UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE CHIEF FOIA OFFICER’S REPORT FOR 2021

Under Title 39 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) § 201, the United States Postal Service (Postal Service) is “an independent establishment of the executive branch of Government of the United States.” In response to the Attorney General’s directive to review and report to the Department of Justice each year regarding progress on improving transparency through implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), through its Chief FOIA Officer Natalie Bonanno, the Postal Service submits this report.

Title 39 U.S.C. § 101(a) describes the basic functions of the Postal Service as binding “the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people.” This mission, to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service, is to be done in accordance with sound business principles.

Organizational Structure and Other Background Information:

The Postal Service’s FOIA Program is part of the Privacy and Records Management Office, in the Ethics and Compliance Group of the General Counsel’s Office. The Postal Service’s Deputy Chief FOIA Officer reports to the Chief FOIA Officer through the Chief Privacy and Records Management Officer. The Deputy Chief FOIA Officer is responsible for the overall administration and compliance of the Postal Service’s FOIA Program, except for records independently maintained by the Postal Inspection Service and the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). The Ethics and Compliance Group’s Federal Compliance Section is responsible for FOIA appeals for the Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service.

This report represents responses from the following FOIA program offices:

Postal Service FOIA Program
Postal Service General Counsel (appeals for USPS and Postal Inspection Service)
Postal Service OIG FOIA Program (initial requests and appeals)
U.S. Postal Inspection Service FOIA Program (initial requests)

The OIG and Postal Inspection Service FOIA programs are centralized. The Postal Service FOIA program is decentralized. The Postal Service has two FOIA Requester Service Centers (RSCs) to track and coordinate all FOIA requests received. FOIA requests for Postal Service Headquarters controlled records; Supply Management or Facilities controlled records including contracts, building leases, and other real estate transactions; and employee listings are tracked and coordinated by the FOIA RSC-Headquarters. The FOIA RSC-Field supports the tracking and processing of FOIA requests for Postal Service records maintained at district offices, post offices, or other field operations facilities (FOIA RSC-Field). The Postal Service has over 30,000 facilities throughout the country at which records are maintained. FOIA Coordinators have been designated to assist records custodians in each of the Postal Service Headquarters departments and each of the District offices across the country. The FOIA Coordinator, an ancillary position, provides procedural guidance on the FOIA to records custodians regarding requests that fall within their areas of responsibility.

The Privacy and Records Management Office is responsible for developing a program and framework to assist FOIA Coordinators and records custodians in processing FOIA requests. As such, it issues detailed instructions to records custodians on the FOIA (see Title 39 of the Code of Federal Regulations § 265, and USPS Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the FOIA, and Records Management). In addition, FOIA RSC staff assists FOIA Coordinators and records custodians with record release determinations and other procedural matters. The Federal Compliance Section and the Law Department’s field law offices provide legal advice to records custodians regarding the FOIA, including the applicability of exemptions.

It is Postal Service policy to make its official records available to the public to the maximum extent consistent with the public interest and the needs of the Postal Service. In its commitment to the “Presumption of Openness” concept as it carries out its FOIA responsibilities, Postal Service policy requires a practice of full disclosure subject only to the specific exemptions required or authorized by law. It is Postal Service policy to promote transparency and accountability by adopting a presumption in favor of disclosure in all decisions involving the FOIA.

Section I: Steps Taken to Apply the Presumption of Openness

FOIA LEADERSHIP

The FOIA requires each agency to designate a Chief FOIA Officer who is a senior official at least at the Assistant Secretary or equivalent level. Is your agency’s Chief FOIA Officer at this level?

Yes

Please provide the name and title of your agency’s Chief FOIA Officer.

Natalie Bonanno, Associate General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer

FOIA TRAINING

The FOIA directs agency Chief FOIA Officers to ensure that FOIA training is offered to agency personnel. Please describe the efforts your agency has undertaken to ensure proper FOIA training is made available and used by agency personnel.

