People and Culture Professionalism To stay competitive in an increasingly complex and changing world, the Postal Service requires supplying personnel who are world-class professionals. A well-educated workforce with higher competencies to perform the business practices essential to successful SCM, including such things as strategic sourcing, demand management, and supplier relationship management, is a prerequisite to achieving the cost and operational efficiencies in the supply chain. Consistent with this need, only individuals possessing baccalaureate degrees from accredited colleges or universities will be considered for appointment as a Postal Service contracting officer. Additionally, SM will hire and promote individuals into management positions only if they have a baccalaureate or post-graduate degree from an accredited college or university. All SM specialists must maintain proficiency and remain qualified for their positions. Empowerment and Risk-taking Postal Service supplying professionals are empowered to use their professional judgment and creativity to arrive at innovative methods of managing supply to create value for the Postal Service. Establishing what is prudent risk requires the effective analysis of a business situation and consideration of different business solutions followed by the adoption of actions that, while posing some risk of failure, offer the chance of significantly enhancing operational or financial performance. Postal Service supplying professionals are encouraged to take prudent risks to achieve these goals; when desired outcomes are not achieved, focus will be on lessons learned. Examples of prudent risk-taking include: Trying a new supplier to get an advantage on a critical program even though other qualified and experienced suppliers already exist. Awarding a noncompetitive contract to gain an exceptional advantage that is unattainable through competition. Forming a shared-savings or other innovative arrangement with a supplier. Taking a calculated risk on new technology that has good prospects of providing advantage to the enterprise in terms of capability, cost, time to market, etc. Performance Based Culture The Postal Service’s Transformation Plan stresses the importance of improving both individual and team performance through breakthrough productivity initiatives and aligning recognition for individuals and teams to their performance. SM professionals will work with clients on an annual basis to agree upon the goals they are committed to achieving. These goals will be aligned with SM’s, the client’s and the Postal Service’s goals; goals will also be the basis for metrics used to assess and reward the performance of SM professionals and will be results-oriented, specific, measurable, and achievable.