Postal service will conduct service audit
Posted: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Postal Service will conduct a service audit of the proposed consolidation of Siouxland mail processing operations, it was announced Monday by U.S. Sen. Tom Harking, D-Iowa.
USPS is conducting a feasibility study to examine the possibility of moving all mail processing operations from Sioux City to Sioux Falls. The audit, requested by Harkin, will help determine the impact the potential consolidation would have on the local community.
"USPS needs to be up front with all its stakeholders in the community," Harkin said. "That's why we need a solid analysis of the impacts on service and delivery time. Unless this is studied, promises of quality service will ring hollow. The community has a stake in this decision and they should be included in the process. If this audit shows that delivery service will deteriorate, then the closing should not happen."
The audit is in addition to language Harkin included in the Postal Reform Bill that would block USPS from implementing any consolidation study until the Postal Service conducts a transparent study. The provision makes all the analysis of potential service delays and consolidation costs public and requires that the community be informed about consolidation and be able to provide input into the study process before a decision is made.
This means the USPS cannot move mail processing operations from Sioux City to Sioux Falls unless it includes public input in the consolidation process. The Postal Reform Bill must now be considered by a House-Senate Conference Committee. The president must sign the legislation before it becomes law.
At Harkin's request, the Government Accountability Office is conducting a followup study to its 2005 report on USPS strategy for realigning and consolidating its mail processing operations.
Eight months later after the GAO's original report, USPS appears to have made little progress in implementing the recommendations to develop a clear, transparent and consistently applied process that includes stakeholder consultation and communication and includes specific management criteria and performance measures Harkin noted.
Instead, the USPS is proceeding with close to 50 area mail processing studies on consolidation that provide no opportunity for local communities, business people and other stakeholders to either provide input or hear the postal service's reasoning behind its decision making at any stage of the process.
Throughout this process Harkin has repeatedly called on USPS to increase its communication with Siouxland community leaders. In late January, Harkin along with Siouxland area officials, met with Bill Galligan, senior vice president for operations for USPS.
However, the USPS failed to clearly provide the criteria it used when making consolidation decisions or to provide a clear timeline of when it will make its final decision. and local postal customers and businesses have received no explanation of likely service delays and degradations as a result of consolidation, Harkin noted.
USPS is conducting a feasibility study to examine the possibility of moving all mail processing operations from Sioux City to Sioux Falls. The audit, requested by Harkin, will help determine the impact the potential consolidation would have on the local community.
"USPS needs to be up front with all its stakeholders in the community," Harkin said. "That's why we need a solid analysis of the impacts on service and delivery time. Unless this is studied, promises of quality service will ring hollow. The community has a stake in this decision and they should be included in the process. If this audit shows that delivery service will deteriorate, then the closing should not happen."
The audit is in addition to language Harkin included in the Postal Reform Bill that would block USPS from implementing any consolidation study until the Postal Service conducts a transparent study. The provision makes all the analysis of potential service delays and consolidation costs public and requires that the community be informed about consolidation and be able to provide input into the study process before a decision is made.
This means the USPS cannot move mail processing operations from Sioux City to Sioux Falls unless it includes public input in the consolidation process. The Postal Reform Bill must now be considered by a House-Senate Conference Committee. The president must sign the legislation before it becomes law.
At Harkin's request, the Government Accountability Office is conducting a followup study to its 2005 report on USPS strategy for realigning and consolidating its mail processing operations.
Eight months later after the GAO's original report, USPS appears to have made little progress in implementing the recommendations to develop a clear, transparent and consistently applied process that includes stakeholder consultation and communication and includes specific management criteria and performance measures Harkin noted.
Instead, the USPS is proceeding with close to 50 area mail processing studies on consolidation that provide no opportunity for local communities, business people and other stakeholders to either provide input or hear the postal service's reasoning behind its decision making at any stage of the process.
Throughout this process Harkin has repeatedly called on USPS to increase its communication with Siouxland community leaders. In late January, Harkin along with Siouxland area officials, met with Bill Galligan, senior vice president for operations for USPS.
However, the USPS failed to clearly provide the criteria it used when making consolidation decisions or to provide a clear timeline of when it will make its final decision. and local postal customers and businesses have received no explanation of likely service delays and degradations as a result of consolidation, Harkin noted.
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