In order to promote continued learning, the Privacy and Records Management Office and Federal Compliance attorneys developed extensive training materials and held monthly “brown bag” training sessions on a variety of FOIA-related topics. Field and Headquarters FOIA Coordinators were invited to attend and participate in the “brown bag” training sessions.

The Privacy and Records Management Office hosted quarterly conference calls with FOIA Coordinators to answer FOIA and privacy questions in an informal setting.

Federal Compliance attorneys continued hosting bi-monthly FOIA Roundtable training sessions with field law offices on a variety of FOIA-related topics in order to coordinate efforts and ensure a consistent approach to FOIA and Privacy Act matters. Field postal attorneys provide advice and guidance on the FOIA and the Privacy Act to records custodians located in field offices throughout the country.

Federal Compliance attorneys delivered quarterly comprehensive FOIA and Privacy Act training to field attorneys and FOIA professionals.

The Privacy and Records Management Office’s FOIA team and Federal Compliance attorneys worked regularly with records custodians throughout the Postal Service to help them better understand their responsibilities under the FOIA and to ensure strict compliance with its requirements.

The Privacy and Records Management Office’s FOIA team and Federal Compliance attorneys attended at least two FOIA training sessions offered by the Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy.

Did your FOIA professionals or the personnel at your agency who have FOIA responsibilities attend any substantive FOIA training or conference during the reporting period such as that provided by the Department of Justice?

Yes

If yes, please provide a brief description of the type of training attended and the topics covered.

American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP) training:

ASAP Annual National Training Conference
Webinar - Significant Recent FOIA Decisions
Webinar - Exemption 5 Civil Discover Privileges
Webinar - FOIA & Privacy Act Interface
Webinar - FOIA Procedural Overview
Webinar - Interplay Between the Privacy Act and the FOIA
Webinar - Virtual Fees & Fee Waiver Workshop
Webinar - Processing from Start to Finish Workshop Department of Justice training:
DOJ FOIA Best Practices Workshop
DOJ Virtual Introduction to the Freedom of Information Act
DOJ Virtual Litigation Workshop
Virtual Annual FOIA Report Refresher Training
Virtual Introduction to the Freedom of Information Act
Virtual Chief FOIA Officer Report Refresher Training
Virtual Procedural Requirements and Fees Workshops
Virtual Exemption 4 and Exemption 5 Workshop
Virtual Privacy Considerations Workshop
Virtual Exemption 7 workshop

User Conference and Technology Summit (a vendor sponsored workshop) – topics included:

FOIA Search Issues
Steps to Reduce FOIA Request Backlog
Recent Significant FOIA Decisions
FOIA Tracking System
EDR Workshop
Quarterly Conference Calls with FOIA Coordinators to answer FOIA and privacy questions

Quarterly Comprehensive FOIA and Privacy Act training for field attorneys and FOIA professionals

Roundtables:

Waiver, proactive disclosure, and discretionary disclosure
Exclusions, reverse FOIA, and Exemption 7 and its subparts
The Privacy Act and privacy considerations for attorneys
Disclosure of operationally sensitive information and OIG audit report redactions
Disclosure of business information
Overview of FTC and related privacy actions
FY20 FAQs by postal attorneys and postal record categories

Brown Bags:

Disclosure of personal information
The Glomar response
Proactive disclosure; disclosure of business information
Fee waivers and expedited processing
Requests for change of address information from process servers and government agencies
How to process a FOIA request from start to finish
Exemption 7 and its subparts
Privacy training for FOIA professionals
Assessing fees to include fee categories, types of fees, fee waiver requests, fees not allowed when timelines are not met
Third party FOIA requests
Most frequently used exemptions
FY20 frequently asked questions by FOIA professionals and postal record categories
Provide an estimate of the percentage of your FOIA professionals and staff with FOIA responsibilities who attended substantive FOIA training during this reporting period.

All FOIA professionals and staff received substantive FOIA training this fiscal year.

