cartoon strip Family Circle:letter carriers' food drive. 2003 nalc stamp out hunger food drive. 61.7 million pounds of food collected in annual drive. thanks.

Employees

NOTICE

RIF Competitive Areas for the Postal Service

Office of Personnel Management requires agencies covered by reduction-in-force (RIF) procedures to establish Competitive Areas and to publish them for their employees. Competitive Areas are organizational units under separate management authority within which preference-eligible employees compete during a RIF. Listed below are the Competitive Areas for the Postal Service as of June 12, 2003.

Organization	Office	Competitive Area
Headquarters	Office of the Postmaster General/Chief Executive Officer	Separate
	Office of the Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President	Separate
	Office of the Deputy Postmaster General	Separate
	Office of the Chief Postal Inspector	Separate
	Office of the General Counsel/vice president	Separate
	Offices of Senior Vice Presidents	Separate
	Each vice president's organization	Separate
Headquarters-Related Organization - Organizational Type	Each accounting service center	Separate
	Each communications service center¹	Separate
	Each facilities service office	Separate
	Each field counsel unit¹	Separate
	Each forensic lab¹	Separate
	Each information technology site	Separate
	Each Inspection Service division	Separate
	Each Inspection Service operation support unit	Separate
	Each mail recovery center	Separate
	Each supply management site	Separate
	Each rates and classification service center	Separate
	Each statistical programs service center¹	Separate
Unique Organization - Separate Competitive Area	Address management, Memphis, TN	Separate
	Capitol Metro Area Operations, Gaithersburg, MD	Separate
	Center for Employee Development, Norman, OK	Separate
	Engineering, Merrifield, VA	Separate
	Facilities, Arlington, VA	Separate
	Indianapolis HASP, Indianapolis, IN	Separate
	International Business Information Technology, Jamaica, NY	Separate
	Kansas Stamp Services Center, Kansas City, MO	Separate
	Maintenance Technical Support Center, Norman, OK	Separate
	Nonprofit Service Center, Memphis, TN	Separate
	Sales, Arlington, VA	Separate
Unique Organization - Part of Another Competitive Area	Supply Management Facilities Portfolio, Arlington, VA	Supply Management, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Supply Management Mail Equipment Portfolio, Merrifield, VA	Supply Management National HQ Washington, DC
	Career Development (Inspection Service), Potomac, MD	Inspection Service, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Dulles Stamp Distribution Network, Dulles, VA	Government Relations and Public Policy, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Field Counsel - Capital Metro, Washington, DC	General Counsel, National HQ, Washington, DC
	HQ Facilities Services, HQ, Washington, DC	Facilities, Arlington, VA
Unique Organization - Part of Another Competitive Area (continued)	IP Delivery and Retail, Merrifield, VA	Chief Technology Officer, National HQ, Washington, DC
	IP Network Operations, Merrifield, VA	Chief Technology Officer, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Mail Equipment Shop, Washington, DC	Supply Management, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Mid-Atlantic Communications Service Center, Columbia, MD	Public Affairs and Communications, National HQ, Washington, DC
	National Test Administration Center, Merrifield, VA	Employee Resource Management, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Technical service and electronic evidence units	Inspection Service, National HQ, Washington, DC
	William F. Bolger Center for Leadership Development, Potomac, MD	Employee Resource Management, National HQ, Washington, DC
	Each air mail center	Separate
	Each air mail facility	Separate
	Each area office	Separate
	Each bulk mail center	Separate
	Each district office (including its vehicle maintenance facilities)	Separate
	Each independent delivery distribution center	Separate
	Each independent mail transfer center	Separate
	Each international satellite facility	Separate
	Each international service center	Separate
	Each mail equipment facility	Separate
	Each Post Office	Separate
	Each priority mail center	Separate
	Each processing and distribution center	Separate
	Each processing and distribution facility	Separate
	Each remote encoding center	Separate
	Each senior processing and distribution center	Separate

¹ The units located in the Washington, DC, commute area are part of the parent national Headquarters organization Competitive Area.

