Earlier this year, the Postal Service™ announced a new strategy called Post Plan, which keeps the nation’s smallest Post Offices™ open for business by realigning retail window hours based on customer use. The process to implement this plan is a multi-phased approach, which began in the fall of 2012 and continues over the next two years. This initiative identifies two groups of offices, Remotely Managed Post Offices (RMPOs) consisting of 2-hour, 4-hour, and 6-hour offices reporting to an Administrative Post Office (APO) and Part-time Post Offices (PTPOs), 6-hour offices that report directly to the District.
To support the Post Plan initiative and strategy, Finance has developed new financial policies and guidelines specially designed for 2-hour and 4-hour RMPOs which are Non-POS. These new policies streamline existing financial processes in order to add efficiencies that align with changing operational requirements and demands. In addition, we are establishing a new financial monitoring approach that assists APOs with their oversight responsibilities by leveraging the Accounting Service Centers (ASCs).
The USPS® Post Plan requires 2-hour and 4-hour RMPOs, which are Non-POS to convert to a new concept called Single Drawer Accountability (SDA).
SDA is a single accountability comprised of stamp stock, cash, postage meter, and money orders (no unit reserve stock or individual accountabilities). Postmaster Relief and designees will operate under a shared accountability concept, which includes traditional Post Office retail services such as selling stamps, maintaining a postage meter, selling money orders, and providing limited customer refunds. Cash/stamp accountability limits for the SDA office will be set by the managing APO. In those instances where postage sales exceed the office accountability, the APO Postmaster may request an exception to the accountability limits through the District Finance Manager. The APO will perform annual counts randomly determined by the ASC. The ASC will play an extensive role in monitoring the SDA offices and working closely with the APOs regarding financial issues in these offices.
Specific policy guidelines will be published no later than June 2013, in Chapter 24 of Handbook F-101, Field Accounting Procedures. Interim guidelines can be found on the National Financial Snapshot at http://nfs.usps.gov/default.asp. For accounting assistance regarding these procedures, please contact the Accounting Help Desk at 866-974-2733, send an email to Help Desk, Accounting - St. Louis, MO, or visit us at http://blue.usps.gov/wps/portal/accounting.
— Revenue and Field Accounting,
Controller, 4-18-13