If your response to the previous question is that less than 80% of your FOIA professionals attended training, please explain your agency’s plan to ensure that all FOIA professionals receive or attend substantive FOIA training during the next reporting year.
N/A

Outreach
Did your FOIA professionals engage in any outreach or dialogue with the requester community or open government groups regarding your administration of the FOIA? Please describe any such outreach or dialogue, and, if applicable, any specific examples of how this dialogue has led to improvements in your agency’s FOIA administration.

Yes, we hosted two conference calls with the public that were announced in advance on the Postal Service’s public FOIA website. These conference calls included a summary of the Postal Service’s FOIA regulations on how to submit a proper FOIA request and allowed the pubic an opportunity to ask questions.

Other Initiatives

Describe any efforts your agency has undertaken to inform non-FOIA professionals of their obligations under the FOIA. In particular, please describe how often and in what formats your agency provides FOIA training or briefing to non-FOIA staff.

To promote compliance with the FOIA, the Postal Service continued its internal process whereby FOIA requests that are close to overdue are escalated to senior management to ensure that records custodians timely respond to FOIA requests within the statutory deadline. This strategy is intended to promote the importance of the FOIA throughout the organization and has helped to reduce the backlog.

USPS Publication 550, For the Record, is a pamphlet that is made available online to all postal employees. The pamphlet describes the FOIA and the Privacy Act and includes employees’ rights and responsibilities under the Acts. The pamphlet is distributed to all new employees.

The Postal Service continued the Chief FOIA Officer’s Awards program to recognize the contributions and efforts of FOIA Coordinators and records custodians. FOIA professionals nominate FOIA Coordinators and records custodians for a Chief FOIA Officer’s Award on a quarterly basis. Recipients are individually recognized in the USPS News LINK, an internal, online publication that is distributed daily throughout the organization, and a copy of the letter and certificate is included in the employee’s official personnel file.

The Postal Inspection Service Chief Counsel discusses the FOIA with newly appointed Postal Inspector recruits. The Chief Counsel encourages cooperation from the Inspection Service’s National Leadership Team regarding their FOIA obligations.

OIG holds periodic meetings to educate staff participating in the OIG New Leadership Development Program regarding FOIA best practices, processing, and records production.

Optional – If there are any other initiatives undertaken by your agency to ensure that the presumption of openness is being applied, please describe them here.

The initiatives described above are all in furtherance of greater compliance with the FOIA and to ensure that the information that is releasable under FOIA is made available to the public.

Section II: Steps Taken to Ensure that Your Agency Has an Effective System in Place for Responding to Requests

For Fiscal Year 2020, what was the average number of days your agency reported for adjudicating requests for expedited processing? Please see Section VIII.A. of your agency's Fiscal Year 2020 Annual FOIA Report?

4.68

If your agency's average number of days to adjudicate requests for expedited processing was above ten calendar days according to Section VII.A. of your agency’s Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Report, please describe the steps your agency will take to ensure that requests for expedited processing are adjudicated within ten calendar days or less.

N/A

During the reporting period, did your agency conduct a self-assessment of its FOIA program? If so, please describe the methods used, such as reviewing Annual Report or raw data, using active workflows and track management, reviewing and updating processing procedures, etc.

The Privacy and Records Management Office runs a report on FOIA requests to track FOIA requests received, closed, pending and overdue on a weekly basis. This ensures that FOIA requests are processed within the 20-working day statutory deadline.

The Postal Service completed the review and update of USPS Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, which contains policies and procedures governing the release of Postal Service records under the FOIA. The Handbook supplements Postal Service FOIA regulations contained in 39
C.F.R. § 265 and includes a chapter that contains information on how to process a FOIA request. During this review, the Postal Service took a fresh look at its FOIA policies and procedures and made changes accordingly. The updates to the Handbook should be published by the end of the year.

The Privacy and Records Management Office ensured that software was upgraded in the FOIA Tracking System, a comprehensive web-based commercial-off-the-shelf application designed to electronically track and process requests. The technology and system defined dashboards continue to assist in improvement of application performance.

The Postal Service reviewed procedures for electronically releasing records, including methods of conveyance, file formatting, and quality control measures. As a result, the Postal Service has implemented new procedures that have increased program quality and overall service to the requester community.