- Selection, Evaluation, and Recognition,
Employee Resource Management, 6-12-03

Finance

NOTICE

Fiscal Year 2002 Office of Inspector General Field Financial Audit Findings

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audits the financial transactions of field operations. Their audits determine whether financial transactions are in accordance with established policies and procedures and whether internal controls are in place. The OIG has completed its findings for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 and found that in some offices policies and procedures, as detailed in financial and operational handbooks (HBKs) as well as management instructions (MIs), need to be reinforced.

Postmasters and Postal ServiceTM management must ensure that policies and procedures contained in official Postal Service manuals, handbooks, and MIs, are followed. These policies and procedures are provided to ensure that Postal Service assets are maintained, accounted for, and controlled to prevent financial loss. When an accountable financial loss occurs and evidence shows that the postmaster or responsible manager enforced Postal Service policies and procedures in managing the Post OfficeTM, the Postal Service grants relief for the full amount of the loss. When evidence fails to show that the postmaster or responsible manager met those conditions, the Postal Service charges the postmaster or responsible manager with the full amount of the loss.

The audited offices in the designated management organizations need to reinforce procedures described in the following directives:

• Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

• Postal Operations Manual (POM)

• Handbook AS-707-F, Contracting for Contract Postal Units

• Handbook AS-805, Information Security

• Handbook DM-109 Business Mail Acceptance

• Handbook DM-202, Periodicals Postage Payment Review

• Handbook DM-203, Periodicals Eligibility Review

• Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures

• Handbook PO-102, Self Service Vending Operational and Marketing Program

• Publication 401, Guide to the Manifest Mailing System

• Management Instruction AS 220-1999-1, Bait Money Order Program

The procedures that need to be reinforced are detailed below.

Post Offices, Branches, and Stations

Reinforce accountability examinations as required:

• Count of unit reserve, retail floor stock, and cash retained were not always conducted at the proper frequencies (Handbook F-1, Chapter 4).

• Money orders were not always verified during accountability examinations (HBK F-1, Sections 429 and 487).

Excess stamps and cash were retained as follows:

• Window clerks retained cash in excess of $100 for Segmented Inventory Accountability (SIA) offices (HBK F-1, Sections 486.2, 487.8, and 426.41).

• Cash in excess of 5 percent of average daily sales was retained (HBK F-1, Section 331).

• Unit reserve exceeded the 9-week sales level (HBK F-1, Section 422.211).

Reinforce the preparation of PS Forms 17, Stamp Requisition/Stamp Return, per HBK F-1:

• PS Forms 17 were not always prepared to document the transfer of stamp stock (Section 425.3).

• PS Forms 17 were not always prepared to document the transfer of money orders (Section 742.22).

Reinforce HBK F-1 procedures for handling keys:

• PS Forms 3977, Duplicate Key Inventory, were not always properly prepared (Section 372).

• Annual accountability of key reviews were not always conducted (Section 426.2).

Bank deposits were not always witnessed as required:

• Bank deposit preparations were not followed (HBK F-1, Section 333.2).

Spoiled money orders were not always destroyed as required by the POM:

• Spoiled money orders were not destroyed (Section 831.32).

Reinforce procedures for bait money orders as specified in MI AS 220-1999-1:

• Bait money orders were not always issued to employees.

• Bait money orders logs were not always kept, nor were they placed throughout the unit as required.

Stamp Distribution and District Accounting Offices

Reinforce HBK F-1 procedures for stamp accountability:

• Stamp distribution offices did not always verify individual stock requisitions amounts with amounts withdrawn from the main stock (Section 434).

• Stock transfer procedures were not always followed when main stock was transferred to a back-up custodian (Section 432).

Reinforce stamp stock destruction committee guidelines in HBK F-1, Section 453:

• Members served more than 3 years.

• Committees did not include the proper composition.

