U.S. Postal Service 
 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007 

 
	I. Basic Information Regarding Report  

	A. Name, title, address, and telephone number of person to be contacted with questions about the report. 
 
Jane Eyre 
Manager, Records Office 
United States Postal Service 
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 5821 
Washington, DC  20260-5821 
Telephone (202) 268-2608 
 
B. Electronic address for report on the World Wide Web 
 
http://www.usps.com/foia/annualreports/welcome.htm  

C.  How to obtain a copy of this report in paper form. 
 
A hard copy of this report may be obtained upon written request to: 
 
Jane Eyre 
Manager, Records Office 
United States Postal Service 
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 5821 
Washington, DC  20260 

II. How to Make a FOIA Request 
 
A FOIA request for Postal Service records must be in writing, be a request for records, and bear the caption “Freedom of Information Act Request.”   
 
There is no required form for submitting a request.  A requester should simply write a letter, indicating FOIA somewhere on the letter, and describe the records wanted.  It is also helpful to include the amount of processing fees for which the requester is willing to accept liability.  If estimated processing fees exceed that amount, the requester will be notified in advance. 
 
A request should describe, with as much detail as possible, the records being requested.  The description should be detailed enough to permit an agency employee familiar with the subject matter to locate the records with a reasonable amount of effort.  A reasonable description is required by the FOIA and helps ensure prompt retrieval of the records of interest while minimizing processing costs to the requester. 
 
Detailed information on submitting a FOIA request may be found in Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management.. (http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/hand/as353/welcome.htm) 
A. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all individual agency components and offices that receive FOIA requests. 

Non-investigative records: 
 
Manager, Records Office 
United States Postal Service 
Room 5821 
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW  Washington, DC  20260 	Investigative records: 
 
Office of Counsel 
U.S. Postal Inspection Service  
1735 North Lynn Street, 4th Fl 
Arlington, VA 22209-4083 	Inspector General records: 
 
FOIA Officer 
Office of Inspector General 
U.S. Postal Service 
1735 N. Lynn Street 
Suite 10000 
Arlington, VA 22209 

 
B. Brief description of the Postal Service’s response-time ranges. 
 
Most offices are able to respond to most requests within the twenty working days time period set by the FOIA.  Additional time may be needed if a request involves a time consuming search or review of a voluminous amount of records.  In these instances, or in the unusual case of a backlog, the requester will be notified. 

C. Brief description of why some requests are not granted. 
 
The Postal Service’s policy is to make its official records available to the public to the maximum extent consistent with the public interest.  A requester will receive copies of all responsive records or parts of records that are not subject to one of the exemptions contained in the FOIA.  Once the records custodian has processed a request and any fee issues have been resolved, the requester will be sent a written initial response with a determination of available records that may be disclosed.  The response letter will advise whether any information is being withheld pursuant to one or more of the exemptions. When pages are being withheld in their entirety, the records custodian either will specify the number of pages being withheld or will make a reasonable effort to estimate the amount of the withheld information. 
 
The exemptions in the FOIA authorize federal agencies to withhold information covering: (1) classified national defense and foreign relations information, (2) internal agency rules and practices, (3) information that is prohibited from disclosure by another federal law, (4) trade secrets and other confidential business information, (5) inter-agency or intra-agency communications that are protected by legal privileges, (6) information involving matters of personal privacy, (7) certain types of information compiled for law enforcement purposes, (8) information relating to the supervision of financial institutions, and (9) geological information on wells.  Although not legally obligated to do so, the records custodian may disclose exempt information as a matter of administrative discretion if that disclosure is not prohibited by any law and would not cause any foreseeable harm. 
 
Exemptions 8 and 9 are rarely, if ever, applicable to Postal Service records. 

 
III. Definitions of Terms and Acronyms used in the Report 

A. Agency-specific acronyms or other terms. 
 
	1. USPS – United States Postal Service. 
 
2. Records custodian – the head of a postal facility such as an area office, district office, post office, or other postal installation that maintains Postal Service records and information.  Vice Presidents are the custodians of records and information maintained at Headquarters.  Custodians are responsible for seeing that records within their facilities or organizations are managed according to Postal Service policies. 
 
3. E-FOIA – the “Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996, Public Law No. 104-231, 110 Stat. 3048,” making major revisions to the FOIA, including subsection (e) that pertains to the submission of annual reports by federal agencies on their administration of the Act. 

