U.S. Postal Inspection Service Strategy and Resources
Background
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s mission is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail. According to the Postal Inspection Service strategic plan, the key mission and business priorities were developed through research and represent critical and emerging issues affecting the Postal Service’s employees, infrastructure, and products, as well as the success of the Postal Inspection Service’s mission.
What We Did
Our objective was to assess the Postal Inspection Service’s strategy, resources, and related strategic priorities used to accomplish its mission. To accomplish our objective, we interviewed Postal Inspection Service Headquarters management, evaluated its fiscal years (FY) 2025–2027 Strategic Plan and related goals and performance measures, and analyzed its workforce assessments.
What We Found
The Postal Inspection Service has opportunities to improve its strategy, use of resources, and related strategic priorities. Specifically, we found the Postal Inspection Service organization allocated resources to events that may not be the most effective use of resources to support its mission. Also, management did not create performance measures for three strategic goals, did not develop easy to measure key performance indicators, and relied on processes outside the Postal Inspection Service’s control when measuring goals. Additionally, nine of 16 Postal Inspection Service divisions did not meet the required quarterly national initiative goals identified in their Comprehensive Division Plans. Finally, the Postal Inspection Service incurred over $2.2 million in unsupported questioned costs to screen mail at sporting and political events when resources may be needed to support other key mission priorities.
Recommendations and Management’s Comments
We made five recommendations to address the issues identified in the report. Postal Service management agreed with one recommendation and disagreed with four recommendations. Management’s comments and our evaluation are at the end of each finding and recommendation. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) considers management’s comments responsive to recommendation 2, as corrective action should resolve the issues identified. We will work with management through the audit resolution process on the remaining four recommendations. See Appendix B for management’s comments in their entirety.