Federal Management Regulation; FMR Case 2003-102-1; Mail Management, 49955-49962 [E8-19506]
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EPA-APPROVED IOWA REGULATIONS—Continued
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41 CFR Part 102–192
3. The authority citation for part 70
continues to read as follows:
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[FMR Amendment 2008–06; FMR Case
2003–102–1; Docket 2008–0001; Sequence
4]
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
4. Appendix A to Part 70 is amended
by adding paragraph (j) under ‘‘Iowa’’ to
read as follows:
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RIN 3090–AH13
Federal Management Regulation; FMR
Case 2003–102–1; Mail Management
Office of Governmentwide
Policy, GSA.
ACTION: Final rule.
Appendix A to Part 70—Approval
Status of State and Local Operating
Permits Programs
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: The General Services
Administration is amending the Federal
Management Regulation (FMR) by
revising the current mail management
policy. This final rule incorporates
changes made to the current interim
rule.
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Iowa
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(j) The Iowa Department of Natural
Resources submitted for program approval
rule 567–22.100(455B) on April 8, 2008. The
state effective date was March 19, 2008.
These revisions to the Iowa program are
approved effective October 24, 2008.
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[FR Doc. E8–19519 Filed 8–22–08; 8:45 am]
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This final rule is effective August
25, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
clarification of content, contact Derrick
Miliner, Office of Governmentwide
Policy, Mail Management Policy, at
(202) 273–3564, or e-mail at
derrick.miliner@gsa.gov. The Regulatory
Secretariat, Room 4041, GS Building,
Washington, DC 20405, at (202) 501–
4755 for information pertaining to status
or publication schedules. Please cite
FMR case 2003–102–1.
DATES:
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
PART 70—[AMENDED]
Subrule 23.4(10) is not
SIP-approved.
A. Background
On May 29, 2001, the General
Services Administration (GSA)
published a proposed rule for mail
management in the Federal Register (66
FR 29067). After considering all
comments received on the proposed
rule, GSA published an interim rule for
mail management in the Federal
Register, which was effective on its
publication date, June 6, 2002 (67 FR
38896).
GSA chose to publish an interim rule
in 2002 because we recognized that
experience would identify some
elements of the interim rule that would
need to be changed. This final rule
reflects that experience.
The significant changes between this
final rule and the interim rule are:
1. This final rule removes Appendix
A, titled ‘‘Large Agency Mailers.’’ The
list of agencies that qualify as large, as
defined in this regulation, changes
slightly every year. GSA has
determined, therefore, that it is better to
publish this list on its web site,
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy, rather than in
this regulation.
2. This final rule removes Appendix
B titled ‘‘Mail Center Security Plan.’’
GSA has determined that this final rule
should contain only the basic
requirements for security plans, and that
any additional guidance should be
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provided through its web site,
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy. Best practices
in mail center security evolve too
quickly for inclusion in the FMR. See
Subpart C for the minimum
requirements for security plans and
policies.
3. This final rule removes the
minimum size for facilities to have
written mail security plans. The Mail
Regulation Interagency Working Group
decided that any facility processing mail
must have a written security plan,
regardless of its size, and GSA has
adopted that finding in this regulation.
4. This final rule removes from the
definition of ‘‘mail’’ packages of any
size or weight containing parts and
supplies issued from materiel
distribution centers. Packages up to 70
pounds containing paper, publications,
and similar materials are still included
in the definition of mail. GSA has made
this change at the request of several
agencies, including the Department of
Defense and the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration. Parts and
supplies are not ‘‘records,’’ as
envisioned by the Federal Records
Management Amendments of 1976 (44
U.S.C. 2901–2904), which provides the
authority for this Part.
5. This final rule reestablishes the
requirement that every agency must
have an agency mail manager and must
have a mail center manager at every
Federal facility that processes mail; this
rule was first established in part 101–9
of the Federal Property Management
Regulation (FPMR) (41 CFR part 101–9)
and was inadvertently not included in
the interim rule.
6. This final rule moves the due date
for the annual mail management reports
from March 30 to January 15.
7. The interim rule required that all
agencies begin using commercial
payment processes for mail and stop
using the United States Postal Service
(USPS) Official Mail Accounting
System. Many agencies are currently
operating under temporary deviations
that give them additional time to meet
this requirement. When GSA amended
41 CFR part 102–192 to change the date
for this requirement to December 31,
2003, it also stated that ‘‘all deviation
requests will be required to include a
discussion of how the agency has
implemented, or plans to implement, an
accountable system for making postage
payments.’’ This final rule requires that,
in their annual report, all large agencies
discuss how they are implementing an
accountable system for postage
payments, or how they plan to do so. It
also requires that all agencies discuss
how they plan to implement an
accountable system for postage in any
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deviation requests related to this issue.
At the same time, this final rule allows
deviations that have not reached their
expiration dates to continue in effect
until they expire.
B. Executive Order 12866
GSA has determined that this final
rule is not a significant rule for the
purposes of Executive Order 12866 of
September 30, 1993.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This final rule is not expected to have
a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
within the meaning of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.
D. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act does
not apply because this final rule does
not impose recordkeeping or
information collection requirements, or
the collection of information from
offerors, contractors, or members of the
public which require the approval of the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.
E. Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act
This final rule is exempt from
Congressional review prescribed under
5 U.S.C. 801 since it relates solely to
agency management and personnel.
List of Subjects in 41 CFR Part 102–192
Government contracts, Mail,
Performance measurement, Records
management, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Security.
Dated: May 21, 2008.
David L. Bibb,
Acting Administrator of General Services.
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, 41 CFR chapter 102 is
amended by revising part 102–192 of
Subchapter G to read as follows:
I
PART 102–192—MAIL MANAGEMENT
Subpart A—Introduction to this Part
Sec.
102–192.5 What does this part cover?
102–192.10 What authority governs this
part?
102–192.15 How are ‘‘I’’, ‘‘you’’, ‘‘me’’,
‘‘we’’, and ‘‘us’’ used in this part?
102–192.20 How are ‘‘must’’ and ‘‘should’’
used in this part?
102–192.25 Does this part apply to me?
102–192.30 What types of mail does this
part apply to?
102–192.35 What definitions apply to this
part?
102–192.40 Where can we obtain more
information about the classes of mail?
102–192.45 How can we request a deviation
from these requirements, and who can
approve it?
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Subpart B—Financial Requirements for All
Agencies
102.192.50 What payment processes are we
required to use?
102–192.55 Why must we use these
commercial payment processes?
102–192.60 How do we implement these
commercial payment processes?
102–192.65 What features must our finance
systems have to track mail costs?
Subpart C—Security Requirements for All
Agencies
102–192.70 What security policies and
plans must we have?
102–192.75 Why must we have written
security policies and plans?
102–192.80 How do we develop written
security policies and plans?
Subpart D—Reporting Requirements
102.192.85 Who must report to GSA
annually?
102.192.90 What must we include in our
annual mail management report to GSA?
102–192.95 Why does GSA require annual
mail management reports?
102–192.100 How do we submit our annual
mail management report to GSA?
102–192.105 When must we submit our
annual mail management report to GSA?
Subpart E—Performance Measurement
Requirements
102–192.110 At what level(s) in our agency
must we have performance measures?
102–192.115 Why must we use
performance measures?
Subpart F—Agency Mail Manager
Requirements
102–192.120 Must we have an agency mail
manager?
102.192.125 What is the appropriate
managerial level for an agency mail
manager?
102–192.130 What are your general
responsibilities as an agency mail
manager?
Subpart G—Mail Center Manager
Requirements
102–192.135 Must we have a mail center
manager at our facility?
102.192.140 What are your general
responsibilities as a Federal mail center
manager?
Subpart H—Program Level Mail
Responsibilities
102–192.145 Which program levels should
have a mail manager?
102–192.150 What are your general
responsibilities as a program level mail
manager?
Subpart I—Other Agency Responsibilities
102–192.155 What should our agency-wide
mail management policy statement
cover?
102–192.160 What less costly alternatives
to expedited mail and couriers should
your agency-wide mail management
policy address?
102–192.165 What authorities must I follow
when contracting out all or part of the
mail function?
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Subpart J—GSA’s Responsibilities and
Services
102–192.170 What are GSA’s
responsibilities in mail management?
102–192.175 What types of support does
GSA offer to Federal agency mail
management programs?
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 2904; 40 U.S.C.
121(c).
Subpart A—Introduction to this Part
§ 102–192.5
What does this part cover?
This part prescribes policy and
requirements for the effective,
economical, and secure management of
incoming, internal, and outgoing mail in
Federal agencies.
§ 102–192.10
part?
What authority governs this
This part is governed by Section 2 of
Public Law 94–575, the Federal Records
Management Amendments of 1976 (44
U.S.C. 2901–2904), as amended, that
requires the Administrator of General
Services to provide guidance and
assistance to Federal agencies on
records management and defines the
processing of mail by Federal agencies
as a records management activity.
§ 102–192.15 How are ‘‘I’’, ‘‘you’’, ‘‘me’’,
‘‘we’’, and ‘‘us’’ used in this part?
In this part, ‘‘I’’, ‘‘me’’, and ‘‘you’’ (in
its singular sense) refer to agency mail
managers and/or facility mail managers.
The context makes it clear which usage
is intended in each case. ‘‘We’’, ‘‘us’’,
and ‘‘you’’ (in its plural sense) refer to
your Federal agency.
§ 102–192.20 How are ‘‘must’’ and
‘‘should’’ used in this part?