B. Basic terms expressed in common terminology. 
 
	1. FOIA/PA request – Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request.  A FOIA request is generally a request for access to records concerning a third party, an organization, or a particular topic of interest.  A Privacy Act request is a request for records concerning oneself; such requests are also treated as FOIA requests.   
 
2. Initial request – a request to a federal agency for access to records under the Freedom of Information Act. 
 
3. Appeal – a request to a federal agency asking that it review, at a higher administrative level, a full denial or partial denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Act, or any other FOIA determination such as a matter pertaining to fees. 
 
4. Processed request or appeal – a request or appeal for which an agency has taken a final action on the request or the appeal in all respects. 
 
5. Multi-track processing – a system in which simple requests requiring relatively minimal review are placed in one processing track and more voluminous and complex requests are placed in one or more other tracks.  Requests in each track are processed on a first-in, first-out basis.  A requester who has an urgent need for records may request expedited processing (see below).   
 
6. Expedited processing – an agency will process a FOIA request on an expedited basis when a requester has shown an exceptional need or urgency for the records which warrants prioritization of his or her request over other requests that were made earlier. 
 
7. Simple request – a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in its fastest (non-expedited) track based on the volume and/or simplicity of records requested.    

8. Complex request – a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in a slower track based on the volume and/or complexity of records requested.     
 
9. Grant – an agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a FOIA request. 
 
10. Partial grant – an agency decision to disclose a record in part in response to a FOIA request, deleting information determined to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA’s exemptions; or a decision to disclose some records in their entireties but to withhold others in whole or in part. 
 
11. Denial – an agency decision not to release any part of a record or records in response to a FOIA request because all the information in the requested records is determined by the agency to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA’s exemptions.  
 
12. Time limits – the time period in the Freedom of Information Act for an agency to respond to a FOIA request (ordinarily 20 working days from proper receipt of a perfected FOIA request). 

13.  Perfected request – a FOIA request for records which adequately describes the records sought, which has been received by the FOIA office of the agency or agency component in possession of the records, and for which there is no remaining question about the payment of applicable fees. 
 
14.  Exemption 3 statute – a separate federal statute prohibiting the disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its withholding under FOIA subsection (b)(3). 
 
15.  Median number – the middle, not average, number.  For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7. 
 
16.  Average number – the number obtained by dividing the sum of a group of numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group.  For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the average number is 8. 

IV.  Exemption 3 Statutes 
 
Exempting Statute 	Type of Information Withheld 	Case Citation 	
39 U.S.C. 410 (c)(1) 	Records relating to names and addresses of postal customers 	None 	
39 U.S.C. 410(c)(2) 	Records relating to commercial information that is proprietary to the Postal Service 	Wickwire Gavin v. USPS, 356 F.3d588 (4th Cir. 2004); Airline Pilots Ass’n, Int’l v. USPS and FedEx, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26067 (D.D.C. June 24, 2004) 	
39 U.S.C. 410(c)(3) 	Records relating to information prepared for use in negotiating collective bargaining agreements 	None 	
39 U.S.C. 410(c)(4) 	Records prepared for proceedings under 39 U.S.C. Chapter 36, relating to rates, classification, and service changes 	None 	
39 U.S.C. 410(c)(5) 	Reports and memoranda of consultants or independent contractors, except to the extent that they would be required to be disclosed if prepared within the Postal Service 	None 	
39 U.S.C. 410(c)(6) 	Investigatory files, whether or not considered closed, compiled for law enforcement purposes, except to the extent available by law to a party other than the Postal Service 	None 	
39 U.S.C. 412 	Records containing lists of postal customers 	None 	
18 U.S.C. 1461 	Records concerning non-mailable matter  	None 	
18 U.S.C. 2510 	Records relating to wiretap requests and information 	Lam Lek Chong v. DEA, 929 F.2d 729 (D.C. Cir.1991) 	
18 U.S.C. 2517 	Records relating to wiretap requests and information 	Lam Lek Chong v. DEA, 929 F.2d 729 (D.C. Cir.1991) 	
Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure-Rule 6(e) 	Grand jury information 	Senate of P.R. v. United States Dep’t of Justice, 823 F.2d 574 (D.C. Cir. 1987) 	

V.  Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests  
A. Numbers of initial requests 
 	 	
1. Number of requests pending as of end of preceding fiscal year 	 
   1111	
2. Number of requests received during current fiscal year 	 
 1608 	
3. Number of requests processed during current fiscal year 	 
 1579 	
4. Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year 	 
 140 	

 
 
1 The figure shown in this section is lower than the figure shown on our FOIA 2006 report due to closed requests that were not accounted for in last year’s report. 
	
