[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7530-7531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3305]


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POSTAL RATE COMMISSION


Briefing on New Cost Model

AGENCY: Postal Rate Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public briefing.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Rate Commission's advisory staff will present a 
briefing and demonstration of its new Windows-based CRA/Cost 
Rollforward model on Thursday, February 26, 2004 at 10 a.m. in the 
Commission's hearing room. The briefing will address the history of the 
Commission's model, reasons why the new version was developed, and 
components of the new model. A question-and-answer session will follow. 
The meeting is open to the public.

DATES: Thursday, February 26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Postal Rate Commission (hearing room), 1333 H Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20268-0001, Suite 300.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, 
202-789-6818.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CRA/Cost Rollforward model is the 
primary tool used to disaggregate the total costs of the U.S. Postal 
Service. It implements the attributable cost theory the Postal Service 
and the Commission use to allocate costs to the classes and subclasses 
of mail. It also prepares and prints reports used in Commission 
decisions and in Postal Service workpapers and exhibits to testimony.
    The Commission has developed a new Windows-based version of this 
model. The new version is intended to replace the DOS-based version the 
Commission has used in every rate filing since Docket No. R84-1.
    The new version uses Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software. It is 
intended to be closer in structure and format to the Postal Service's 
current CRA/Cost Rollforward model than the version the Commission has 
been using. It is also intended to be easier to operate and more 
compatible with the software used to develop much of the primary cost 
input into model.
    The Commission's advisory staff and the contractor responsible for 
programming the new model will present a public briefing on the new 
model on February 26, 2004 at 10 a.m. in the Postal Rate Commission's 
hearing

[[Page 7531]]

room. The briefing will describe the history of the Commission's CRA/
Cost Rollforward model, identify reasons why the new version was 
developed, and describe the new model's components. The demonstration 
will use cost data from Docket No. R2001-1, which is the most recently 
completed omnibus rate filing. A question-and-answer session will 
follow with members of the Commission's staff responsible for the 
development and future operation of the model. All interested parties 
are invited to attend.

Steven W. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-3305 Filed 2-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P