of its smartphones with an eye to improving their inventory, security, and utilization. Next, we’ll examine acquisition planning and internal controls over the contracting practices for the procurement of goods and services under PRC-issued contracts. You can learn more about this and other upcoming audit work here.


Did you know?
  • There are 74 IGs that oversee their respective federal agency. It’s rare for an OIG to oversee two government organizations, like us! The Federal Reserve Board OIG, which also oversees the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is another example.
  • Our work adheres to quality standards. Periodically, another OIG reviews our work to ensure we follow these standards.