B. Disposition of initial requests. 

Initial requests 	
1.  Number of total grants 	344	
2.  Number of partial grants 	319	
3.  Number of denials  	188	
a.  Number of times each FOIA exemption used                                           (counting each exemption once per request) 		
(1)   Exemption 1 	9	
(2)   Exemption 2 	106	
(3)   Exemption 3 	95	
(4)   Exemption 4 	60	
(5)   Exemption 5 	107	
(6)   Exemption 6 	188	
(7)   Exemption 7(A) 	11	
(8)   Exemption 7(B) 	2	
(9)   Exemption 7(C) 	122	
(10) Exemption 7(D) 	59	
(11) Exemption 7(E)  	29	
(12) Exemption 7(F) 	2	
(13) Exemption 8 	0	
14) Exemption 9 	1	
4.Other reasons for nondisclosure 	728	
	a. No records  
	258  	
	b. Referrals 
	196	
	c. Request withdrawn 
	13	
	d. Fee-related reason 
	28	
	e. Records not reasonably described 
	49	
	f. Not a proper FOIA request for some other reason 
	78	
	g. Not an agency record 
	75	
	h. Duplicate request 
	31	
 
VI. Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests 
 
	A. Number of appeals 

Appeals 	
1.  Number of appeals received during fiscal year 	              172 	

2.  Number of appeals processed during fiscal year 	172  	

	B. Disposition of appeals 

Appeals 	
1.  Number completely upheld 	87	
2.  Number partially reversed 	36	
3.  Number completely reversed  	8	
Number of times each FOIA exemption used                                 (counting each exemption once per appeal) 	 	
(1)   Exemption 1 	1	
(2)   Exemption 2 	19	
(3)   Exemption 3 	32	
(4)   Exemption 4 	10	
(5)   Exemption 5 	26	
(6)   Exemption 6 	45	
(7)   Exemption 7(A) 	6	
(8)   Exemption 7(B) 	1	
(9)   Exemption 7(C) 	23	
(10) Exemption 7(D) 	7	
(11) Exemption 7(E)  	3	
(12) Exemption 7(F) 	0	
(13) Exemption 8 	0	
(14) Exemption 9 	0	
4.  Other reasons for nondisclosure 	41	
a.  No records exist 	12	
b.  Referrals 	2	
c.  Request withdrawn 	0	
d.  Fee-related reason 	3	
e.  Records not reasonably described 	0	
f.  Not a proper FOIA request for some other reason 	23	
g.  Not an agency record 	0	
h.  Duplicate request  	1	

 
VII. Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests 

	A. Median processing time for requests processed during the year 

 	Number Processed 	Median Number of Days 	
1. Simple requests 	 1514 	 12 	
2. Complex requests 	 55 	 32 	
3. Requests accorded expedited processing 	 10 	 20 	

	B. Status of pending requests 

1. Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year 	 
140 	
2. Median number of days such requests were pending as of that date 	 
 14 	

 
VIII. Comparisons with Previous Year 
 
A.  The number of requests received decreased by 157 or 8.9% (1765 FY 2006, 1608 FY 2007).  
B.  The number of requests processed decreased by 249 or 13.6% (1828 FY 2006, 1579 FY2007).    
C.  The median number of days requests were pending as of the end of the fiscal year decreased 22.2% (18 FY 2006, 14 FY 2007). 
 
D. Other statistics:  15 requests for expedited processing received; 10 requests for expedited processing granted. 

 

 
IX. Costs/FOIA Staffing 
 
	A. Staffing levels 
 
1.  Number of full-time FOIA personnel 11  
 
2.  Number of personnel with part-time FOIA duties 25 work-years 
 
3.  Total number of personnel 36 work-years 

 

B.  Total costs (including staff and all resources) 
 
1.  FOIA processing including appeals                                                     $2,576,863   
  
2.  Estimated litigation-related activities                                                   $     15,300 
 
3.  Total costs                                                                                          $ 2,592,163 

X. Fees 
 
A.  Total amount of fees collected by agency for  processing requests: $45,745 
 
	B. Percentage of total costs: 1.76% 

XI. FOIA Regulations (Including Fee Schedule) 
 
The Postal Service’s release of information regulations in support of the FOIA are found in Title 39 Code of Federal Regulations §265.  This information is available online at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/39cfr265_03.html  
 
The fee provisions are contained at section 265.9 of those regulations. 

