Upcoming Audit Work

Improved or Not? 

During FY 2023 and 2024, the Field Operations Review Team (FORT) completed audits of various mail processing facilities throughout the country, evaluating their efficiency of operations. We had findings with delayed mail, scan compliance, and late and canceled trips at almost every facility. We made recommendations, or in some cases, management addressed the findings before we issued the report. Our objective will be to evaluate trends in service and operational performance at previously audited mail processing facilities to determine potential areas for improvement. 

The U.S. Postal Service is redesigning its surface transportation network to reduce costs by moving more mail volume in fewer “middle mile” trips. To achieve this, the Postal Service implemented Regional Transfer Hubs (RTHs) where mail volume is consolidated before dispatch to the network and incoming volume is sorted for regional distribution. RTHs enable the Postal Service to increase trailer utilization, a measurement of how full trailers are, reducing the number of trips needed to move mail in the network.
Our objective is to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Postal Service's Regional Transfer Hub initiative.

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.