In this part—
(a) ‘‘Must’’ identifies steps that
Federal agencies are required to take;
and
(b) ‘‘Should’’ identifies steps that the
General Services Administration (GSA)
recommends.
Note to § 102–192.20: In their internal
policy statements, agencies may require steps
that GSA recommends. However, agencies
may not change required steps into nonmandatory recommendations.
§ 102–192.25
Does this part apply to me?
Yes, this part applies to you if you
work in mail management in a Federal
agency, as defined in § 102–192.35.
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§ 102–192.30 What types of mail does this
part apply to?
(a) This part applies to all materials
that might pass through a Federal mail
center, including—
(1) All internal, incoming, and
outgoing materials, regardless of
whether or not they currently pass
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through a mail center; this includes
envelopes, publications, postal cards,
bulk mail, expedited mail, and
individual packages up to 70 pounds
that contain paper or publications; and
(2) Materials carried by agency
personnel, contractors, the United States
Postal Service (USPS), and all other
carriers of such items.
(b) This part does not apply to
shipments of parts or supplies from a
materiel distribution center (a material
distribution center is a warehouse that
maintains and distributes an inventory
of parts and supplies).
§ 102–192.35
part?
What definitions apply to this
The following definitions apply to
this part:
Accountable mail means any mail for
which the service provider and the mail
center must maintain a record that
shows where the mail piece is at any
given time and when and where it was
delivered; examples include USPS
registered mail and all expedited mail
(see definition below).
Agency mail manager means the
person who manages the overall mail
communications program of a Federal
agency.
Class of mail means one of the five
categories of domestic mail as defined
by the United States Postal Service
(USPS) in the Domestic Mail Manual,
(C100 through C600.1.z). These are:
(1) Express mail.
(2) First class (includes priority mail).
(3) Periodicals.
(4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing
mail).
(5) Package services.
Commingling means combining
outgoing mail from one facility or
agency with outgoing mail from at least
one other source.
Commercial payment processes
means mechanisms for paying for USPS
postage that are essentially the same as
those used by private sector mailers.
This means paying for postage before
the postage is used (which the U.S.
Treasury has determined is appropriate
for USPS postage). For meter or permit
mail, this also means sending money to
the USPS via Electronic Funds Transfer
(EFT) transactions to commercial banks
designated by the USPS as their
financial agents. For stamps and other
USPS services, this means paying the
USPS directly via cash, charge card,
debit card, and money order, depending
on the specific service being purchased.
Expedited mail means mail
designated for delivery more quickly
than the USPS’s normal delivery times
(which vary by class of mail). Examples
of expedited mail include USPS Express
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Mail and overnight and two-day
delivery by other service providers.
Facility mail manager means the
person responsible for mail in a specific
Federal facility. There may be many
facility mail managers within a Federal
agency.
Federal agency (or agency), as defined
in 44 U.S.C. 2901(14), means—
(1) Any executive department as
defined in 5 U.S.C. 101;
(2) Any wholly owned Government
corporation as defined in 31 U.S.C.
9101;
(3) Any independent establishment in
the executive branch as defined in 5
U.S.C. 104; and
(4) Any establishment in the
legislative branch, except the Senate,
the House of Representatives, the
Architect of the Capitol, and all
activities under the direction of the
Architect of the Capitol.
Federal facility (or facility) means any
office building, installation, base, etc.,
where Federal agency employees work;
this includes any facility where the
Federal government pays postage
expenses even though few or no Federal
employees are involved in processing
the mail.
Incoming mail means any mail that
comes into a facility delivered by any
service provider, such as the USPS,
United Parcel Service (UPS), FedEx, or
DHL.
Internal mail means mail generated
within a Federal facility that is
delivered within that facility or to a
nearby facility of the same agency, so
long as it is delivered by agency
personnel or a dedicated agency
contractor.
Large agency means a Federal agency
whose total payments to all mail service
providers exceed $1 million per fiscal
year.
Mail means the types of mail
described in § 102–192.30.
Mail center means an organization
and/or place, within or associated with
a Federal facility, where incoming and/
or outgoing Federal mail is processed.
Mail costs means direct or allocated
expenses for postage and all other mail
costs (e.g., payments to service
providers, mail center personnel costs,
mail center overhead, etc.).
Mail piece design means laying out
and printing items to be mailed so that
they can be processed efficiently and
effectively by automated mailprocessing equipment.
Official Mail Accounting System
(OMAS) means the U.S. Postal Service’s
government-specific system used to
track postage used by many Federal
agencies.
Outgoing mail means mail generated
within a Federal facility that is going
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outside that facility and is delivered by
a service provider.
Personal mail means incoming or
outgoing mail that is not related to
official business of the Federal
government.
Postage means money due or paid to
any service provider for the delivery of
mail.
Presort means a mail preparation
process used to receive a discounted
mailing rate by sorting mail according to
USPS standards.
Program level means a subsidiary part
of a Federal agency that generates a
significant quantity of outgoing mail
(‘‘significant’’ in this context is relative
to the overall size of the agency’s mail
budget; half of a small annual mail
budget may not be significant in a small
agency, whereas one-tenth or less might
be significant in a large agency). The
term program level may apply to an
agency organizational entity, program,
or project.
Program level mail manager is the
person at the program level responsible
for mail policy implementation,
operations, and financial management;
the program level counterpart of the
agency mail manager.
Service provider means any agency or
company that delivers mail. Some
examples of service providers are USPS,
UPS, FedEx, DHL, courier services, the
Military Postal Service Agency, the
Department of State’s Diplomatic Pouch
and Mail Division, and other Federal
agencies providing mail services.
Special services means those mail
services that require extra payment over
basic postage; e.g., certified mail,
business reply mail, registered mail,
merchandise return service, certificates
of mailing, return receipts, and delivery
confirmation.
Unauthorized use of agency postage
means the use of penalty or commercial
mail stamps, meter impressions, or
other postage indicia for personal or
unofficial use.
Worksharing means ways of
processing outgoing mail that qualify for
reduced postage rates; examples include
presorting, bar coding, consolidating,
and commingling.
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§ 102–192.40 Where can we obtain more
information about the classes of mail?
You can learn more about mail classes
in the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM).
The DMM is available online at https://
pe.usps.gov/default.asp or you can
order a copy from the Superintendent of
Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA
15250–7954.
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§ 102–192.45 How can we request a
deviation from these requirements, and who
can approve it?
Postage, which can be found at
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
See §§ 102–2.60 through 102–2.110 of
this chapter to request a deviation from
the requirements of this part. The
authority rests with the Administrator of
General Services and those to whom the
Administrator has delegated such
authority.
§ 102–192.65 What features must our
finance systems have to keep track of mail
costs?
Subpart B—Financial Requirements for
All Agencies
§ 102–192.50 What payment processes are
we required to use?
All payments to the United States
Postal Service or authorized service
providers must be made using
commercial payment processes.
(a) Agencies may no longer use the
Intergovernmental Payment and
Collection Payment (IPAC) process
associated with the Official Mail
Accounting System (OMAS), except
where GSA has approved a temporary
deviation for a specific agency, office, or
component.
(b) Any deviation related to the
requirements of this section that has not
reached its expiration date on the
effective date of this rule will continue
in effect until it expires.
(c) Any new deviation request, or any
request to extend an existing deviation,
must include a plan for the agency to
implement an accountable system for
postage, as discussed in § 102–192.65.
(d) GSA provides detailed guidance
on commercial payment processes and
accountability on its web site,
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
§ 102–192.55 Why must we use these
commercial payment processes?
Federal agencies are required to use
commercial payment processes because
commercial payment requires obligation
of the money before the postage is used
(by contrast, use of the OMAS system
allows the postage use and the
obligation of funds to occur almost
entirely independently of each other).
Requiring the program level manager
who generates the mail to obligate the
money before the postage is used makes
it much more likely that the same
program level manager will be
accountable for the money, thereby
encouraging good judgment in using
postage.
§ 102–192.60 How do we implement these
commercial payment processes?
Guidance on implementing a
compliant payment process is in the
GSA Policy Advisory, Guidelines for
Federal Agencies On Converting to
Commercial Payment Systems for
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All agencies must have an
accountable system for making postage
payments; that is, a system that allocates
postage expenses at the program level
within the agency and then makes
program level managers accountable for
obligating and tracking those expenses.
The agency will have to determine the
appropriate program level for this
requirement, because the level at which
it is cost-beneficial differs widely. The
agency’s finance system(s) should track
all mail costs separately to the program
level or below, and should—
(a) Show allocations and expenses for
postage and all other mail costs (e.g.,
payments to service providers, mail
center personnel costs, mail center
overhead, etc.) separate from all other
administrative expenses;
(b) Allow mail centers to establish
systems to charge their customers for
mail costs; and
(c) Identify and charge mail costs that
are part of printing contracts to the
program level.
Note to § 102–192.65: To better accomplish
these goals listed in this section, you should
maintain separate accounts with the USPS
and all other service providers for mail, as
defined by this Part. Shipment of non-mail
items should be arranged and paid for
through other accounts. This will make it
possible for your annual mail management
report to reflect only amounts paid for mail,
as defined in § 102–192.35.
Subpart C—Security Requirements for
All Agencies
§ 102–192.70 What security policies and
plans must we have?
(a) You must have a written mail
security policy that applies throughout
the agency.
(b) You also must have a written mail
security plan for each facility that
processes mail, regardless of the
facility’s mail volume.
(c) If a contract that is in place on
August 25, 2008 does not fully meet the
requirements of this section, the
contract must be modified to meet the
requirement for a security plan within
one year of August 25, 2008, unless the
contract will expire prior to that date.