XII. Report on Executive Order 13,392 
 
On December 14, 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13,392, entitled "Improving Agency Disclosure of Information," which established a "citizen-centered" and "results-oriented" approach to administration of the Freedom of Information Act. The Executive Order required each agency to conduct a review of its FOIA operations, to develop an agency-specific plan to improve its administration of the Act, and to include in its annual FOIA report a description of its progress in meeting the milestones and goals established in its improvement plan.  
 
The reporting period for Section XII is different from that used for the rest of this report, which is based on data compiled for Fiscal Year 2007. The reporting period for this section concerning Executive Order implementation activities includes progress made through January 2008.  
 
This section of the annual FOIA report contains the Postal Service's description of its progress in implementing the milestones and goals of its FOIA Improvement Plan.  
 
The Chief FOIA Officer is responsible for overseeing Postal Service compliance with the FOIA, making recommendations to the Postmaster General regarding the Postal Service’s FOIA program, and monitoring and reporting on FOIA implementation and performance for the Postal Service.  The Manager of the Records Office is responsible for the overall administration of the USPS FOIA Program, except for records maintained by the Postal Inspection Service and the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG).  The General Counsel’s office is responsible for FOIA appeals for the Records Office and Inspection Service.  Accordingly, Section XII consists of four parts, which represent responses from the following FOIA program offices: 
 
	• USPS FOIA Program 
	• US Postal Inspection Service FOIA Program 
	• USPS OIG FOIA Program, and 
	• Appeals process for USPS and US Postal Inspection Service 

U.S. Postal Service 

The Manager of the Records Office is responsible for the overall administration of the USPS FOIA Program, including the issuance of detailed instructions to records custodians.  Records custodians located at any one of nearly 40,000 postal facilities throughout the country (postmaster or other head of a facility or department at which records are maintained) are responsible for responding in the first instance to requests from members of the public for Postal Service records.  Currently, FOIA requests for USPS records should be sent to the appropriate FOIA Requester Service Center.  For requests that are sent to the Records Office, the Records Office staff will either process the request or refer it to the appropriate records custodian(s) for processing and response. 
 
A.  Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement plan (if applicable). 
 
Not applicable 
 
B.  Report on agency implementation of its plan, including its performance in meeting milestones, with respect to each improvement area. 
 
The Postal Service met nearly all of the goals and milestones established in the report submitted in response to Executive Order 13,392 that were to be completed for this reporting period, as described below.   
 
Automated tracking capabilities:  This milestone is complete.  Handbook AS353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act and Records Management, has been revised.  It now directs FOIA requesters to submit requests to a designated FOIA Requester Service Center so that requests are entered into a tracking system and assigned a unique tracking number.   Previously, requesters were advised to direct their requests to the appropriate records custodian, if known, which may be located at any one of the thousands of postal installations throughout the country.  Analysis of available data does not identify trends in FOIA activity that would warrant expansion of the number of FOIA Requester Service Centers or of access to the FOIA/PA Tracking System at this time.  The Records Office staff will continue to monitor new data on FOIA activity as it becomes available.   
    
Troubleshooting of any existing problems with existing request tracking:  This milestone is complete.  A commercial-off-the-shelf software program is used to track and provide the status of FOIA requests received. 
 
Politeness/courtesy:  This milestone is complete.  Requirements of the EO 13,392 were incorporated into the Postal Service’s Handbook AS353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management.  Notice of the Handbook AS353 update was published in the Postal Bulletin and became effective December 20, 2007.  Also, The Records Office provided training to Headquarters and field FOIA Coordinators.  The training emphasized the importance of treating FOIA requesters courteously and appropriately. 
 
Forms of Communication with Requesters:  This milestone is complete.  Letter templates were developed and added to electronic folders for use by the Records Office staff.  Hard copy letter templates were provided to FOIA coordinators at training sessions.  Also, letter templates are routinely made available to FOIA coordinators on an as needed basis.   

 
 
Websites and Overall Web site improvement:  Changes to the Postal Service’s FOIA website and eReading Room have been completed.  A FOIA link was added to the Postal Service homepage.    All links to available information are current.  A process was developed to update the posting of Major Information Systems by incorporating requirements into the USPS’ Privacy Impact Assessment tool. 
 
