MAIL MANAGEMENT

• Citation: 41 CFR Part 102-192
• Sections: 10

§ 102-192.5 Introduction.

This part prescribes policy and requirements for the effective, economical, and secure management of incoming, internal, and outgoing mail and materials in Federal agencies.

§ 102-192.10 Materials covered by this part.

This part applies to all mail and materials that pass through a Federal mail center, including all incoming and outgoing materials.

§ 102-192.15 Definitions.

The following definitions apply to this part:

Agency mail manager means the person who manages the overall mail management program of a Federal agency.

Consolidation means the process of combining into a container two or more pieces of mail directed to the same addressee or installation on the same day.

Consolidation of facilities means the process of combining more than one mail center into a central location. The decision to consolidate should be based on a cost analysis comparing the projected cost savings to the cost of implementation.

Expedited mail means mail designated for overnight and 2- or 3-day delivery by service providers. Examples of expedited mail include Dalsey, Hillblom, Lynn (DHL); Federal Express (FedEx); United Parcel Service (UPS); and United States Postal Service (USPS) express mail.

Federal agency or agency as defined in 44 U.S.C. 2901(14) means—

(1) An executive agency, which includes:

(i) Any executive department as defined in 5 U.S.C. 101;

(ii) Any wholly owned Government corporation as defined in 31 U.S.C. 9101;

(iii) Any independent establishment in the executive branch as defined in 5 U.S.C. 104; and

(2) Any establishment in the legislative or judicial branch of the Government, except the Supreme Court, the Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Architect of the Capitol, and any 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.

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.

Mail means that as described in § 102-192.10.

Mail center means an organization and/or place, within or associated with a Federal facility, where incoming and/or outgoing Federal mail and materials are processed.

Mail expenditures means direct expenses for postage, fees and services, and all other mail costs, meter fees, permit fees, etc. ( e.g., payments to service providers, mail center personnel costs, mail center overhead).

Mail piece design means creating and printing items to be mailed so that they can be processed efficiently and effectively by USPS automated mail processing equipment.

Official mail means incoming or outgoing mail that is related to official business of the Federal Government.

Outgoing mail means mail generated within a Federal facility that is going outside that facility.

Personal mail means incoming or outgoing mail that is not related to official business of the Federal Government.

Postage means payment for delivery service that is affixed or imprinted to a mail piece usually in the form of a postage stamp, permit, imprint, or meter impression.

Presort means a mail preparation process used to receive a discounted mail rate by sorting mail according to USPS standards.

Program level means a component, bureau, regional office, and/or a facility that generates outgoing mail.

Service provider means any agency or company that delivers materials and mail. Some examples of service providers are DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, courier services, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State's Office of Diplomatic Pouch and Mail, and other Federal agencies providing mail services.

Telework means a flexible work arrangement under which an employee performs assigned duties and responsibilities, and other authorized activities, from an approved alternate location.

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.

§ 102-192.20 Payment processes.

Agencies must pay the USPS and other service providers via a method approved by the U.S. Treasury.

§ 102-192.25 Managing mail expenditures.

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 makes program level managers accountable for obligating and tracking those expenses. The agency's finance systems should track all mail expenditures separately to the program level or below, and should—

(a) Show expenses for postage and all other mail expenditures, payments to service providers, etc., separate from all other administrative expenses;

(b) Allow mail centers to establish systems to charge their customers for mail expenditures; and

(c) Identify and charge the mail expenditures that are part of printing contracts down to the program level.

§ 102-192.30 Security policies and plans.

(a) Agencies must have a written mail security policy that applies throughout your agency.

(b) Agencies must have a written mail security plan for each facility that processes mail, regardless of the facility's mail volume.

(c) Agencies must have a security policy for employees receiving incoming and sending outgoing mail at an alternative worksite, such as a telework center.

(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, agencies may use a general plan for similar locations. For larger locations, agencies must develop a plan that is specifically tailored to the threats and risks at your location. Agencies should determine which facilities they consider small and large for the purposes of this section, so long as the basic requirements for a security plan are met at every facility.

(e) All mail managers are required to annually report the status of their mail security plans to agency headquarters. At a minimum, these reports should assure that all mail security plans comply 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) A security professional who has expertise in mail center security should review the agency's mail security plan and policies annually to include identification of any deficiencies. Review of facility mail security plans can be accomplished by subject matter experts such as agency security personnel. If these experts are not available within your agency, seek assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service ( https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ ) or the Federal Protective Service (FPS) ( http://www.dhs.gov/federal-protective-service ).

§ 102-192.35 Coordination with security providers.

Agency mail managers must coordinate with their agency security service and/or the FPS or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to develop agency mail security policies and plans. The FPS has 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) A plan to protect staff and all other occupants of agency facilities from hazards that might be delivered in the mail;

(c) Operating procedures;

(d) A 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;

(j) Continuity of Operations Plan; and

(k) Annual reviews of the agency's security plan.

§ 102-192.40 Scope of performance measurement.

Agencies must have performance measures for mail operations at the agency level and in all mail facilities and program levels.

§ 102-192.45 Agency mail managers.

Every agency, as defined in § 102-192.10, must have an agency mail manager at a managerial level that enables them to speak for their agency on mail management as outlined in this part.

§ 102-192.50 Responsibilities of agency mail managers.

In addition to carrying out the responsibilities discussed in § 102-192.45—

(a) Establish written policies and procedures to provide timely and cost effective dispatch and delivery of mail and materials;

(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) Implement cost savings through:

(1) Consolidating and presorting wherever practical, for example, internal and external mail, and consolidation of agency-wide mail operations and official mail facilities; and

(2) Reducing the volume of agency to agency mail whenever possible;

(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 all facility and program level mail personnel receive appropriate training and certifications to successfully perform their assigned duties;

(g) Promote professional certification for mail managers and mail center employees;

(h) Ensure that expedited mail service providers are used only when authorized by the Private Express Statutes, 39 U.S.C. 601-606;

(i) Establish written policies and procedures to minimize incoming and outgoing personal mail;

(j) Provide guidance to agency representatives who develop correspondence or design mailing materials including Business Reply Mail, letterhead, and mail piece design;

(k) Represent the agency in its relations with service providers, other agency mail managers, and the General Services Administration's Office of Government-wide Policy;

(l) Ensure agency policy incorporates Federal hazardous materials requirements set forth in 49 CFR parts 100 through 185; and

(m) Ensure safety and security requirements specified in §§ 102-192.30 and 102-192.35 are fulfilled.