(d) The scope and level of detail of
each facility mail security plan should
be commensurate with the size and
responsibilities of each facility. For
small facilities, you may provide a
general, standardized plan that is used
in many similar locations. For larger
locations, you must develop a plan that
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is specifically tailored to the threats and
risks at your location. Agencies are free
to determine for themselves which
facilities are ‘‘smaller’’ and which are
‘‘larger’’ for the purposes of this section,
so long as the basic requirement for a
security plan is met at every facility.
(e) All mail facility managers should
report annually the status of their
facility mail security plans to agency
headquarters. At a minimum, this report
should assure that the facility mail
security plan complies with the
requirements of this part, including
annual review by a subject matter expert
and regular rehearsal of responses to
various emergency situations by facility
personnel.
(f) An outside security professional
who has expertise in mail center
security should review the agency’s
mail security plan annually. Review of
facility mail security plans can be
accomplished by outside subject matter
experts such as agency security
personnel. If these experts are not
available within your agency, seek
assistance from the Postal Inspection
Service or other Federal authorities.
plan must address the following
topics—
(a) Risk assessment;
(b) Plan to protect staff and all other
occupants of agency facilities from
hazards that might be delivered in the
mail;
(c) Operating procedures;
(d) Plan to provide a visible mail
screening operation;
(e) Training mail center personnel;
(f) Testing and rehearsing responses to
various emergency situations by agency
personnel;
(g) Managing threats;
(h) Communications plan;
(i) Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP);
(j) Continuity of Operations Plan
(COOP); and
(k) Annual reviews.
Note to § 102–192.80: The agency mail
manager and facility manager(s) need not
prepare all of these plans themselves. They
should participate actively in the
development and implementation of each of
these elements, but other parts of the agency
or outside security professionals should take
the lead in their respective areas of expertise.
Subpart D—Reporting Requirements
§ 102–192.75 Why must we have written
security policies and plans?
§ 102–192.85
annually?
All Federal mail programs must
identify, prioritize, and coordinate the
protection of all mail processing
facilities in order to prevent, deter, and
mitigate the effects of deliberate efforts
to destroy, incapacitate, or exploit the
mail center or the national mail
infrastructure. Homeland Security
Presidential Directive HSPD–7 requires
all agencies to protect key resources
from terrorist attacks, and this is spelled
out in the Postal and Shipping Sector
Plan, which is part of the National
Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)
prescribed by HSPD–7. All Federal mail
centers are key resources under that
plan. Details on the Postal and Shipping
Sector Plan are not publicly available.
Federal employees needing access to the
plan should contact the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) at
NIPP@dhs.gov.
Large agencies (all agencies that
spend in excess of $1 million each fiscal
year in total payments to mail service
providers) must provide a Mail
Management Report to GSA by January
15th of each year. If your agency is a
cabinet-level or independent agency, the
agency mail manager must compile all
offices (or components) and submit one
report for the department or agency as
a whole (e.g., the Department of Defense
or the Department of Health and Human
Services).
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with RULES
§ 102–192.80 How do we develop written
security policies and plans?
Agency mail managers must
coordinate with their agency security
service and/or the Federal Protective
Service to develop agency mail security
policies and plans. The Federal
Protective Service has, working with the
Interagency Security Committee which
it chairs, developed standards for
building construction and management,
including standards for mail centers. At
a minimum, the agency mail security
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14:53 Aug 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
Who must report to GSA
§ 102–192.90 What must we include in our
annual mail management report to GSA?
Your annual report must—
(a) Identify your agency mail manager;
in addition you must promptly report
the name of the agency mail manager
whenever there is a change of the
person serving in this role.
(b) State the total amounts paid to
each service provider during the
previous fiscal year:
(1) These amounts should include
only amounts paid for mail; not
amounts paid to any service provider to
ship parts and supplies from a materiel
distribution center (see the definition of
mail in § 102–192.30).
(2) These amounts should include all
postage costs associated with mailing
printed materials, regardless of whether
the printing is accomplished by the
agency or a contractor, and regardless of
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49959
how the postage expense is paid (e.g.,
GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service
(FAS) produces a publication called
‘‘Marketips,’’ which provides
information about supplies and services
available through GSA sources. GSA
should include the postage that it uses
to mail Marketips in the amounts that it
reports, even though a printing
company actually prints and mails the
publication);
(c) Report actual results for the
performance measures in use at the
agency and facility levels;
(d) Describe your agency’s
accomplishments and plans to improve
the economy and efficiency of mail
operations in the current and future
years;
(e) Identify how many Federal
employees and contractors work in your
agency’s mail operations nationwide,
and the number that have achieved
industry certifications (e.g. Certified
Mail and Distributions Systems
Manager, Executive Mail Center
Manager, Mailpiece Quality Control
Specialist, Certified Mail Manager);
(f) Describe your agency’s approach to
ensuring that program level officials are
accountable for postage; and
(g) Verify that a competent expert has
reviewed your agency security policies
and the mail security plan for each
facility within the past year, or explain
what steps your agency has taken in this
regard.
Note to § 102–192.90: GSA is launching a
long-term initiative to improve the usefulness
of data collected through the annual mail
management reports. The reports for each
succeeding fiscal year will require an
incrementally broader set of data, working
towards measures that will give agency
management a much clearer picture of the
efficiency and effectiveness of their mail
programs. The additional data will
eventually require agencies to track cost per
piece for all outgoing Federal mail.
§ 102–192.95 Why does GSA require
annual mail management reports?
GSA requires annual agency mail
management reports to—
(a) Ensure that Federal agencies have
the policies, procedures, and data to
manage their mail operations efficiently
and effectively;
(b) Ensure that appropriate security
measures are in place; and
(c) Allow GSA to fulfill its
responsibilities under the Federal
Records Act, especially with regards to
sharing best practices, training,
standards, and guidelines.
§ 102–192.100 How do we submit our
annual mail management report to GSA?
If your agency is a large agency, as
defined in § 102–192.35, you must
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submit annual reports using the GSA
web-based Electronic Performance
Support Tool (EPST). Agency mail
managers and other authorized users
will receive training from GSA on how
to use the EPST.
§ 102–192.105 When must we submit our
annual mail management report to GSA?
Beginning with the report covering
Fiscal Year 2009, your annual report
will be due on January 15th of each year
for the previous fiscal year.
Subpart E—Performance Measurement
Requirements
§ 102–192.110 At what level(s) in our
agency must we have performance
measures?
You must have performance measures
for mail operations at the agency level
and in all facilities and for all program
levels that spend more than $1 million
per year on postage. GSA provides a list
of suggested performance measures, as
part of the format for the annual report.
You may also find these measures on
GSA’s web site, at www.gsa.gov/
mailpolicy.
§ 102–192.115 Why must we use
performance measures?
Performance measures gauge the
success of your mail management plans
and processes by comparing
performance over time and among
organizations. Performance measures—
(a) Help define goals and objectives;
(b) Enhance resource allocation; and
(c) Provide accountability.
Subpart F—Agency Mail Manager
Requirements
§ 102–192.120 Must we have an agency
mail manager?
Yes, every Federal agency as defined
in § 102–192.35 must have an agency
mail manager. Agencies that are not
‘‘large agencies’’ as defined in § 102–
192.35 may not need a full-time person
in this position.
Note to § 102–192.120: GSA will post the
names and official contact information for all
large agency mail managers on its web site
located at www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with RULES
§ 102–192.125 What is the appropriate
managerial level for an agency mail
manager?
The agency mail manager should be at
a managerial level that enables him or
her to speak for the agency and fulfill
the requirements of Subparts B, C, D, E,
and F of this part. GSA recommends
professional mail certification for
agency mail managers.
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14:53 Aug 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
§ 102–192.130 What are your general
responsibilities as an agency mail
manager?
In addition to carrying out the
responsibilities in Subparts B, C, D, and
E of this part, an agency mail manager
should—
(a) Establish written policies and
procedures to provide timely and cost
effective dispatch and delivery of mail;
(b) Ensure agency-wide awareness
and compliance with standards and
operational procedures established by
all service providers used by the agency;
(c) Set policies for expedited mail,
mass mailings, mailing lists, and
couriers;
(d) Seek opportunities to implement
cost-effective improvements and to
enhance performance of the agency’s
mission;
(e) Develop and direct agency
programs and plans for proper and costeffective use of transportation,
equipment, and supplies used for mail;
(f) Ensure that facility and program
level mail personnel receive appropriate
certifications and training in order to
successfully perform their assigned
duties;
(g) Promote professional certification
for mail managers and mail center
employees;
(h) Ensure that expedited mail and
couriers are used only when authorized
by the Private Express Statutes (39
U.S.C. 601–606) and when necessary
and cost-effective;
(i) Establish written policies and
procedures to minimize incoming and
outgoing personal mail;
(j) Provide guidance to agency
correspondence managers on
correspondence management decisions
such as development and design of
mailing materials including Business
Reply Mail, letterhead, and mail piece
design; and
(k) Represent the agency in its
relations with mail service providers
(usually as a Contracting Officer’s
Technical Representative), other agency
mail managers, and the GSA Office of
Governmentwide Policy.
Subpart G—Mail Center Manager
Requirements
§ 102–192.135 Must we have a mail center
manager at our facility?
Yes, every facility that has more than
two full time people dedicated to
processing mail must have a mail center
manager.
§ 102–192.140 What are your general
responsibilities as a Federal mail center
manager?