Reference Guide, Training and other Tools:  Effective December 20, 2007, Handbook AS353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, was revised for the purpose, in part, to comply with provisions of EO 13,392.  Notice was provided to postal employees and the public via the Postal Bulletin.  Additionally, agency FOIA coordinators were informed of the Handbook revision through internal communications.  Changes to 39 CFR Part 265 have been circulated for management clearance.   This milestone is 80% complete.  
 
Case-by-case problem identification – The Records Office established a FOIA email account to communicate with FOIA coordinators throughout the Postal Service regarding its FOIA Program.    A specific electronic folder was established to track specific problems and ideas for improvement submitted by FOIA coordinators.  No required changes have been identified based on a review of the responses received to date. 
 
Additional training needed – This milestone is complete.  FOIA training was developed and delivered as described below.  The training materials developed for HQ and field FOIA coordinators were posted to the agency’s internal website as a reference tool. 
  
Number of sessions 	Audience 	Topics covered 	
 
3 	 
HQ FOIA Coordinators 	 
FOIA overview, FOIA processing, FOIA exemptions, EO 13,392, FOIA coordinator roles & responsibilities 	
 
2 	 
New field FOIA Coordinators 	 
FOIA overview, FOIA exemptions, EO 13,392, FOIA coordinator roles & responsibilities 	
 
2 	 
Field FOIA Coordinators 	 
EO 13,392 	
 
1 	 
Employee Development & Diversity 	 
FOIA overview, FOIA processing, FOIA exemptions, EO 13,392, FOIA coordinator roles & responsibilities 	

 
	C. Identification and discussion of any deficiency in meeting plan milestones (if applicable). 

Due to the loss of two employees, the completion of certain milestones contained in the Postal Service’s improvement plan has been delayed. 
 
Milestone E.6.3 
 
     1. FOIA Improvement Plan area to which the deficient milestone relates.   
 
           FOIA Processing and Tracking 
 
     2. Deficient milestone and the original target date from the FOIA Improvement Plan. 
 
          Convert the Records Office from a paper-based, manual process to a fully automated                   electronic process.  This milestone was due for completion February 2007. 
 
     3.   Steps taken to correct the deficiency and the dates by which the steps were completed. 
 
The Postal Service has completed the first two steps under this milestone.  Testing of the USPS FOIA Tracking System was completed and new business rules were developed.  These steps were completed January 2007.   
 
     4.   Future remedial steps and the dates by which the steps will be completed. 
 
 To implement an automated FOIA program, new employees in the Records Office will be provided formal training on the FOIA Tracking System, a commercial-off-the-shelf application.  A comprehensive, two-day training class is scheduled for March 5-6, 2008, by the software provider.  Completion of the transition to an automated process is planned for FY 2009. 
 
Milestone E.4.3 and E.4.5 
 
     1.  FOIA Improvement Plan area to which the deficient milestone relates. 
 
 Reference Guides, Training and other Tools 
 
  2.  Deficient milestone and the original target date from the FOIA Improvement Plan. 
 
 Update Handbook AS353, Guide to Privacy and the Freedom of Information Act, as the source of information for the FOIA.  This milestone was due for completion May 2007. 
 
     3.   Steps taken to correct the deficiency and the dates by which the steps were completed. 
 
Effective December 20, 2007, Handbook AS353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, was revised.  Notice was provided to postal employees and the public via the Postal Bulletin.  Revisions to 39 CFR 265 were circulated for management clearance January 2008.  
 
     4.  Future remedial steps and the dates by which the steps will be completed. 
 
To complete this milestone, the Postal Service plans to publish a Federal Register notice to amend 39 CFR Part 265 by September 2008.    
 
 Milestone E.26 
 
     1.  FOIA Improvement Plan area to which the deficient milestone relates. 
 
FOIA Program 
 
	2.  Deficient milestone and the original target date from the FOIA Improvement Plan. 
 
Improve overall administration of the USPS FOIA program.  This milestone was due April 2007. 
 
3. Steps taken to correct the deficiency and the dates by which the steps were completed. 
 
Effective December 20, 2007, Handbook AS353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, was revised.  Notice was provided to postal employees and the public via the Postal Bulletin.  Revisions to 39 CFR 265 were circulated for management clearance January 2008.  
 
