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Postal Service: Acceptance Procedures for Bulk Mailings: Further Improvement Needed

GGD-86-61 Published: May 16, 1986. Publicly Released: May 16, 1986.
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Highlights

GAO reviewed the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) implementation of the National Bulk-Rate Mail Verification Program to determine whether: (1) bulk-mail clerks are complying with program guidelines; (2) verification of bulk-rate mail is adequate; and (3) management oversight is effective at each organizational level.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Postal Service To improve the integrity of the bulk-mail verification program, and thus avoid unnecessary mail processing costs, the Postmaster General should have bulk mail acceptance units increase the level of supervision provided to verification clerks. Supervisors should at least: (1) ensure that clerks follow prescribed sampling and testing procedures, including the maintenance of logs; and (2) routinely review verification forms for accuracy and completeness.
Closed – Implemented
Sampling and verification procedures were revised.
United States Postal Service To strengthen management oversight, the Postmaster General should make one organizational level responsible for: (1) organizing training teams and managing their activities; (2) compiling and reporting test statistics generated by field units and training teams; and (3) identifying program deficiencies, recommending and following up on corrective actions, and providing feedback to postmasters.
Closed – Implemented
An agencywide reorganization occurred. Functions were placed at the post office level.
United States Postal Service To ensure that bulk-rate mail does not evade the verification process, the Postmaster General should: (1) revise bulk-mail verification forms to include overall shipment size so that matching them with mailing statements ensures that clerks are verifying all bulk-rate mail; and (2) instruct MSC managers to identify mail that is continuously bypassing verification and to take steps to verify the make-up of this mail.
Closed – Implemented
New forms and procedures were developed.

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Topics

Government Operations
InspectionInternal controlsMail transportation operationsPostal ratesPostal serviceProgram evaluationProgram managementData errorsStatistical dataDiscount rates