Reinforce the monitoring of contract postal units as specified in HBK F-1, Section 714.2:

• Bond authorizations were not always current.

• Units exceeded their bond limit.

• PS Forms 1412, Daily Financial Report, were not always submitted daily.

Reinforce the monitoring of suspense items as specified in HBK F-1, Section 527.1:

• Stamp shortages of Postal Fiscal Year 2001 and prior remained open.

• Bank shortages remained unresolved.

• Large percentage of suspense items remained outstanding for more than 30 days.

Self Service Postal Centers

Reinforce the monitoring of self service postal centers in accordance with Handbook PO-102 and Handbook F-1:

• Accountability examinations were not always conducted (HBK PO-102, Sections 61 and 643.31).

• Accountabilities were not always transferred as required during absences (HBK PO-102, Section 611).

• Excess cash was maintained (HBK PO-102, Sections 571.1 and 541-543).

• Controls over accountability keys and duplicate key envelopes needed improvement (HBK F-1, Sections 372, 426.2, and 482).

• PS Form 25, Trust Fund Account, was not always used as required (HBK PO-102, Section 552).

Business Mail Entry Units

Reinforce HBK DM-109, Publication 401, and DMM guidelines for business mail entry units:

• Verification of fee payments and ensuring adequate funds were on deposit was not done.

• Bypass mailings from customers were not always identified and tracked.

• Manifest mailings were not always verified or optional review procedures were not conducted.

• Mailings under special postage payment systems that were no longer authorized were accepted.

• Postage statement data was not always input in the Permit System.

• PS Forms 6116, First-Class Metered Mail - Shortpaid Sampling Worksheet, for mailings that required postage due were not always completed.

• Employees overrode negative balances in the Permit System to allow mailings.

• Customers who were paying by cash were not always referred to the sales and service associates.

Reinforce the monitoring of inactive accounts per HBK F-1, Section 631.2:

• Inactive accounts without activity for 2 years must be closed and a letter sent to the customer.

Controls over Periodicals publications were not always performed and need strengthening:

• Annual postage payment reviews and annual advertising verification reviews need to be performed (HBK DM-202, Sections 1-2.1 and 6-1, and DMM, Section P200.1.6).

• Performance of eligibility reviews were delinquent (HBK DM-203, Section 1-1).

• Reviews of PS Forms 3526, Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, were not consistent (HBK DM-203, Section 2-1).

• Mailers' stated frequency of mailings were not monitored (DMM, Section E211.5.3).

Reinforce Permit System access procedures per HBK AS-805:

• The Security Dump Report was not always maintained with current persons having access to the system.

Contract Postal Units

Reinforce stamp, cash, and money order procedures:

• PS Form 571, Discrepancy of $100 or More in Financial Responsibility, was not always prepared (Handbook F-1, Section 429.12).

• Accountability examination of PS Form 3294, Cash and Stamp Stock Count and Summary, and PS Form 3368, Stamp Credit Examination Record, were not always conducted and maintained, per Handbook F-1, Section 429.12.

• Money orders were not always verified (HBK F-1, Sections 429.12 and 429.13).

• Contracting officer representatives did not always conduct counts (HBK AS-707-F, Section 4.3.4).

• Security of stamps and money order imprinters were not always followed (HBK F-1, Sections 371.1 and 422.1).

• Excess cash was maintained (HBK F-1, Section 426.42).

• Deposits were not always prepared properly (HBK F-1, Sections 221.21 and 333.2).

Reinforce the following procedures for bait money orders (as detailed in MI AS 220-1991-1):

• Bait money orders were not always issued to employees.

• Bait money orders were not always issued throughout the office.

• Bait money order logs were not always maintained and stored separately.

Management must take immediate action to ensure that existing policies and procedures as stated in the handbooks, MIs, manuals, and publications mentioned above are followed to avoid future discrepancies during these OIG audits.