The Postal Service received an influx of requests regarding Election Mail this year. The Privacy and Records Management Office researched and evaluated various methods to provide additional transparency surrounding Election Mail and more efficiently communicate information sought by the requester community. As a result, the public FOIA website was updated with an Election Mail section that proactively provided numerous Election Mail resources.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Having SOPs can improve the consistency and quality of an agency’s FOIA process. In addition, describing an agency’s standard practices for handling FOIA requests on agency FOIA websites can help requesters better understand how their request will be handled.

Does your agency have SOPs that outline general processes for handling FOIA requests and appeals?

Yes

If not, does your agency have plans to create FOIA SOPs?

N/A

If yes, how often are they reviewed/updated to account for changes in law, best practices, and technology?

Annually

In addition to having SOPs, does your agency post or otherwise describe your standard processes for handling requests on your website?

Yes, Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management is posted to the Postal Service’s public FOIA website in order to assist requesters, coordinators, and custodians.

The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 requires additional notification to requesters about the services provided by the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison. Please provide an estimate of the number of times requesters sought assistance from your agency’s FOIA Public Liaison during FY 2020 (please provide a total number or an estimate of the number).

The FOIA Public Liaisons collectively receive about 20 calls each week from FOIA requesters during FY20 due to the pandemic. With more than 30,000 facilities throughout the country at which records are maintained, FOIA Coordinators in each of the Postal Service Headquarters departments and district offices play a key role in responding to inquiries from FOIA requesters about their requests. In many instances, USPS FOIA Coordinators respond to inquiries from FOIA requesters and informally resolve any concerns so that the FOIA requester does not need to then contact the FOIA Public Liaison.

Does your agency frequently receive common categories of first-party requests? If so, please describe the type of request and if your agency has explored establishing alternative means of access to these records outside of the FOIA process.

Yes, we mostly receive first-party requests for employment records. The Postal Service’s public FOIA website contains instructions on how to obtain employment records outside of the FOIA process.

The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 required all agencies to update their FOIA regulations with 180 days. Has your agency updated its FOIA regulations in accordance with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016? If not, what is your agency’s plan to update your regulations?

Yes

Please explain how your agency worked to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FOIA processing. Examples could include but are not limited to altering workflows, implementing new technology, providing notices and instructions or otherwise communicating directly with requesters.

The Postal Service’s public FOIA website includes a note to requesters encouraging the public to submit FOIA requests or appeals via email to prevent any delays. This note also states that requesters may still send FOIA requests and appeals to the Postal Service via mail. On rotation, an administrative staff member checks the mail on a daily basis. If a requester did not provide an email address, an administrative staff member will mail the response or appeal decision to the requester. The FOIA hotline and desk telephones were forwarded to postal mobile telephones.

Please describe the best practices used to ensure that your FOIA system operates efficiently and effectively and any challenges your agency faces in this area.

On a quarterly basis, Postal Service FOIA professionals reviewed and updated the Postal Service’s internal and external FOIA websites, which include FOIA resources and training opportunities, FOIA contact information, template letters, and a boilerplate library.

FOIA backlog reduction goals continues to be part of the Postal Service’s pay-for- performance system for FOIA professionals. Backlog and productivity reports are provided to management and FOIA RSC staff to stay on track with backlog reduction goals. These status reports help to identify any spikes or trends in FOIA activity.

FOIA requests that are pending or delayed are escalated to management-, executive-, and officer-level employees to ensure FOIA Coordinators or records custodians respond to FOIA requests within the 20-working day statutory deadline.

Specific FOIA RSC personnel are scheduled to monitor the receipt of FOIA requests and appeals through all channels and to answer telephone and email inquiries from requesters. Assigning specific personnel to the FOIA intake process ensures that requests are consistently and expeditiously logged in and handled.

Letter templates are updated and added to the FOIA Tracking System to enable prompt responses to FOIA requesters.

The Postal Service’s internal FOIA website contains an extensive boilerplate library of language to insert in responses to FOIA requests.

