[Federal Register: June 13, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 114)]
[Notices]
[Page 35467-35468]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jn03-118]
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POSTAL SERVICE
Request for Comments on Revising and Updating the 2004-2008 Five-
Year Strategic Plan, Pursuant to the Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA)
mandated, in 1997, that the Postal Service TM publish a 5-
year plan outlining its goals, targets, and strategies, and that the
Postal Service update and revise its 5-year plan at intervals of no
less than 3 years. In so doing, GPRA states that the Postal Service
must, as an aspect of its strategic planning process, solicit and
consider the ideas, knowledge, and opinions of those potentially
affected by or interested in its 2004-2008 Five-Year Strategic Plan.
This notice, therefore, asks for public comment concerning the
development and drafting of the Postal Service's 2004-2008 Five-Year
Strategic Plan.
DATES: Comments must be received by July 18, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be directed to Julie S. Moore,
Acting Vice President, Strategic Planning, United States Postal
Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Room 5016, Washington, DC 20260-5142.
Comments may also be sent to 5YearStrategicPlan@usps.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Van Coverden, (202) 268-8130.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Background
The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Public
Law 103-62 was enacted to make Federal programs more effective and
publicly accountable by requiring agencies to institute results-driven
improvement efforts, service-quality metrics, and customer satisfaction
programs. Other statutory goals were to improve Congressional
decisionmaking and the internal management of the United States
government, as cited in Public Law 103-62, section 2(b), 107 Stat 285.
Because of the Postal Service's role as an independent establishment of
the Executive Branch of the government of the United States, section 7
of the law establishes separate provisions that apply to the Postal
Service. (See 39 U.S.C. 2801-2805.)
Section 2802 of title 39, United States Code, required that the
Postal Service submit to the President and Congress a strategic plan
for its program activities no later than September 30, 1997.
Additionally, section 2802 requires the Postal Service to update and
revise its strategic plan at least every 3 years. This plan is to
contain the following:
(1) A comprehensive mission statement covering the major functions
and operations of the Postal Service.
(2) General goals and objectives, including outcome-related goals
and objectives, for the major functions and operations of the Postal
Service.
(3) Descriptions of how these goals and objectives are to be
achieved and of the operational processes; skills and technology; and
the human, capital, information, and other resources required to meet
the goals and objectives.
(4) A description of how the performance goals included in the
annual performance plan required under section 2803 will be related to
the general goals and objectives in the strategic plan.
(5) An identification of the key factors external to the Postal
Service and beyond its control that could significantly affect the
achievement of its general goals and objectives.
(6) A description of the program evaluations used in establishing
or revising general goals and objectives, with a schedule for future
program evaluations. (See 39 U.S.C. 2802(a).)
GPRA also requires the preparation of annual performance plans
covering each program activity set forth in the Postal Service budget.
(See 39 U.S.C. 2803.) These plans link the organizational goals in the
Strategic Plan with ongoing operations. Finally, the law requires the
preparation of annual performance reports, which review and compare
actual performance with the performance targets stated in the annual
plans. (See 39 U.S.C. 2804.)
In order to continue to involve the public in this planning
process, GPRA also requires the Postal Service, as it develops each new
iteration of the Strategic Plan, to ``solicit and consider the views
and suggestions of those entities potentially affected by or interested
in such a plan, and shall advise the Congress of the contents of the
plan.'' (See 39 U.S.C. 2802(d).)
Discussion of the Postal Service Mission, Vision, and Objectives
In 1970, Congress enacted the Postal Reorganization Act,
transforming the former Post Office Department into the United States
Postal Service. Its intent was to ensure that the former department
became a self-sustaining Federal entity, which operates more like a
business. While fulfilling its basic mission of providing affordable
and universal service, the Postal Service, as a unique Government
enterprise, would also focus more clearly on all its customers' needs
than had its predecessor Executive Branch department.
The Postal Reorganization Act states that the Postal Service will
have the ``basic and fundamental'' responsibility to provide postal
services to bind the nation together through the personal, educational,
literary, and business correspondence of the people. Prompt, reliable,
and efficient postal services, the legislation mandates, will be
extended to patrons in all areas and to all communities.
In recent years, the historic mission of the Postal Service, as
described in 39 U.S.C. 101, has been amplified by additional
organizational statements of purpose published most recently in the
April 2002 Transformation Plan. In the Plan's opening message the then-
Chairman of the Board Robert F. Rider and the current Postmaster
General and CEO John E. Potter note that the Postal Service must
transform ``to successfully carry out its long-standing mission of
providing universal service.'' They state that transformation ``is
about maintaining a fundamental principle and vision that delivery of
mail is an important government service, regardless of where one lives
or what one's station in life might be. Equal access and opportunity to
communicate through the mail to meet personal and commercial needs
support a basic American value of equality.'' In the introduction to
the Plan, the Postal Service explains that ``At stake is the future of
what has been, since this nation's founding, the right of every
American to send and receive mail. The Postal Service exists as a
governmental entity whose mission is universal service to all. That
mission is a direct reflection of the values on which this country was
founded, and it is those values of equality of opportunity that drive
Postal Service management today just as they drove the managers of the
Post Office Department.''