A Federal mail center manager
should—
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(a) Implement policies and
procedures developed by the agency
mail manager, including cost control
procedures;
(b) Improve, streamline, and reduce
the cost of mail practices and
procedures by continually reviewing
work processes throughout the facility
and seeking opportunities for costeffective change;
(c) Work closely with all facility
personnel, especially printing
specialists and the program level users
who develop large mailings, to
minimize postage and associated
printing expenses through improved
mail piece design, electronic
transmission of data in lieu of mail,
reducing the number of handwritten
addresses on outgoing mail, and other
appropriate measures;
(d) Ensure that all addresses on
mailing lists have been validated using
USPS-approved tools such as ancillary
endorsements, CASS-certified software,
Move Update, and NCOAlink (more
information can be found on the United
States Postal Service website at
www.usps.com);
(e) Keep current on new technologies
that could be applied to reduce agency
mailing costs;
(f) Collaborate and maintain
professional relationships with the
USPS and all other service providers;
(g) Establish performance measures
and goals for mail center operations,
such as a maximum time for processing
and delivery of incoming mail;
(h) Ensure that expedited mail and
couriers are used only when authorized
by the Private Express Statutes (39
U.S.C. 601–606) and when necessary
and cost-effective;
(i) Manage all incoming and outgoing
mail processing activities at the facility,
including all regularly scheduled, small
package, and expedited service
providers, couriers, equipment and
personnel;
(j) Be attentive to unauthorized use,
loss, or theft of postage, including any
unauthorized use of penalty or
commercial mail stamps, meter
impressions or other postage indicia,
and immediately report such incidents
to the agency Inspector General, internal
security office, the Postal Inspection
Service, or other appropriate authority;
(k) Track incoming packages and
accountable mail;
(l) Provide training to mail center
employees at all levels on cost-effective
mailing practices for incoming,
outgoing, and internal mail, as well as
mail security;
(m) Provide opportunities for training
leading to professional certification for
mail center personnel;
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(n) Ensure that outgoing mail meets
all the standards established by your
service provider(s) for weight, size,
hazardous materials content, etc.;
(o) Ensure that your facility has a
written security plan, and implement
that plan;
(p) Establish, publish, and maintain
consistency in the facility’s mail
delivery and pickup times, based on
need for service as established through
study of mail volumes and service
requirements;
(q) Collaborate with agency finance
officials to establish procedures for
timely processing of funds owed to
service providers; and
(r) Report all information necessary
for your agency’s annual mail
management report.
Subpart H—Program Level Mail
Responsibilities
Every program level within a Federal
agency that generates a significant
quantity of outgoing mail should have
its own mail manager. Each agency must
decide which programs will have a fulltime or part-time mail manager. In
making this determination, the agency
should consider the total volume of
outgoing mail that is put into the mail
stream by the program itself or by
printers, presort contractors, or others
on the program’s behalf.
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with RULES
§ 102–192.150 What are your general
responsibilities as a program level mail
manager?
Your responsibilities at the program
level include—
(a) Working closely with the agency
mail manager and mail center managers
who handle significant quantities of
mail or print functions for your
program, as well as mail technical
experts;
(b) Ensuring that your program
complies with all applicable mail
policies and procedures, including this
part;
(c) Coordinating with your program
personnel to minimize postage and
associated printing expenses through
improved mail piece design, electronic
transmission of data in lieu of mail, and
other appropriate measures;
(d) Ensuring that all addresses on
mailing lists have been validated using
USPS-approved tools such as ancillary
endorsements, CASS-certified software,
Move Update, and NCOAlink (more
information can be found on the United
States Postal Service website at
www.usps.com);
(e) Keeping current on new
technologies and practices that could
14:53 Aug 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
Subpart I—Other Agency
Responsibilities
§ 102–192.155 What should our agencywide mail management policy statement
cover?
§ 102–192.145 Which program levels
should have a mail manager?
VerDate Aug<31>2005
reduce your mailing costs or make your
use of mail more effective;
(f) Coordinating all of your program’s
large mailings and associated print jobs
to ensure that the most efficient and
effective procedures are used;
(g) Providing mail training
opportunities to your program level
personnel;
(h) Collaborating with agency finance
officials to establish procedures for
timely processing of funds owed to
service providers; and
(i) Reporting total amounts paid to
each service provider during the
previous fiscal year to the agency mail
manager (See § 102–192.90(b)(1) for
more information).
You should have a written, agencywide mail management policy statement
that, at a minimum, addresses—
(a) Mail center security, as discussed
in §§ 102–192.70, 102–192.75 and 102–
192.80;
(b) Your expectations regarding
program level accountability, postage
expenditure data, and commercial
payment processes;
(c) Your approach to performance
measurement and performance
management for mail;
(d) Centralized mail processing,
worksharing, consolidation, and
commingling to obtain postage savings;
(e) Tracking incoming packages and
accountable mail;
(f) Maintaining centralized control of
outgoing mail, especially outgoing
express packages and letters;
(g) Tracking and managing mail costs
within printing contracts;
(h) Training and professional
certification for mail center managers
and employees;
(i) Addressing, including machine
readability, formatting, use of correct
street addresses, and minimizing use of
hand-written addresses;
(j) Ensuring that a USPS mail piece
design analyst is consulted when
creating a new mail piece;
(k) Reviewing large mailings by mail
managers before they are sent to
printing or a print contractor;
(l) Acceptance and processing of
incoming and outgoing personal mail;
(m) Limiting unsolicited mail and
mail addressed to unknown persons and
former employees; and
(n) Reporting all activities to include
all postage costs associated with
mailing, printing, and materials, to the
agency mail manager.
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49961
Note (1) to § 102–92.155 (l) and (m): Every
agency should establish specific policies for
incoming and outgoing personal mail. In
general, personal mail should be discouraged
or prohibited. However, an agency may
establish a policy to accept and process
personal mail for personnel living on a
Federal facility, personnel stationed outside
the United States, or personnel in other
situations who would otherwise suffer
hardship.
Note (2) to § 102–92.155 (l) and (m):
Mailing costs associated with filing travel
vouchers, and the payment of Government
sponsored travel card billings, are considered
to be ‘‘incidental expenses’’ covered by the
traveler’s ‘‘per diem allowance,’’ as provided
for in the Federal Travel Regulation (41 CFR
300–3.1). Such mailing costs must, therefore,
be paid out of the employee’s per diem
allowance.
Note (3) to § 102–92.155 (l) and (m): Every
reasonable attempt must be made to deliver
first class mail, priority mail, and express
mail (regardless of carrier), or to return it to
the sender if the addressee cannot be
identified. On the other hand, agencies may
establish written policies that permit
discarding of unwanted periodicals, bulk
mail, and bound printed matter under
specified circumstances.
§ 102–192.160 What less costly
alternatives to expedited mail and couriers
should your agency-wide mail management
policy address?
Your policy statement should address
the following alternatives to expedited
mail and couriers:
(a) Electronic transmission via e-mail.
(b) Facsimile transmission.
(c) Internet.
§ 102–192.165 What authorities must I
follow when contracting out all or part of
the mail function?
Any contract for a mail function must
require compliance with—
(a) This part (41 CFR part 102–192);
(b) The Private Express Statutes (39
U.S.C. 601–606);
(c) All agency policies, procedures,
and plans, including the agency-wide
mail security plan and, if applicable,
facility mail security plans; and
(d) All applicable acquisition statutes
and regulations.
Subpart J—GSA’s Responsibilities and
Services
§ 102–192.170 What are GSA’s
responsibilities in mail management?
44 U.S.C § 2904(b) directs the
Administrator of General Services to
provide guidance and assistance to
Federal agencies to ensure economical
and efficient records management. 44
U.S.C. § 2901(2) and (4) (C) define the
processing of mail by Federal agencies
as part of records management. In
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carrying out its responsibilities under
the Act, GSA is required to—
(a) Promulgate standards, procedures,
and guidelines;
(b) Conduct research to improve
practices and programs;
(c) Collect and disseminate
information on training programs,
technological developments, etc.;
(d) Establish an interagency
committee (i.e., the Interagency Mail
Policy Council) to provide an exchange
of information among Federal agencies;
(e) Conduct studies, inspections, or
surveys;
(f) Promote economy and efficiency in
the selection and utilization of space,
staff, equipment, and supplies; and
(g) In the event of an emergency,
communicate with agencies.
§ 102–192.175 What types of support does
GSA offer to Federal agency mail
management programs?
GSA supports Federal agency mail
management programs by—
(a) Assisting in the development of
agency policy and guidance in mail
management and mail operations;
(b) Identifying better business
practices and sharing them with Federal
agencies;
(c) Developing and providing access
to a Governmentwide management
information system for mail;
(d) Helping agencies develop
performance measures and management
information systems for mail;
(e) Maintaining a current list of
agency mail managers;
(f) Establishing, developing and
maintaining interagency mail
committees;
(g) Maintaining liaison with the USPS
and other service providers at the
national level;
(h) Maintaining a web site for mail
communications policy; and
(i) Serving as a point of contact for
mail issues.
ebenthall on PRODPC60 with RULES
Note to § 102–192.180: You may contact
GSA at: General Services Administration,
Office of Governmentwide Policy, Mail
Management Policy Division (MTT), 1800 F
Street, NW., STE 1221, Washington, DC
20405; or e-mail: federal.mail@gsa.gov.
[FR Doc. E8–19506 Filed 8–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–14–S
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Jkt 214001
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 071106673–8011–02]
RIN 0648–XJ94
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of
Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the
projected unused amount of Pacific cod
from catcher vessels greater than or
equal to 60 feet (≥ 18.3 meters (m))
length overall (LOA) using hook-andline gear to the B season allocation for
vessels using jig gear in the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands management area
(BSAI). This action is necessary to allow
the 2008 total allowable catch (TAC) of
Pacific cod to be harvested.
