Upcoming Audit Work

The Origin-Destination Information System – Revenue, Pieces, and Weight (ODIS-RPW) is the probability sampling system used to assist in estimating Postal Service revenue, volume flow, and weight. The Postal Service uses this information to develop proposals for new Postal Service rates, assist in budget preparation, conduct management studies, and support management decisions concerning mail flow and service performance in transportation and operations. Our objective is to determine whether the Postal Service conducted ODIS-RPW statistical tests in accordance with established policies and procedures. The scope of our audit is fiscal year 2023 Q1 through 2026 Q2.

The Postal Service must thoroughly screen and evaluate prospective employees to ensure suitability and maintain the integrity of the organization. The level of clearance required is based on the type of position; however, most positions are considered low risk and require a background investigation called a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI). Our objective is to assess the U.S. Postal Service’s employee background screening process to determine whether the Postal Service properly granted NACI clearances to employees.

The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, as amended, established the Office of the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors sets policies on all Postal Service matters, reviews its practices, conducts long-range planning, directs and controls its expenditures, and approves officer compensation. Board policy requires the Office of the Inspector General to annually audit the Board’s travel and miscellaneous expenses. Our objective is to determine whether Board expenditures were properly supported, reasonable, and complied with Postal Service and Board policies and procedures.  

The U.S. Postal Service delivers over 110 billion mail pieces each year, and these mailings should include Postal Service authorized stamps (or other postage) to verify payment. However, counterfeit stamps—enabled by advanced printing technologies and proliferating online marketplaces—pose a growing threat to Postal Service revenues, operations, and customers. The Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) engage in prevention, education, and enforcement efforts to mitigate this growing threat, and they reported seizing counterfeit stamps worth $16 million in fiscal year 2025. This audit will evaluate the Postal Service and USPIS’s efforts to address counterfeit stamps. 

As part of its Delivering for America plan, the Postal Service is redesigning its network of nearly 19,000 delivery units to reduce inefficient operations and costs. The Postal Service has identified key markets where it can aggregate several delivery units into fewer, larger Sorting and Delivery Centers (S&DCs) that are centrally located. As of November 2024, the Postal Service rolled out 83 S&DCs that encompassed 9,497 routes and expects to develop 36 more in 2025 that would encompass 3,313 routes. Our objective is to determine if the Postal Service evaluated and created routes accurately at the S&DCs. If not, estimate the cost impacts.