The authors of the Transformation Plan further say that ``In
developing this report, we gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the
full range of stakeholders in the postal industry. At the outset,
therefore, we would like to articulate a firm commitment to all of
these stakeholders, and especially to our customers. During this
crucial transformation period, in order to maintain our financial
viability and fulfill our universal service mission, we commit that we
will:
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[sbull] Foster growth by increasing the value of postal products
and services to our customers;
[sbull] Improve operational efficiency; and
[sbull] Enhance the performance-based culture.''
In their opening message Mr. Rider and Mr. Potter recognize their
responsibility ``to take definitive action to offer the citizens of
America a clear and compelling view of current and planned actions and
our vision of where we are headed. At the same time we want to
encourage all our stakeholders to remain actively engaged in
discussions about postal issues and the Postal Service's future.''
It is in this spirit, as the Postal Service develops the 2004-2008
Five-Year Strategic Plan, that we ask stakeholders to once again share
their views on its future.
Solicitation of Comments
The United States Postal Service solicits identification of and
comment on the key factors external to the Postal Service and beyond
its control which could significantly affect the achievement of its
mission, vision, and goals. During development of the Transformation
Plan and during subsequent Postal Service testimony before the
President's Commission on the Postal Service the following fundamental
changes were identified as those reshaping the delivery services
marketplace:
[sbull] Changing customer needs. With access to more information
and options than ever before, customers have a broad range of choices
for delivery of messages, money, and merchandise--our three businesses.
Customer requirements for postal services and entrenched network
structures and service patterns may be changing.
[sbull] Eroding mail volumes. Electronic alternatives, particularly
bill presentment and payment, pose a definite and substantial risk to
First-Class Mail[reg] volume and revenue within the next 5-10 years.
This could, in turn, have a negative impact on First-Class Mail rates.
[sbull] Rising costs. Despite major gains in efficiency and
productivity through letter mail automation, the costs of maintaining
an ever-expanding postal network are rising faster than revenue,
especially costs outside the direct control of the Postal Service, such
as retirement and health benefit liabilities.
[sbull] Fixed costs. Universal service requires a significant
infrastructure to deliver postal services. Almost half of current
Postal Service costs are spent on these resources, and that level does
not change when volume or productivity increases or decreases. This
makes cost containment challenging.
[sbull] Merging of public and private operators into global
networks. Former national foreign postal services, some privatized,
have entered the U.S. domestic market; giant private firms that
dominate global parcel and express markets are entering an increasing
portion of the postal value chain.
[sbull] Increasing security concerns. Rising security concerns will
require expensive and sophisticated countermeasures.
Are these factors still relevant? Which ones are relevant and which
are not? Are some more important than others? Is the rate of change for
each factor increasing or decreasing? Are there other factors that
warrant consideration? What are they? In developing the 2004-2008 Five-
Year Strategic Plan, the Postal Service would like to receive
stakeholders' views and comments on these and other long-term external
changes, issues, and trends.
Finally, stakeholders should include their comments that were made
to the President's Commission on the Postal Service regarding the
United States Postal Service if reviewing such comments would help the
Postal Service in developing its 2004-2008 Five-Year Strategic Plan.
The Postal Service also invites comment on its long-range
organizational goals, or objectives, published most recently in the
Preliminary Annual Performance Plan for 2004 as part of the FY 2002
Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations. The Postal Service has
employed long-range goals, or objectives, as part of a strategic
planning process for over two decades, along with systematic
performance assessments. The Postal Service has developed a disciplined
process to establish the goals, objectives, indicators, and targets;
assign resources to programs that support achievement of the targets;
implement the programs; and review performance. Stakeholder input will
support and enhance both the performance process and the new 2004-2008
Five-Year Strategic Plan.
Specifically, the Postal Service solicits stakeholder comment on
the following long-range organizational goals and objectives:
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FY 2004 preliminary performance
Goal objective (sub-goals)
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Growth................................ [sbull] Timeliness and
consistency.
[sbull] Priority Mail[reg] (Air)
On Time.
[sbull] Priority Mail (Surface)
On Time.
[sbull] Express Mail[reg] On
Time.
[sbull] Overnight First-Class
Mail On Time.
[sbull] Two-Day First-Class Mail
On Time.
[sbull] Three-Day First-Class
Mail On Time.
Motivated, productive and inclusive [sbull] Minimize impacts from
workforce. accidents and absences.
[sbull] Employees committed to
Postal Service success.
Affordability......................... [sbull] Improve productivity to
control costs, improve
contribution levels, and grow
the business.
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Any comments pertaining to the means by which the Postal Service
can best achieve these goals are welcome. Comments on other aspects of
strategic planning, goal-definition, and performance measurement are
also welcome.
This request for comments initiates a formal process for the
development of the 2004-2008 Five-Year Strategic Plan, and offers an
opportunity for stakeholder comments to be given careful consideration
in the development of the plan's goals, targets, and strategies. While
its July 18 deadline corresponds with a need and requirement for
formality in the development of this plan, the strategic planning
process itself is continuous and welcomes ongoing input from all
stakeholders in the development of annual business environmental
assessments, and annual performance plans and reports.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 03-15066 Filed 6-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P