DATES: Effective August 19, 2008,
through 2400 hrs, Alaska local time
(A.l.t.), December 31, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Furuness, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI according to the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (FMP) prepared by
the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council under authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act.
Regulations governing fishing by U.S.
vessels in accordance with the FMP
appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600
and 50 CFR part 679.
The 2008 Pacific cod TAC specified
for catcher vessels greater than or equal
to 60 feet (≥ 18.3 m) LOA using hookand-line gear in the BSAI is 303 metric
tons (mt) as established by the final
2008 and 2009 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the BSAI (73 FR 10160,
February 26, 2008).
The Acting Administrator, Alaska
Region, NMFS, has determined that
catcher vessels greater than or equal to
60 feet (≥ 18.3 m) length LOA using
hook-and-line gear will not be able to
harvest 150 mt of the 2008 Pacific cod
TAC allocated to those vessels under
§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(A)(3). Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.20(a)(7)(iii)(A),
NMFS allocates 150 mt of Pacific cod
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from the catcher vessels greater than or
equal to 60 feet (≥ 18.3 m) length LOA
using hook-and-line gear allocation to
the B season allocation for vessels using
jig gear.
The harvest specifications for Pacific
cod included in the harvest
specifications for groundfish in the
BSAI (73 FR 10160, February 26, 2008)
are revised as follows: 177 mt to the B
season allocation for vessels using jig
gear and 153 mt to catcher vessels ≥ 60
feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line
gear.
Classification
This action responds to the best
available information recently obtained
from the fishery. The Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA
(AA), finds good cause to waive the
requirement to provide prior notice and
opportunity for public comment
pursuant to the authority set forth at 5
U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest. This requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest as it would prevent NMFS from
responding to the most recent fisheries
data in a timely fashion and would
delay the reallocation of Pacific cod
from catcher vessels ≥ 60 feet (18.3 m)
LOA using hook-and-line gear to the B
season allocation for vessels using jig
gear. Since the fishery is currently open,
it is important to immediately inform
the industry as to the revised
allocations. Immediate notification is
necessary to allow for the orderly
conduct and efficient operation of this
fishery, to allow the industry to plan for
the fishing season, and to avoid
potential disruption to the fishing fleet
as well as processors. NMFS was unable
to publish a notice providing time for
public comment because the most
recent, relevant data only became
available as of August 18, 2008.
The AA also finds good cause to
waive the 30-day delay in the effective
date of this action under 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3). This finding is based upon
the reasons provided above for waiver of
prior notice and opportunity for public
comment.
This action is required by § 679.20
and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 19, 2008.
Emily H. Menashes,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–19578 Filed 8–19–08; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 165 (Monday, August 25, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49955-49962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19506]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
41 CFR Part 102-192
[FMR Amendment 2008-06; FMR Case 2003-102-1; Docket 2008-0001; Sequence
4]
RIN 3090-AH13
Federal Management Regulation; FMR Case 2003-102-1; Mail
Management
AGENCY: Office of Governmentwide Policy, GSA.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The General Services Administration is amending the Federal
Management Regulation (FMR) by revising the current mail management
policy. This final rule incorporates changes made to the current
interim rule.
DATES: This final rule is effective August 25, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For clarification of content, contact
Derrick Miliner, Office of Governmentwide Policy, Mail Management
Policy, at (202) 273-3564, or e-mail at derrick.miliner@gsa.gov. The
Regulatory Secretariat, Room 4041, GS Building, Washington, DC 20405,
at (202) 501-4755 for information pertaining to status or publication
schedules. Please cite FMR case 2003-102-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
On May 29, 2001, the General Services Administration (GSA)
published a proposed rule for mail management in the Federal Register
(66 FR 29067). After considering all comments received on the proposed
rule, GSA published an interim rule for mail management in the Federal
Register, which was effective on its publication date, June 6, 2002 (67
FR 38896).
GSA chose to publish an interim rule in 2002 because we recognized
that experience would identify some elements of the interim rule that
would need to be changed. This final rule reflects that experience.
The significant changes between this final rule and the interim
rule are:
1. This final rule removes Appendix A, titled ``Large Agency
Mailers.'' The list of agencies that qualify as large, as defined in
this regulation, changes slightly every year. GSA has determined,
therefore, that it is better to publish this list on its web site,
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy, rather than in this regulation.
2. This final rule removes Appendix B titled ``Mail Center Security
Plan.'' GSA has determined that this final rule should contain only the
basic requirements for security plans, and that any additional guidance
should be
[[Page 49956]]
provided through its web site, www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy. Best practices
in mail center security evolve too quickly for inclusion in the FMR.
See Subpart C for the minimum requirements for security plans and
policies.
3. This final rule removes the minimum size for facilities to have
written mail security plans. The Mail Regulation Interagency Working
Group decided that any facility processing mail must have a written
security plan, regardless of its size, and GSA has adopted that finding
in this regulation.
4. This final rule removes from the definition of ``mail'' packages
of any size or weight containing parts and supplies issued from
materiel distribution centers. Packages up to 70 pounds containing
paper, publications, and similar materials are still included in the
definition of mail. GSA has made this change at the request of several
agencies, including the Department of Defense and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Parts and supplies are not
``records,'' as envisioned by the Federal Records Management Amendments
of 1976 (44 U.S.C. 2901-2904), which provides the authority for this
Part.
5. This final rule reestablishes the requirement that every agency
must have an agency mail manager and must have a mail center manager at
every Federal facility that processes mail; this rule was first
established in part 101-9 of the Federal Property Management Regulation
(FPMR) (41 CFR part 101-9) and was inadvertently not included in the
interim rule.
6. This final rule moves the due date for the annual mail
management reports from March 30 to January 15.
7. The interim rule required that all agencies begin using
commercial payment processes for mail and stop using the United States
Postal Service (USPS) Official Mail Accounting System. Many agencies
are currently operating under temporary deviations that give them
additional time to meet this requirement. When GSA amended 41 CFR part
102-192 to change the date for this requirement to December 31, 2003,
it also stated that ``all deviation requests will be required to
include a discussion of how the agency has implemented, or plans to
implement, an accountable system for making postage payments.'' This
final rule requires that, in their annual report, all large agencies
discuss how they are implementing an accountable system for postage
payments, or how they plan to do so. It also requires that all agencies
discuss how they plan to implement an accountable system for postage in
any deviation requests related to this issue. At the same time, this
final rule allows deviations that have not reached their expiration
dates to continue in effect until they expire.
B. Executive Order 12866
GSA has determined that this final rule is not a significant rule
for the purposes of Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This final rule is not expected to have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.
D. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because this final rule
does not impose recordkeeping or information collection requirements,
or the collection of information from offerors, contractors, or members
of the public which require the approval of the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.
E. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
This final rule is exempt from Congressional review prescribed
under 5 U.S.C. 801 since it relates solely to agency management and
personnel.
List of Subjects in 41 CFR Part 102-192
Government contracts, Mail, Performance measurement, Records
management, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Security.
Dated: May 21, 2008.
David L. Bibb,
Acting Administrator of General Services.
0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 41 CFR chapter 102 is
amended by revising part 102-192 of Subchapter G to read as follows:
PART 102-192--MAIL MANAGEMENT
Subpart A--Introduction to this Part
Sec.
102-192.5 What does this part cover?
102-192.10 What authority governs this part?
102-192.15 How are ``I'', ``you'', ``me'', ``we'', and ``us'' used
in this part?
102-192.20 How are ``must'' and ``should'' used in this part?
102-192.25 Does this part apply to me?
102-192.30 What types of mail does this part apply to?
102-192.35 What definitions apply to this part?
102-192.40 Where can we obtain more information about the classes of
mail?
102-192.45 How can we request a deviation from these requirements,
and who can approve it?
Subpart B--Financial Requirements for All Agencies
102.192.50 What payment processes are we required to use?
102-192.55 Why must we use these commercial payment processes?
102-192.60 How do we implement these commercial payment processes?
102-192.65 What features must our finance systems have to track mail
costs?
Subpart C--Security Requirements for All Agencies
102-192.70 What security policies and plans must we have?
102-192.75 Why must we have written security policies and plans?
102-192.80 How do we develop written security policies and plans?
Subpart D--Reporting Requirements
102.192.85 Who must report to GSA annually?
102.192.90 What must we include in our annual mail management report
to GSA?
102-192.95 Why does GSA require annual mail management reports?
102-192.100 How do we submit our annual mail management report to
GSA?
102-192.105 When must we submit our annual mail management report to
GSA?
Subpart E--Performance Measurement Requirements
102-192.110 At what level(s) in our agency must we have performance
measures?
102-192.115 Why must we use performance measures?
Subpart F--Agency Mail Manager Requirements
102-192.120 Must we have an agency mail manager?
102.192.125 What is the appropriate managerial level for an agency
mail manager?
102-192.130 What are your general responsibilities as an agency mail
manager?
Subpart G--Mail Center Manager Requirements
102-192.135 Must we have a mail center manager at our facility?
102.192.140 What are your general responsibilities as a Federal mail
center manager?
Subpart H--Program Level Mail Responsibilities
102-192.145 Which program levels should have a mail manager?
102-192.150 What are your general responsibilities as a program
level mail manager?
Subpart I--Other Agency Responsibilities
102-192.155 What should our agency-wide mail management policy
statement cover?
102-192.160 What less costly alternatives to expedited mail and
couriers should your agency-wide mail management policy address?
102-192.165 What authorities must I follow when contracting out all
or part of the mail function?