     4. Future remedial steps and the dates by which the steps will be completed. 
 
To complete this milestone, the Postal Service plans to publish a Federal Register notice to amend 39 CFR Part 265 by September 2008. 
 
D.  Additional narrative statements regarding other executive order-related activities (optional) 
 
1. The USPS purchased software to add a FOIA public access link to its website.  The link will allow requesters to submit FOIA requests and to determine the status of requests over the internet.  The USPS expects to have the public access link added to its website in FY 2008. 
 
2.   The Records Office is on track to post letter templates used in responding to FOIA requests to its internal website for use by FOIA coordinators.  
 
  3. The Records Office is working with USPS Employee Resource Management (ERM) representatives to develop an interactive, web-based FOIA training course for agency employees.  The Records Office plans to complete the development of the content for the training course by September 2008. 
 
E.  Concise descriptions of FOIA exemptions 
 
The nine exemptions to the FOIA authorize federal agencies to withhold information covering: (1) classified national defense and foreign relations information; (2) internal agency rules and practices; (3) information that is prohibited from disclosure by another federal law; (4) trade secrets and other confidential business information; (5) inter-agency or intra-agency communications that are protected by legal privileges; (6) information involving matters of personal privacy; (7) records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, to the extent that the production of those records (A) could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings, (B) would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication, (C) could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (D) could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, (E) would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or (F) could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual; (8) information relating to the supervision of financial institutions; and (9) geological information on wells. 
F. Additional Statistics: 
     1.   Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests 
 
Calendar Year 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Requests 	 	 	 	 	 	  	  	 Jan 24 
 March 1
 May 1 
 May 18 
 May 25 
 May 31 
 May 31 
 June 6 
 June 6 
 June 18	

	2. Consultations 
 
a.) Number of Consultations Received, Processed, and Pending 

Consultations Received From Other Agencies During FY07  	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Processed by Your Agency During FY07 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Pending at Your Agency as of October 1, 2007 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	
 
0 	 
0 	 
0 	

b.) Ten Oldest Pending Consultations Received From Other Agencies
  
Calendar Year 	1999 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Consults Received 	0 	0  	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0  	

 
G. Attachment: Agency improvement plan:  
The FOIA Improvement Plan for the U.S. Postal Service is attached.  
http://www.usps.com/foia/_pdf/USPS_EO_Report.pdf

U.S. Postal Inspection Service 

A.  Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement plan (if applicable). 
 
Not applicable. 
 
B.  Report on agency implementation of its plan, including its performance in meeting milestones, with respect to each improvement area. 
 
The Postal Inspection Service has met all of the goals and milestones established in the FOIA Improvement Plan for the Postal Service, as reported in the last annual report.  The Inspection Service continues to adhere to a citizen-centered and results-oriented approach to the FOIA.   
 
C. Identification and discussion of any deficiency in meeting plan milestones (if applicable). 
 
Not applicable. 
 
D.  Additional narrative statements regarding other executive order-related activities (optional) 
 
Increased staffing/Changes to personnel – A request to upgrade the positions of Information Disclosure Specialist (EAS-23) and Information Disclosure Technician (EAS-17) was submitted to Human Resources for consideration.  A final decision has not been made. 
 
E. Concise descriptions of FOIA exemptions 
 
See section E of the Postal Service’s portion of this report, above. 

F. Additional Statistics: 
       1.   Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests 
 
Calendar Year 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Requests 	 	 	 	 	 	  	  	July 25
Sept 5 
  Oct 5 
Nov 29
Dec 28	

	2. Consultations 

a.) Number of Consultations Received, Processed, and Pending
 
Consultations Received From Other Agencies During FY07  	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Processed by Your Agency During FY07 (includes those received prior to F*Y07) 	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Pending at Your Agency as of October 1, 2007 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	
 
0* 	 
0* 	 
0* 	

*The FOIA Tracking System does not track this information.  Steps are being taken to collect this information for FY 2008. 
 
b.) Ten Oldest Pending Consultations Received From Other Agencies
Calendar Year 	1999 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Consults Received 	0 	0  	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0  	

 
G. Attachment: Agency improvement plan: 
The FOIA Improvement Plan for the U.S. Postal Service is attached. http://www.usps.com/foia/_pdf/USPS_EO_Report.pdf

 

USPS Office of Inspector General 

A.  Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement plan (if applicable). 
 
Not applicable. 
 
	B. Report on agency implementation of its plan, including its performance in meeting milestones, with respect to each improvement area. 

