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(1) A comprehensive mission statement covering the major functions and operations.

(2) General goals and objectives, including outcome-related goals and objectives, for the major functions and operations.

(3) Descriptions of how these goals and objectives are to be achieved and of the operational processes; skills and technology; and the human, capital, information, and other resources required to meet the goals and objectives.

(4) A description of how the performance goals included in the annual performance plan required under section 2803 will be related to the general goals and objectives in the strategic plan.

(5) An identification of the key factors external to the Postal Service and beyond its control that could significantly affect the achievement of its general goals and objectives.

(6) A description of the program evaluations used in establishing or revising general goals and objectives, with a schedule for future program evaluations. (See 39 U.S.C. 2802(a).)

The law also requires annual performance plans linking the organizational goals in the Strategic Plan with ongoing operations. Finally, the law requires the preparation of annual performance reports, which review and compare actual performance with the performance targets stated in the annual plans. (See 39 U.S.C. 2804.)

In order to include public participation in this planning process, the statute provides that the Postal Service, as it develops each new iteration of the Strategic Plan, "shall solicit and consider the views and suggestions of those entities potentially affected by or interested in such a plan, and shall advise the Congress of the contents of the plan." (See 39 U.S.C. 2802(d).)

TRANSFORMATION BACKGROUND

On April 4, 2001, the Comptroller General of the United States advised the House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform that the Postal Service "faces major challenges that collectively call for a structural transformation if it is to remain viable in the 21st century." He called on the Postal Service, in conjunction with all stakeholders, to prepare a comprehensive plan identifying "the actions needed to address the Service's financial, operational, and human capital challenges and establish a time frame and specify key milestones for achieving positive results." On June 14, 2001, the Chair and ranking members of the Committee on Governmental Affairs and its Postal Oversight Subcommittee wrote to Postmaster General John E. Potter asking that a Transformation Plan be developed. The Postal Service presented this first Transformation Plan covering the years 2002-2006 to Congress in April 2002. The Transformation Plan has made possible a number of successes to date: postal rates have remained stable since mid-2002, debt has declined by $9.5 billion, and a total of $4.3 billion in incremental annual savings have put the service well on its way to five straight years of productivity gains. At the same time, the Postal Service has achieved record customer satisfaction levels, provided record end-to-end service performance, and developed innovative postal products and services including Click-N-Ship®, Negotiated Pricing Agreements (NSAs), and Priority Mail® flat-rate boxes.

Following up on the April 2002 Transformation Plan, the Postal Service published two Transformation Plan Progress Reports, one in November 2003, and one in November 2004, and incorporated a discussion of Transformation Plan progress into its annual Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations to Congress. All of these Postal Service plans and documents, along with other key Postal Service transformation, planning, and financial documents, can be found online at www.usps.com/strategicplanning.