[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 114 (Friday, June 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35467-35468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15066]



[[Page 35467]]

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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 [email protected].

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:

[[Page 35468]]

    [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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         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