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.
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
Closed
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
Closed
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
Closed
Agree
4
Communicate to staff each year the acceptance procedures for day-old poultry prior to the start of peak shipment season.
$0
Closed
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
Closed
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
Agree
8
Develop electronic methods to uniquely track shipments of day-old poultry, including shipments that have perished.
$0
Open
Disagree
Agree
9
Develop a process specifically for the processing and handling of missent shipments of day-old poultry.
$0
Closed
Agree
10
Revise Publication 52 to define when day-old poultry should be disposed of as an injurious item.
$0
Closed
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.
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
Closed
Disagree
Agree
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
Closed
Disagree
Agree
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
Agree
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
Closed
Disagree
Agree
7
Develop mechanisms to require Postmasters to properly update the status of suspended units to be displayed publicly on USPS.com.
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
Closed
Disagree
Agree
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
Closed
Disagree
Agree
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.
Automate Postal Service Form 1571, Undelivered Mail Report, for delayed mail reporting in the Delivery Condition Visualization system and require carriers to use the automated format at the end of the day to report undelivered mail.
$0
Open
Disagree
Agree
2
Develop a process to identify delivery units with a high risk of unreported or underreported delayed mail, and follow up with district management to enforce compliance.
$0
Closed
Disagree
Agree
3
Develop and provide a standard work instruction that lists and links to the applicable reports and tools unit managers are required to use to monitor daily scanning compliance.
$0
Closed
Disagree
Agree
4
Add instructions to the beginning of the certification screen in the Retail and Delivery Applications and Reports system notifying supervisors of the current procedures for conducting arrow key certifications and have the system automatically generate a report notifying the U.S. Postal Inspection Service of any missing keys.
$0
Closed
Disagree
Agree
5
Develop and implement program controls within the RADAR system to prevent managers from inputting inaccurate arrow key information.
$0
Closed
Agree
6
Develop and implement a plan for district management to conduct targeted arrow key inventory reviews on a regular basis until new technological initiatives are fully implemented.
Develop an automated process to validate the accuracy of monthly recycling reports, invoices, and checks submitted by contractors, including a process to validate supporting documentation maintained by contractors.
$21,851,852
Open
Agree
2
Provide oversight of cardboard mail transport equipment inventory to ensure processing facilities only maintain a seven-day supply, and document facilities with exceptions to the policy.
$0
Closed
Agree
3
Require processing facility management to annually certify proper cardboard mail transport equipment recycling and reuse business practices are in place and employees are aware of and following these practices.
$0
Closed
Agree
4
Direct Plant Managers to enforce proper cardboard mail transport equipment recycling and reuse practices.
$0
Closed
Agree
5
1) Perform a cost benefit analysis for baling cardboard at all processing facilities, 2) provide balers for facilities identified to have a positive benefit, and 3) for the facilities that cannot accommodate a baler, document the approved deviations.
Discontinue supporting events that do not directly support the Postal Inspection Service's mission, reassess the allocation of personnel, and provide oversight of divisions' use of resources
$2,203,480
Closed
Disagree
Agree
2
Update the strategic plan to ensure that all strategic goals have measurable key performance indicators.
$0
Closed
Agree
3
Update instructions for developing performance measures and instruct preparers to revise key performance indicators, metrics, and division objectives to be specific, measurable, actionable, reasonable, and timely.
$0
Open
Disagree
Agree
4
revise the high-security collection box and high-security electronic locks installation performance measures to
include metrics within Postal Inspection Service's control.
$0
Open
Disagree
Agree
5
Establish internal controls to obtain periodic updates prior to the end of the quarter to ensure required quarterly and annual goals are met.
Develop and implement a plan to hire and retain enough employees to consistently reach and maintain authorized complement at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
2
Implement a plan to hold managers and supervisors accountable for addressing employees who do not follow workplace rules at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
3
Analyze and realign processing operations at all four St. Louis processing facilities to improve efficiency.
$0
Closed
Agree
4
Verify mail condition issues are communicated through the Mail Arrival Quality/Plant Arrival Quality tool at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
5
Develop a plan to verify employees attach accurate placards on mail transportation equipment and follow first in, first out order at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
6
Develop a strategy to consistently conduct proper preventative maintenance on machines at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
7
Develop a process to verify all delayed mail is reported in the Mail Condition Visualization system daily at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
8
Fill Postal Service driver vacancies at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
9
Develop and implement a plan to utilize dock space efficiently at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
10
Develop a plan to verify supervisors are monitoring scanning to improve compliance with load and unload scan goals at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Open
Agree
11
Develop and implement a plan to verify extra trips are properly recorded in the Surface Visibility Web system at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
12
Verify correct chain of custody procedures are followed for registry items at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center.
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Plant Manager to develop and execute a plan to ensure the timely processing of nonmachinable packages and maintain a first in, first out processing order.
$0
Closed
Disagree
Agree
2
Assess mail volume and reevaluate operations in the Atlanta region to identify opportunities for more effective use of space, efficient processing and logistics operations, and cost optimization.
$0
Open
Disagree
Agree
3
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Plant Manager to establish a method to identify, document, and address issues daily and hold managers accountable for recurring issues.
$0
Closed
Agree
4
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Plant Manager to manage unauthorized overtime and penalty overtime and monitor for compliance.
$8,225,268
Closed
Agree
5
Revise projected savings as staffing is balanced with additional facilities and operational needs in the region.
$0
Open
Disagree
Agree
6
Direct the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center Processing and Logistics managers to review daily scan data to identify problem areas and correct issues to achieve current scanning goals.
$0
Closed
Agree
7
Develop a plan to immediately improve performance against transportation key performance indicators at the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center.
$0
Closed
Agree
8
Ensure that transportation schedules are reviewed and adjusted to capture potential cost savings for unnecessary trips.