[[Page 49957]]
Subpart J--GSA's Responsibilities and Services
102-192.170 What are GSA's responsibilities in mail management?
102-192.175 What types of support does GSA offer to Federal agency
mail management programs?
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 2904; 40 U.S.C. 121(c).
Subpart A--Introduction to this Part
Sec. 102-192.5 What does this part cover?
This part prescribes policy and requirements for the effective,
economical, and secure management of incoming, internal, and outgoing
mail in Federal agencies.
Sec. 102-192.10 What authority governs this part?
This part is governed by Section 2 of Public Law 94-575, the
Federal Records Management Amendments of 1976 (44 U.S.C. 2901-2904), as
amended, that requires the Administrator of General Services to provide
guidance and assistance to Federal agencies on records management and
defines the processing of mail by Federal agencies as a records
management activity.
Sec. 102-192.15 How are ``I'', ``you'', ``me'', ``we'', and ``us''
used in this part?
In this part, ``I'', ``me'', and ``you'' (in its singular sense)
refer to agency mail managers and/or facility mail managers. The
context makes it clear which usage is intended in each case. ``We'',
``us'', and ``you'' (in its plural sense) refer to your Federal agency.
Sec. 102-192.20 How are ``must'' and ``should'' used in this part?
In this part--
(a) ``Must'' identifies steps that Federal agencies are required to
take; and
(b) ``Should'' identifies steps that the General Services
Administration (GSA) recommends.
Note to Sec. 102-192.20: In their internal policy statements,
agencies may require steps that GSA recommends. However, agencies
may not change required steps into non-mandatory recommendations.
Sec. 102-192.25 Does this part apply to me?
Yes, this part applies to you if you work in mail management in a
Federal agency, as defined in Sec. 102-192.35.
Sec. 102-192.30 What types of mail does this part apply to?
(a) This part applies to all materials that might pass through a
Federal mail center, including--
(1) All internal, incoming, and outgoing materials, regardless of
whether or not they currently pass through a mail center; this includes
envelopes, publications, postal cards, bulk mail, expedited mail, and
individual packages up to 70 pounds that contain paper or publications;
and
(2) Materials carried by agency personnel, contractors, the United
States Postal Service (USPS), and all other carriers of such items.
(b) This part does not apply to shipments of parts or supplies from
a materiel distribution center (a material distribution center is a
warehouse that maintains and distributes an inventory of parts and
supplies).
Sec. 102-192.35 What definitions apply to this part?
The following definitions apply to this part:
Accountable mail means any mail for which the service provider and
the mail center must maintain a record that shows where the mail piece
is at any given time and when and where it was delivered; examples
include USPS registered mail and all expedited mail (see definition
below).
Agency mail manager means the person who manages the overall mail
communications program of a Federal agency.
Class of mail means one of the five categories of domestic mail as
defined by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the Domestic Mail
Manual, (C100 through C600.1.z). These are:
(1) Express mail.
(2) First class (includes priority mail).
(3) Periodicals.
(4) Standard mail (e.g., bulk marketing mail).
(5) Package services.
Commingling means combining outgoing mail from one facility or
agency with outgoing mail from at least one other source.
Commercial payment processes means mechanisms for paying for USPS
postage that are essentially the same as those used by private sector
mailers. This means paying for postage before the postage is used
(which the U.S. Treasury has determined is appropriate for USPS
postage). For meter or permit mail, this also means sending money to
the USPS via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) transactions to commercial
banks designated by the USPS as their financial agents. For stamps and
other USPS services, this means paying the USPS directly via cash,
charge card, debit card, and money order, depending on the specific
service being purchased.
Expedited mail means mail designated for delivery more quickly than
the USPS's normal delivery times (which vary by class of mail).
Examples of expedited mail include USPS Express Mail and overnight and
two-day delivery by other service providers.
Facility mail manager means the person responsible for mail in a
specific Federal facility. There may be many facility mail managers
within a Federal agency.
Federal agency (or agency), as defined in 44 U.S.C. 2901(14),
means--
(1) Any executive department as defined in 5 U.S.C. 101;
(2) Any wholly owned Government corporation as defined in 31 U.S.C.
9101;
(3) Any independent establishment in the executive branch as
defined in 5 U.S.C. 104; and
(4) Any establishment in the legislative branch, except the Senate,
the House of Representatives, the Architect of the Capitol, and all
activities under the direction of the Architect of the Capitol.
Federal facility (or facility) means any office building,
installation, base, etc., where Federal agency employees work; this
includes any facility where the Federal government pays postage
expenses even though few or no Federal employees are involved in
processing the mail.
Incoming mail means any mail that comes into a facility delivered
by any service provider, such as the USPS, United Parcel Service (UPS),
FedEx, or DHL.
Internal mail means mail generated within a Federal facility that
is delivered within that facility or to a nearby facility of the same
agency, so long as it is delivered by agency personnel or a dedicated
agency contractor.
Large agency means a Federal agency whose total payments to all
mail service providers exceed $1 million per fiscal year.
Mail means the types of mail described in Sec. 102-192.30.
Mail center means an organization and/or place, within or
associated with a Federal facility, where incoming and/or outgoing
Federal mail is processed.
Mail costs means direct or allocated expenses for postage and all
other mail costs (e.g., payments to service providers, mail center
personnel costs, mail center overhead, etc.).
Mail piece design means laying out and printing items to be mailed
so that they can be processed efficiently and effectively by automated
mail-processing equipment.
Official Mail Accounting System (OMAS) means the U.S. Postal
Service's government-specific system used to track postage used by many
Federal agencies.
Outgoing mail means mail generated within a Federal facility that
is going
[[Page 49958]]
outside that facility and is delivered by a service provider.
Personal mail means incoming or outgoing mail that is not related
to official business of the Federal government.
Postage means money due or paid to any service provider for the
delivery of mail.
Presort means a mail preparation process used to receive a
discounted mailing rate by sorting mail according to USPS standards.
Program level means a subsidiary part of a Federal agency that
generates a significant quantity of outgoing mail (``significant'' in
this context is relative to the overall size of the agency's mail
budget; half of a small annual mail budget may not be significant in a
small agency, whereas one-tenth or less might be significant in a large
agency). The term program level may apply to an agency organizational
entity, program, or project.
Program level mail manager is the person at the program level
responsible for mail policy implementation, operations, and financial
management; the program level counterpart of the agency mail manager.
Service provider means any agency or company that delivers mail.
Some examples of service providers are USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, courier
services, the Military Postal Service Agency, the Department of State's
Diplomatic Pouch and Mail Division, and other Federal agencies
providing mail services.
Special services means those mail services that require extra
payment over basic postage; e.g., certified mail, business reply mail,
registered mail, merchandise return service, certificates of mailing,
return receipts, and delivery confirmation.
Unauthorized use of agency postage means the use of penalty or
commercial mail stamps, meter impressions, or other postage indicia for
personal or unofficial use.
Worksharing means ways of processing outgoing mail that qualify for
reduced postage rates; examples include presorting, bar coding,
consolidating, and commingling.
Sec. 102-192.40 Where can we obtain more information about the
classes of mail?
You can learn more about mail classes in the Domestic Mail Manual
(DMM). The DMM is available online at https://pe.usps.gov/default.asp or
you can order a copy from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954.
Sec. 102-192.45 How can we request a deviation from these
requirements, and who can approve it?
See Sec. Sec. 102-2.60 through 102-2.110 of this chapter to
request a deviation from the requirements of this part. The authority
rests with the Administrator of General Services and those to whom the
Administrator has delegated such authority.
Subpart B--Financial Requirements for All Agencies
Sec. 102-192.50 What payment processes are we required to use?
All payments to the United States Postal Service or authorized
service providers must be made using commercial payment processes.
(a) Agencies may no longer use the Intergovernmental Payment and
Collection Payment (IPAC) process associated with the Official Mail
Accounting System (OMAS), except where GSA has approved a temporary
deviation for a specific agency, office, or component.
(b) Any deviation related to the requirements of this section that
has not reached its expiration date on the effective date of this rule
will continue in effect until it expires.
(c) Any new deviation request, or any request to extend an existing
deviation, must include a plan for the agency to implement an
accountable system for postage, as discussed in Sec. 102-192.65.
(d) GSA provides detailed guidance on commercial payment processes
and accountability on its web site, www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
Sec. 102-192.55 Why must we use these commercial payment processes?
Federal agencies are required to use commercial payment processes
because commercial payment requires obligation of the money before the
postage is used (by contrast, use of the OMAS system allows the postage
use and the obligation of funds to occur almost entirely independently
of each other). Requiring the program level manager who generates the
mail to obligate the money before the postage is used makes it much
more likely that the same program level manager will be accountable for
the money, thereby encouraging good judgment in using postage.
Sec. 102-192.60 How do we implement these commercial payment
processes?
Guidance on implementing a compliant payment process is in the GSA
Policy Advisory, Guidelines for Federal Agencies On Converting to
Commercial Payment Systems for Postage, which can be found at
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
Sec. 102-192.65 What features must our finance systems have to keep
track of mail costs?
All agencies must have an accountable system for making postage
payments; that is, a system that allocates postage expenses at the
program level within the agency and then makes program level managers
accountable for obligating and tracking those expenses. The agency will
have to determine the appropriate program level for this requirement,
because the level at which it is cost-beneficial differs widely. The
agency's finance system(s) should track all mail costs separately to
the program level or below, and should--
(a) Show allocations and expenses for postage and all other mail
costs (e.g., payments to service providers, mail center personnel
costs, mail center overhead, etc.) separate from all other
administrative expenses;
(b) Allow mail centers to establish systems to charge their
customers for mail costs; and
(c) Identify and charge mail costs that are part of printing
contracts to the program level.