The OIG met applicable milestones.  The OIG updated and improved affirmative disclosures under subsection (a)(2) by streamlining audit review and posting processes and methods for public access and view of reports -- thereby meeting plans for proactive disclosure of information; regarding “overall FOIA web site improvement, improvement of agency’s FOIA Reference Guide; Electronic FOIA – receiving/responding to requests electronically,” the OIG provided an online FOIA request form, allowing requesters to file via the internet, in addition to email, mail, or fax.  Most of the improvement was accomplished as part of a project updating the external website of the OIG. 
 
In a previous year, the OIG developed language and a standard procedure for responding specifically to filers’ requests for expedited processing. 
 
As in previous years, the OIG did not recycle improvement information gleaned from FOIA Requester Service Center because no information was received through that source. 
 
C. Identification and discussion of any deficiency in meeting plan milestones (if applicable). 
Not applicable. 
 
D.  Additional narrative statements regarding other executive order-related activities (optional) 
 
Not applicable. 
 
E. Concise descriptions of FOIA exemptions 
 
See section E of the Postal Service’s portion of this report, above. 

F. Additional Statistics: 
     1.   Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests 
 
Calendar Year 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Requests 	 	 	 	 	 	  	  	Nov 8 
Dec 4 
Dec 6 
Dec 11
Dec 13
Dec 13
Dec 14
Dec 14
Dec 14
Dec 21 	

	2. Consultations 

a.) Number of Consultations Received, Processed, and Pending
 
Consultations Received From Other Agencies During FY07  	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Processed by Your Agency During FY07 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Pending at Your Agency as of October 1, 2007 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	
0 	0 	0 	

	b.) Ten Oldest Pending Consultations Received From Other Agencies 

Calendar Year 	1999 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Consults Received 	0 	0  	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0  	

 
G. Attachment: Agency improvement plan: 
 
The FOIA Improvement Plan for the U.S. Postal Service is attached. 
http://www.usps.com/foia/_pdf/USPS_EO_Report.pdf

Appeals Process for USPS and US Postal Inspection Service 

A.  Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement plan (if applicable). 
 
Not applicable. 
 
B.  Report on agency implementation of its plan, including its performance in meeting milestones, with respect to each improvement area. 
 
The Law Department completed an internal webpage for Fiscal Years 2005, 2006, and 2007 appeal decisions and is in the process of creating its Fiscal Year 2008 appeal decision webpage.  The Law Department also completed objectives related to training of assigned personnel.  For example: 
 
	• Staff counsel attended the Attorneys and Access Professionals seminar hosted by the Department of Justice in FY07. 
	• A FOIA Specialist attended the two-day Department of Justice, Office of Legal Education, FOIA for Attorneys and Access Professionals seminar in FY07. 
	• Staff counsel attended the District of Columbia Bar Association continuing legal education course Basics of Filing and Litigating Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests in FY07. 
	• Staff attended the internal “Hot Topics” sessions on FOIA and the FOIA Coordinator training in FY07.  

C. Identification and discussion of any deficiency in meeting plan milestones (if applicable). 
 
Not applicable. 
 
D.  Additional narrative statements regarding other executive order-related activities (optional) 
 
The Law Department has created and posted an internal webpage resource for Fiscal Years 2005 and 2007 appeal decisions,  and the Law Department is on track to implement an internal FY 2008 appeal decision webpage. 
 
E. Concise descriptions of FOIA exemptions 
 
See section E of the Postal Service’s portion of this report, above. 

F. Additional Statistics: 
     1.   Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests 
 
Calendar Year 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
 
Requests 	 
0 	 
0 	 
      0 	 
0 	 
       0 	 0 	 
 0 	 
0 	

2. Consultations 
 
a.) Number of Consultations Received, Processed, and Pending
 
Consultations Received From Other Agencies During FY07  	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Processed by Your Agency During FY07 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Pending at Your Agency as of October 1, 2007 (includes those received prior to FY07) 	
0 	0 	0 	

	c.) Ten Oldest Pending Consultations Received From Other Agencies 

Calendar Year 	1999 	2000 	2001 	2002 	2003 	2004 	2005 	2006 	2007 	
Consults Received 	0 	0  	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0  	

 
 
G. Attachment: Agency improvement plan: 
The FOIA Improvement Plan for the U.S. Postal Service is attached. 
http://www.usps.com/foia/_pdf/USPS_EO_Report.pdf