- Accounting, Finance, 6-12-03

International Mail

REMINDER

International Business Reply Service

This notice reminds Postal ServiceTM facilities that they must forward International Business Reply Service (IBRS) items, with ordinary letters and cards, to the designated International Service Center for return to the appropriate country. They must not return IBRS items to the sender for payment of postage.

We have received reports from foreign postal administrations concerning our handling of international business reply items for their countries. In some instances, Postal Service facilities are returning foreign IBRS items to the sender for postage. As noted above, such action is incorrect.

The U.S. Postal Service® participates in IBRS with other countries. This service is similar to domestic reply mail service. IBRS is a reciprocal service that allows authorized customers to distribute envelopes and cards that can be returned to the foreign country without prepayment of postage. The Postal Service is obligated to return to other countries items destined to them without prepayment of postage. The Postal Service receives reimbursement for returning these items to the foreign country involved.

See the sample of a foreign IBRS item displayed with this article.

- Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 6-12-03

imm exhibit 373.7: foreign ibrs item.

REVISED PUBLICATION

Publication 51, International Postal Rates and Fees

Publication 51, International Postal Rates and Fees, is available from the Material Distribution Center (MDC). Publication 51 is a condensed reference of general mailing information and current rates and fees for postal services that are available for items being mailed from the United States of America to foreign countries. It provides the most commonly sought international mailing information in a brief, easy-to-read, and easy-to-find format.

You can order Publication 51 by one of the following means:

• Touch Tone Order Entry: Call 800-332-0317, option 2.

Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message (wait 48 hours after registering before you place your first order).

• E-mail: Complete PS Form 7380, MDC Supply Requisition (manually or by using FormFlow), and send it as an attachment to the e-mail address MDC, Customer Service or to mcustome@usps.gov.

• Mail: Mail a completed PS Form 7380 to the MDC at the following address:

SUPPLY REQUISITIONS
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTER
500 SW GARY ORMSBY DR
TOPEKA KS 66624-9702

The relevant ordering information for Publication 51 is as follows:

PSIN: PUB51
NSN: 7610-01-000-9815
Quick Pick Number: 437
Unit of Measure: EA
Min. Order Qty: 25
Bulk Pack Quantity: 400
Price: $0.1314
Edition Date: 04/03

Publication 51 is also available on the Postal ServiceTM PolicyNet Web site at http://blue.usps.gov/cpim; click on PUBs. It is also accessible on the Internet at www.usps.com; click on About USPS & News, then Forms & Publications, then Browse All Periodicals & Publications, and then Publications (either PDF Format or Text Format).

- Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 6-12-03

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Philately

CORRECTIONS

Arctic Tundra Stamps

The article "Stamp Announcement 03-18: Arctic Tundra Stamps" in Postal Bulletin 22103 (5-29-03, pages 58-60) contained errors in the first and second paragraphs on page 58 and in the information box on page 59.

In the first paragraph, the dates are changed from July 3 and July 4 to July 2 and July 3, respectively. The corrected paragraph is given below with the corrected items in bold.

The Postal Service will issue a souvenir sheet of the 37-cent Arctic Tundra stamps (Item 454500) on July 2, 2003, in Fairbanks, Alaska. The stamps, designed by Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, Maryland, and illustrated by John D. Dawson, Hilo, Hawaii, go on sale nationwide July 3, 2003.

In the first sentence of the second paragraph, the sentence stated that this stamp is the fourth in the series, but should have stated it is the fifth in the series. The corrected sentence is given below with the corrected word in bold.

The Arctic Tundra stamps are the fifth in an educational series designed to promote appreciation of North America's major plant and animal communities.

In the information box on page 59, the issue date is changed from July 3 to July 2. The corrected line entry is given below with the corrected date in bold.

Issue Date & City: July 2, 2003, Fairbanks, AK 99709.

- Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 6-12-03

REMINDER

Old Glory Prestige Booklets for Local Patriotic Events

As we approach Flag Day and the 4th of July holiday, many Post OfficesTM will be participating in local parades, fairs, and other events. At these unique retail events, Post Offices will be allowed to sell the Old Glory prestige booklet. This colorful 22-page booklet with 20 stamps is a philatelic product designed to capture the patriotism of our country and at the same time increase interest in stamp collecting. It is a wonderful collectible.

The Old Glory prestige booklet (Item 882000, issued April 3, 2003) sells for $7.40 and contains 20 stamps featuring five different designs. The stamps include:

• A 20th-century image of Uncle Sam riding a high- wheel bicycle.

• An 1888 presidential campaign badge.

• The top portion of a silk bookmark woven at the Columbian Exposition in 1893.

• A modern folding flag fan.

• A 19th-century, hand-painted carving of Lady Liberty.

The Old Glory prestige booklet is a philatelic product, and sales must be tracked through AIC 092.

To order this product for local events, postmasters should contact their stamp distribution office (SDO). When contacting the SDO, they should be sure to emphasize their intent to sell this product at a special event.

- Stamp Services,
Government Relations, 6-12-03

Pictorial Cancellations Announcement

As a community service, the Postal Service offers pictorial cancellations to commemorate local events celebrated in communities throughout the nation. A list of events for which pictorial cancellations are authorized appears below. If available, the sponsor of the pictorial cancellation appears in italics under the date. Also provided, as space permits, are illustrations of those cancellations that were reproducible and available at press time.

People attending these local events may obtain the cancellation in person at the temporary Post OfficeTM station established there. Those who cannot attend the event, but who wish to obtain the cancellation, may submit a mail order request. Pictorial cancellations are available only for the dates indicated, and requests must be postmarked no later than 30 days following the requested pictorial cancellation date.

All requests must include a stamped envelope or postcard bearing at least the minimum First-Class Mail® postage. Items submitted for cancellation may not include postage issued after the date of the requested cancellation. Such items will be returned unserviced.

Customers wishing to obtain a cancellation should affix stamps to any envelope or postcard of their choice, address the envelope or postcard to themselves or others,insert a card of postcard thickness in envelopes for sturdiness, and tuck in the flap. Place the envelope or postcard in a larger envelope and address it to: PICTORIAL CANCELLATIONS, followed by the NAME OF THE STATION,ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP + 4 CODE, exactly as listed below (using all capitals and no punctuation, except the hyphen in the ZIP + 4 code).

Customers can also send stamped envelopes and postcards without addresses for cancellation, as long as they supply a larger envelope with adequate postage and their return address. After applying the pictorial cancellation, the Postal Service returns the items (with or without addresses) under addressed protective cover.

The following cancellations have been extended for 30 days.

May 2-3, 2003

Esperanza Bonanza Festival

ESPERANZA BONANZA STATION

POSTMASTER

PO BOX 9998

MARION AR 72364-9998

May 10, 2003

Union Pacific Railroad Museum Committee

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD MUSEUM STATION

POSTMASTER

PO BOX 9998

COUNCIL BLUFFS IA 51501-9998

May 20, 2003

CELEBRATING BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY 5TH ANNIVERSARY STATION

POSTMASTER

25 DORCHESTER AVE RM 4009

BOSTON MA 02205-9600

May 23-26, 2003

Sacramento Post Office

SACRAMENTO JAZZ JUBILEE STATION

POSTMASTER

200 ROYAL OAKS DR

SACRAMENTO CA 95813-9998

May 24, 2003

Tyronza City Hall

STARS AND STRIPES JUBILEE STATION

POSTMASTER

PO BOX 9998

TYRONZA AR 72386-9998

The following cancellations have been extended for 60 days.

April 26, 2003

Old Iron Days Committee

OLD IRON DAYS STATION

POSTMASTER

PO BOX 9998

OTIS KS 67565-9998

May 3, 2003

Cotter Chamber of Commerce

TROUT CAPITAL USA STATION

POSTMASTER

PO BOX 9998

COTER AR 72626-9998

June 14-15, 2003

The National Road Association