Section III: Steps Taken to Increase Proactive Disclosures

Provide examples of material that your agency has proactively disclosed during the past reporting year, including records that have been requested and released three or more times in accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(2)(D). Please include links to these materials as well.

The Postal Service provides a vital public service that is a part of the nation's critical infrastructure. The statute that created the Postal Service begins with the following sentence: “The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by an Act of Congress, and supported by the people.” 39 U.S.C. § 101(a).

The Postal Service plays an essential role in American commerce and binds the nation together through secure, reliable, affordable and universal mail delivery. In Fiscal Year 2020, the Postal Service accelerated mail’s integration with digital and mobile platforms, and enhanced mail’s value as a marketing and communications channel, for both senders and receivers. The Postal Service enabled America’s continuing e-commerce growth by giving customers unprecedented visibility and competitive shipping solutions that reach every door in America every delivery day. Postal Service employees stepped into the spotlight during the holiday season, appearing in the news media to discuss the organization’s efforts to deliver customers’ mail and packages, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

A new survey ranks the Postal Service first for its overall performance during the coronavirus pandemic, topping many of the nation’s best-known companies. The poll asked consumers to rank a wide-ranging list of 100 businesses on four key measures: resolve, integrity, responsiveness, and permanence. The Postal Service ranked No. 1 in the overall composite score. The Postal Service also ranked first in responsiveness and permanence, which describes the perceived strength of an organization and expectations of its future relevance. The Postal Service ranked fifth for integrity and 23rd for resolve, which gauged whether an organization is viewed as part of the solution. The Harris Poll, a global research firm, and other groups conducted the survey between January and April, just as the pandemic forced many businesses to curtail operations and much of the public to shelter at home.

Also, Americans’ opinion of the Postal Service remains highly positive. The Pew Research Center survey, released April 9, 2020, shows an overwhelming 91 percent of respondents have a favorable view of the Postal Service - higher than any other federal agency.  The Pew Research Center conducted the poll between March 24-29, 2020, contacting 1,013 U.S. adults  to gauge their opinion of federal government operations. Republicans and Democrats expressed very similar favorability ratings of the Postal Service; a consensus not replicated in their opinions of any other agency.

“Postal Service employees continuously display a remarkable commitment to public service,” said former Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. “It is rewarding to see Americans’ appreciation of the Postal Service reflected in this new survey, especially as our employees continue to provide an essential service, including the delivery of vital mail and packages to every community during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Since 1990, the Pew Research Center has provided nonpartisan information on social issues and public opinions, depicting demographic trends that have shaped America and the world. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

USPS Service Alerts and USPS Newsroom sites have the latest information.

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/
https://about.usps.com/
https://facts.usps.com/

The Postal Service website, found at www.usps.com, is one of the most frequently visited government sites, recording 2.6 billion visits -- averaging 7.1 million visitors each day. It provides customers quick and easy access to Postal Service information, products, and services, as well as links to both OIG and Postal Inspection Service websites. The Postal Service is multi-lingual and offers usps.com in Spanish and Simplified Chinese.

The Postal Service website is an online Post Office and is open for business 24/7. The Postal Service’s smart phone apps make it even quicker to use the most popular functions on usps.com, anytime and anywhere. With Informed Delivery service, you can digitally preview your incoming mail and manage your packages from a computer, tablet, or mobile device. More than 20 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017.

The FOIA Reading Room, http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/foia/readroom/welcome.htm includes links to records previously released that have been or are likely to become the subject of multiple requests. It contains links to Purchasing Protest Decisions, Judicial Office Administrative Decisions, Board of Contract Appeal Decisions, Business Disagreement Decisions, and Election Mail, all of which are frequently requested records. There is also a link to the Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) website (www.prc.gov). The PRC is an independent establishment of the Executive Branch that exercises regulatory oversight over the Postal Service. The PRC proactively publishes information of interest to the mailing community and general public. For example, the PRC’s Reports/Data page, http://www.prc.gov/reports, includes dockets, PRC reports and studies, and Postal Service periodic reports.