Note to Sec. 102-192.65: To better accomplish these goals
listed in this section, you should maintain separate accounts with
the USPS and all other service providers for mail, as defined by
this Part. Shipment of non-mail items should be arranged and paid
for through other accounts. This will make it possible for your
annual mail management report to reflect only amounts paid for mail,
as defined in Sec. 102-192.35.
Subpart C--Security Requirements for All Agencies
Sec. 102-192.70 What security policies and plans must we have?
(a) You must have a written mail security policy that applies
throughout the agency.
(b) You also must have a written mail security plan for each
facility that processes mail, regardless of the facility's mail volume.
(c) If a contract that is in place on August 25, 2008 does not
fully meet the requirements of this section, the contract must be
modified to meet the requirement for a security plan within one year of
August 25, 2008, unless the contract will expire prior to that date.
(d) The scope and level of detail of each facility mail security
plan should be commensurate with the size and responsibilities of each
facility. For small facilities, you may provide a general, standardized
plan that is used in many similar locations. For larger locations, you
must develop a plan that
[[Page 49959]]
is specifically tailored to the threats and risks at your location.
Agencies are free to determine for themselves which facilities are
``smaller'' and which are ``larger'' for the purposes of this section,
so long as the basic requirement for a security plan is met at every
facility.
(e) All mail facility managers should report annually the status of
their facility mail security plans to agency headquarters. At a
minimum, this report should assure that the facility mail security plan
complies with the requirements of this part, including annual review by
a subject matter expert and regular rehearsal of responses to various
emergency situations by facility personnel.
(f) An outside security professional who has expertise in mail
center security should review the agency's mail security plan annually.
Review of facility mail security plans can be accomplished by outside
subject matter experts such as agency security personnel. If these
experts are not available within your agency, seek assistance from the
Postal Inspection Service or other Federal authorities.
Sec. 102-192.75 Why must we have written security policies and plans?
All Federal mail programs must identify, prioritize, and coordinate
the protection of all mail processing facilities in order to prevent,
deter, and mitigate the effects of deliberate efforts to destroy,
incapacitate, or exploit the mail center or the national mail
infrastructure. Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-7
requires all agencies to protect key resources from terrorist attacks,
and this is spelled out in the Postal and Shipping Sector Plan, which
is part of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)
prescribed by HSPD-7. All Federal mail centers are key resources under
that plan. Details on the Postal and Shipping Sector Plan are not
publicly available. Federal employees needing access to the plan should
contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at NIPP@dhs.gov.
Sec. 102-192.80 How do we develop written security policies and
plans?
Agency mail managers must coordinate with their agency security
service and/or the Federal Protective Service to develop agency mail
security policies and plans. The Federal Protective Service has,
working with the Interagency Security Committee which it chairs,
developed standards for building construction and management, including
standards for mail centers. At a minimum, the agency mail security plan
must address the following topics--
(a) Risk assessment;
(b) Plan to protect staff and all other occupants of agency
facilities from hazards that might be delivered in the mail;
(c) Operating procedures;
(d) Plan to provide a visible mail screening operation;
(e) Training mail center personnel;
(f) Testing and rehearsing responses to various emergency
situations by agency personnel;
(g) Managing threats;
(h) Communications plan;
(i) Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP);
(j) Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP); and
(k) Annual reviews.
Note to Sec. 102-192.80: The agency mail manager and facility
manager(s) need not prepare all of these plans themselves. They
should participate actively in the development and implementation of
each of these elements, but other parts of the agency or outside
security professionals should take the lead in their respective
areas of expertise.
Subpart D--Reporting Requirements
Sec. 102-192.85 Who must report to GSA annually?
Large agencies (all agencies that spend in excess of $1 million
each fiscal year in total payments to mail service providers) must
provide a Mail Management Report to GSA by January 15th of each year.
If your agency is a cabinet-level or independent agency, the agency
mail manager must compile all offices (or components) and submit one
report for the department or agency as a whole (e.g., the Department of
Defense or the Department of Health and Human Services).
Sec. 102-192.90 What must we include in our annual mail management
report to GSA?
Your annual report must--
(a) Identify your agency mail manager; in addition you must
promptly report the name of the agency mail manager whenever there is a
change of the person serving in this role.
(b) State the total amounts paid to each service provider during
the previous fiscal year:
(1) These amounts should include only amounts paid for mail; not
amounts paid to any service provider to ship parts and supplies from a
materiel distribution center (see the definition of mail in Sec. 102-
192.30).
(2) These amounts should include all postage costs associated with
mailing printed materials, regardless of whether the printing is
accomplished by the agency or a contractor, and regardless of how the
postage expense is paid (e.g., GSA's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS)
produces a publication called ``Marketips,'' which provides information
about supplies and services available through GSA sources. GSA should
include the postage that it uses to mail Marketips in the amounts that
it reports, even though a printing company actually prints and mails
the publication);
(c) Report actual results for the performance measures in use at
the agency and facility levels;
(d) Describe your agency's accomplishments and plans to improve the
economy and efficiency of mail operations in the current and future
years;
(e) Identify how many Federal employees and contractors work in
your agency's mail operations nationwide, and the number that have
achieved industry certifications (e.g. Certified Mail and Distributions
Systems Manager, Executive Mail Center Manager, Mailpiece Quality
Control Specialist, Certified Mail Manager);
(f) Describe your agency's approach to ensuring that program level
officials are accountable for postage; and
(g) Verify that a competent expert has reviewed your agency
security policies and the mail security plan for each facility within
the past year, or explain what steps your agency has taken in this
regard.
Note to Sec. 102-192.90: GSA is launching a long-term
initiative to improve the usefulness of data collected through the
annual mail management reports. The reports for each succeeding
fiscal year will require an incrementally broader set of data,
working towards measures that will give agency management a much
clearer picture of the efficiency and effectiveness of their mail
programs. The additional data will eventually require agencies to
track cost per piece for all outgoing Federal mail.
Sec. 102-192.95 Why does GSA require annual mail management reports?
GSA requires annual agency mail management reports to--
(a) Ensure that Federal agencies have the policies, procedures, and
data to manage their mail operations efficiently and effectively;
(b) Ensure that appropriate security measures are in place; and
(c) Allow GSA to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal
Records Act, especially with regards to sharing best practices,
training, standards, and guidelines.
Sec. 102-192.100 How do we submit our annual mail management report
to GSA?
If your agency is a large agency, as defined in Sec. 102-192.35,
you must
[[Page 49960]]
submit annual reports using the GSA web-based Electronic Performance
Support Tool (EPST). Agency mail managers and other authorized users
will receive training from GSA on how to use the EPST.
Sec. 102-192.105 When must we submit our annual mail management
report to GSA?
Beginning with the report covering Fiscal Year 2009, your annual
report will be due on January 15\th\ of each year for the previous
fiscal year.
Subpart E--Performance Measurement Requirements
Sec. 102-192.110 At what level(s) in our agency must we have
performance measures?
You must have performance measures for mail operations at the
agency level and in all facilities and for all program levels that
spend more than $1 million per year on postage. GSA provides a list of
suggested performance measures, as part of the format for the annual
report. You may also find these measures on GSA's web site, at
www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
Sec. 102-192.115 Why must we use performance measures?
Performance measures gauge the success of your mail management
plans and processes by comparing performance over time and among
organizations. Performance measures--
(a) Help define goals and objectives;
(b) Enhance resource allocation; and
(c) Provide accountability.
Subpart F--Agency Mail Manager Requirements
Sec. 102-192.120 Must we have an agency mail manager?
Yes, every Federal agency as defined in Sec. 102-192.35 must have
an agency mail manager. Agencies that are not ``large agencies'' as
defined in Sec. 102-192.35 may not need a full-time person in this
position.
Note to Sec. 102-192.120: GSA will post the names and official
contact information for all large agency mail managers on its web
site located at www.gsa.gov/mailpolicy.
Sec. 102-192.125 What is the appropriate managerial level for an
agency mail manager?
The agency mail manager should be at a managerial level that
enables him or her to speak for the agency and fulfill the requirements
of Subparts B, C, D, E, and F of this part. GSA recommends professional
mail certification for agency mail managers.
Sec. 102-192.130 What are your general responsibilities as an agency
mail manager?
In addition to carrying out the responsibilities in Subparts B, C,
D, and E of this part, an agency mail manager should--
(a) Establish written policies and procedures to provide timely and
cost effective dispatch and delivery of mail;
(b) Ensure agency-wide awareness and compliance with standards and
operational procedures established by all service providers used by the
agency;
(c) Set policies for expedited mail, mass mailings, mailing lists,
and couriers;
(d) Seek opportunities to implement cost-effective improvements and
to enhance performance of the agency's mission;
(e) Develop and direct agency programs and plans for proper and
cost-effective use of transportation, equipment, and supplies used for
mail;
(f) Ensure that facility and program level mail personnel receive
appropriate certifications and training in order to successfully
perform their assigned duties;
(g) Promote professional certification for mail managers and mail
center employees;
(h) Ensure that expedited mail and couriers are used only when
authorized by the Private Express Statutes (39 U.S.C. 601-606) and when
necessary and cost-effective;
(i) Establish written policies and procedures to minimize incoming
and outgoing personal mail;
(j) Provide guidance to agency correspondence managers on
correspondence management decisions such as development and design of
mailing materials including Business Reply Mail, letterhead, and mail
piece design; and
(k) Represent the agency in its relations with mail service
providers (usually as a Contracting Officer's Technical
Representative), other agency mail managers, and the GSA Office of
Governmentwide Policy.
