Upcoming Audit Work

The Postal Service manages over 31,000 retail facilities nationwide where customers can buy stamps, mail packages, apply for passports, or other receive other retail services. These facilities should be accessible to customers, such as being open the hours and days as posted, not being closed for extended periods of time, and reachable by customers requiring additional assistance. Our objective is to assess customer access at Postal Service retail facilities. We will be focusing on retail hours, openings, suspensions, and physical accessibility.

In October 2023, the Postal Service deployed a major change to operations when it began piloting its Local Transportation Optimization (LTO) initiative. The initiative was designed to reduce the number of transportation trips to and from select post offices and increase the amount of mail transported on each trip. As of November 18, 2024, the Postal Service implemented the LTO initiative in 16 regions, including the New Orleans region on August 12, 2024. Our audit objective is to determine the impacts associated with the Postal Service’s LTO initiative in the New Orleans region.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Postal Service has an obligation to provide its employees with a safe and healthful place to work. The Postal Service proactively meets its obligations to the Act by implementing policies, procedures, special teams, and reporting tools for workplace violence at facilities. The established zero-tolerance policy for workplace violence outlines no employee should have to work in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation and the organization will address every threat or act of inappropriate behavior with an immediate and firm response. These threats or acts can result in corrective action up to removal from the Postal Service.  Our objective is to assess the effectiveness of the Postal Service's Workplace Violence Prevention Program from fiscal year 2022 through 2024. 

Our objective is to assess the effectiveness of the Postal Service's process to identify, manage, and address its deferred maintenance.

The Postal Service owns over 8,800 and leases over 25,000 properties ranging in size from 273 square feet to 32 acres. Currently, the Postal Service is in the process of optimizing their infrastructure and updating facilities. If you are aware of any outstanding maintenance issues, repairs, or have any information that might be beneficial, feel free to contact us.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service uses the expense purchase card to pay for day-to-day operational needs that cannot be satisfied through priority sources such as in-house excess material or from national or area contracts and ordering agreements. Postal Inspection Service employees with purchase card local buying authority must follow policies and procedures and obtain proper approval to ensure purchases are for official Postal Service business. Our objective is to assess the Postal Inspection Service’s expense purchase card use.