Subpart G--Mail Center Manager Requirements
Sec. 102-192.135 Must we have a mail center manager at our facility?
Yes, every facility that has more than two full time people
dedicated to processing mail must have a mail center manager.
Sec. 102-192.140 What are your general responsibilities as a Federal
mail center manager?
A Federal mail center manager should--
(a) Implement policies and procedures developed by the agency mail
manager, including cost control procedures;
(b) Improve, streamline, and reduce the cost of mail practices and
procedures by continually reviewing work processes throughout the
facility and seeking opportunities for cost-effective change;
(c) Work closely with all facility personnel, especially printing
specialists and the program level users who develop large mailings, to
minimize postage and associated printing expenses through improved mail
piece design, electronic transmission of data in lieu of mail, reducing
the number of handwritten addresses on outgoing mail, and other
appropriate measures;
(d) Ensure that all addresses on mailing lists have been validated
using USPS-approved tools such as ancillary endorsements, CASS-
certified software, Move Update, and NCOAlink[reg] (more information
can be found on the United States Postal Service website at
www.usps.com);
(e) Keep current on new technologies that could be applied to
reduce agency mailing costs;
(f) Collaborate and maintain professional relationships with the
USPS and all other service providers;
(g) Establish performance measures and goals for mail center
operations, such as a maximum time for processing and delivery of
incoming mail;
(h) Ensure that expedited mail and couriers are used only when
authorized by the Private Express Statutes (39 U.S.C. 601-606) and when
necessary and cost-effective;
(i) Manage all incoming and outgoing mail processing activities at
the facility, including all regularly scheduled, small package, and
expedited service providers, couriers, equipment and personnel;
(j) Be attentive to unauthorized use, loss, or theft of postage,
including any unauthorized use of penalty or commercial mail stamps,
meter impressions or other postage indicia, and immediately report such
incidents to the agency Inspector General, internal security office,
the Postal Inspection Service, or other appropriate authority;
(k) Track incoming packages and accountable mail;
(l) Provide training to mail center employees at all levels on
cost-effective mailing practices for incoming, outgoing, and internal
mail, as well as mail security;
(m) Provide opportunities for training leading to professional
certification for mail center personnel;
[[Page 49961]]
(n) Ensure that outgoing mail meets all the standards established
by your service provider(s) for weight, size, hazardous materials
content, etc.;
(o) Ensure that your facility has a written security plan, and
implement that plan;
(p) Establish, publish, and maintain consistency in the facility's
mail delivery and pickup times, based on need for service as
established through study of mail volumes and service requirements;
(q) Collaborate with agency finance officials to establish
procedures for timely processing of funds owed to service providers;
and
(r) Report all information necessary for your agency's annual mail
management report.
Subpart H--Program Level Mail Responsibilities
Sec. 102-192.145 Which program levels should have a mail manager?
Every program level within a Federal agency that generates a
significant quantity of outgoing mail should have its own mail manager.
Each agency must decide which programs will have a full-time or part-
time mail manager. In making this determination, the agency should
consider the total volume of outgoing mail that is put into the mail
stream by the program itself or by printers, presort contractors, or
others on the program's behalf.
Sec. 102-192.150 What are your general responsibilities as a program
level mail manager?
Your responsibilities at the program level include--
(a) Working closely with the agency mail manager and mail center
managers who handle significant quantities of mail or print functions
for your program, as well as mail technical experts;
(b) Ensuring that your program complies with all applicable mail
policies and procedures, including this part;
(c) Coordinating with your program personnel to minimize postage
and associated printing expenses through improved mail piece design,
electronic transmission of data in lieu of mail, and other appropriate
measures;
(d) Ensuring that all addresses on mailing lists have been
validated using USPS-approved tools such as ancillary endorsements,
CASS-certified software, Move Update, and NCOAlink[reg] (more
information can be found on the United States Postal Service website at
www.usps.com);
(e) Keeping current on new technologies and practices that could
reduce your mailing costs or make your use of mail more effective;
(f) Coordinating all of your program's large mailings and
associated print jobs to ensure that the most efficient and effective
procedures are used;
(g) Providing mail training opportunities to your program level
personnel;
(h) Collaborating with agency finance officials to establish
procedures for timely processing of funds owed to service providers;
and
(i) Reporting total amounts paid to each service provider during
the previous fiscal year to the agency mail manager (See Sec. 102-
192.90(b)(1) for more information).
Subpart I--Other Agency Responsibilities
Sec. 102-192.155 What should our agency-wide mail management policy
statement cover?
You should have a written, agency-wide mail management policy
statement that, at a minimum, addresses--
(a) Mail center security, as discussed in Sec. Sec. 102-192.70,
102-192.75 and 102-192.80;
(b) Your expectations regarding program level accountability,
postage expenditure data, and commercial payment processes;
(c) Your approach to performance measurement and performance
management for mail;
(d) Centralized mail processing, worksharing, consolidation, and
commingling to obtain postage savings;
(e) Tracking incoming packages and accountable mail;
(f) Maintaining centralized control of outgoing mail, especially
outgoing express packages and letters;
(g) Tracking and managing mail costs within printing contracts;
(h) Training and professional certification for mail center
managers and employees;
(i) Addressing, including machine readability, formatting, use of
correct street addresses, and minimizing use of hand-written addresses;
(j) Ensuring that a USPS mail piece design analyst is consulted
when creating a new mail piece;
(k) Reviewing large mailings by mail managers before they are sent
to printing or a print contractor;
(l) Acceptance and processing of incoming and outgoing personal
mail;
(m) Limiting unsolicited mail and mail addressed to unknown persons
and former employees; and
(n) Reporting all activities to include all postage costs
associated with mailing, printing, and materials, to the agency mail
manager.
Note (1) to Sec. 102-92.155 (l) and (m): Every agency should
establish specific policies for incoming and outgoing personal mail.
In general, personal mail should be discouraged or prohibited.
However, an agency may establish a policy to accept and process
personal mail for personnel living on a Federal facility, personnel
stationed outside the United States, or personnel in other
situations who would otherwise suffer hardship.
Note (2) to Sec. 102-92.155 (l) and (m): Mailing costs
associated with filing travel vouchers, and the payment of
Government sponsored travel card billings, are considered to be
``incidental expenses'' covered by the traveler's ``per diem
allowance,'' as provided for in the Federal Travel Regulation (41
CFR 300-3.1). Such mailing costs must, therefore, be paid out of the
employee's per diem allowance.
Note (3) to Sec. 102-92.155 (l) and (m): Every reasonable
attempt must be made to deliver first class mail, priority mail, and
express mail (regardless of carrier), or to return it to the sender
if the addressee cannot be identified. On the other hand, agencies
may establish written policies that permit discarding of unwanted
periodicals, bulk mail, and bound printed matter under specified
circumstances.
Sec. 102-192.160 What less costly alternatives to expedited mail and
couriers should your agency-wide mail management policy address?
Your policy statement should address the following alternatives to
expedited mail and couriers:
(a) Electronic transmission via e-mail.
(b) Facsimile transmission.
(c) Internet.
Sec. 102-192.165 What authorities must I follow when contracting out
all or part of the mail function?
Any contract for a mail function must require compliance with--
(a) This part (41 CFR part 102-192);
(b) The Private Express Statutes (39 U.S.C. 601-606);
(c) All agency policies, procedures, and plans, including the
agency-wide mail security plan and, if applicable, facility mail
security plans; and
(d) All applicable acquisition statutes and regulations.
Subpart J--GSA's Responsibilities and Services
Sec. 102-192.170 What are GSA's responsibilities in mail management?
44 U.S.C Sec. 2904(b) directs the Administrator of General
Services to provide guidance and assistance to Federal agencies to
ensure economical and efficient records management. 44 U.S.C. Sec.
2901(2) and (4) (C) define the processing of mail by Federal agencies
as part of records management. In
[[Page 49962]]
carrying out its responsibilities under the Act, GSA is required to--
(a) Promulgate standards, procedures, and guidelines;
(b) Conduct research to improve practices and programs;
(c) Collect and disseminate information on training programs,
technological developments, etc.;
(d) Establish an interagency committee (i.e., the Interagency Mail
Policy Council) to provide an exchange of information among Federal
agencies;
(e) Conduct studies, inspections, or surveys;
(f) Promote economy and efficiency in the selection and utilization
of space, staff, equipment, and supplies; and
(g) In the event of an emergency, communicate with agencies.
Sec. 102-192.175 What types of support does GSA offer to Federal
agency mail management programs?
GSA supports Federal agency mail management programs by--
(a) Assisting in the development of agency policy and guidance in
mail management and mail operations;
(b) Identifying better business practices and sharing them with
Federal agencies;
(c) Developing and providing access to a Governmentwide management
information system for mail;
(d) Helping agencies develop performance measures and management
information systems for mail;
(e) Maintaining a current list of agency mail managers;
(f) Establishing, developing and maintaining interagency mail
committees;
(g) Maintaining liaison with the USPS and other service providers
at the national level;
(h) Maintaining a web site for mail communications policy; and
(i) Serving as a point of contact for mail issues.
Note to Sec. 102-192.180: You may contact GSA at: General
Services Administration, Office of Governmentwide Policy, Mail
Management Policy Division (MTT), 1800 F Street, NW., STE 1221,
Washington, DC 20405; or e-mail: federal.mail@gsa.gov.
[FR Doc. E8-19506 Filed 8-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-S