Our about.usps.com website provides corporate information, such as USPS history and the latest news and information on the Postal Service. About.usps.com helps keep the public and the news media informed about what the Postal Service is doing with regard to mail service, sustainability, corporate structure, and how we impact the world around us.

Legislation and regulations require the Postal Service to disclose operational and financial information beyond that demanded of federal government agencies and private sector companies. The financial reports are available at http://about.usps.com/who-we- are/financials/welcome.htm and include:

Form 10-Qs showing quarterly financial conditions and results.
Quarterly Statistics Reports (QSR) presenting statistics on mail activity and focusing on estimates of Postal revenue, volume, and weight by mail category and transit time estimates for selected items.
Annual reports and Form 10-K Annual Reports, and Integrated Financial Plans.
Cost and Revenue Analysis Report showing revenue, cost and contribution by mail class, subclasses, and key special services.
The Cost Segments and Components Report shows U.S. Postal Service estimates of costs attributable to mail classes, subclasses, and key special services, summarized by cost segment and by major cost components. The report is generated annually.
Revenue, Pieces, and Weight Reports (RPW) presenting official estimates of revenue, volume and weight by class, subclass, and major special service.
Annual Report to Congress which includes Combined Postal Comprehensive Statements and Annual Performance Plans drawing on the work of the entire organization.
Fiscal Year 2021 integrated financial plans.

Highlights of some of the other updated or new information posted this past reporting period, including links to where this material can be found online, are summarized below.

Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications - http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm - proactively and routinely makes a wide variety of documents available for public viewing based on the public’s and media’s interest in Postal Service issues. These documents are available on the about.usps.com pages and include the Newsroom, with links to all national and local Postal Service press releases on postal products, consumer and business issues, financial results and other issues of great public interest. The Postal Service Newsroom provides national and local news releases, statements, fact sheets, electronic news kits, videos, leadership bios, written congressional testimony, and other information to the news media and the general public.
Included in the Newsroom are:

Service Alerts: http://about.usps.com/news/service-alerts/welcome.htm
This page provides information to consumers, small businesses and other business mailers about postal facility service disruptions due to weather-related and other natural disasters or events.

2019 Annual Report to Congress (2020 report to be posted soon) https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2019.pdf

2020 Annual Sustainability Report:
https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social-responsibility/sustainability/report/2020/usps- annual-sustainability-report.pdf

2020 Postal Facts:
https://facts.usps.com/

Judicial decisions:
https://about.usps.com/who/judicial/admin-decisions/

Financial reports:
https://about.usps.com/what/financials/

Financial Call audio and slides:
https://about.usps.com/what/financials/briefings/

Statements: http://about.usps.com/news/statements/welcome.htm
Provides the Postal Service’s position on controversial issues and other subjects of public interest.

Postal Service Newsroom: http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm
Provides national and local news releases, statements, fact sheets, electronic news kits, videos, leadership bios, written congressional testimony, and other information to the news media and the general public.

Digital Media: https://media.usps.com/
A sub-site of the Postal Service Newsroom. Provides the public and media access to stock photography, video b-roll, and video documentation of official Postal Service events.

Holiday newsroom: http://about.usps.com/holidaynews/
A sub-site of the Postal Service newsroom. Provides a single location to locate all information regarding the Postal Service’s holiday efforts, including Operation Santa, news releases, mail- by dates, and other customer resources.

Postal Bulletin: http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/welcome.htm
The Postal Bulletin, one of the oldest federal publications still in print, is posted to the About pages of usps.com every two weeks. It provides information on Postal Service operations, policies, procedures and forms, as well as postal product information, and stamp news.

Postal Service Social Media:
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/uspstv Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/USPS Twitter: http://twitter.com/usps
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/uspsstamps/
Likened: https://www.linkedin.com/company/usps/mycompany/

Historian’s Office

Postmaster Finder -- http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postmasterfinder/welcome.htm (Updated weekly)

Postal Facilities Dedicated by Congress -- http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal- history/dedicated-facilities.pdf (updated monthly or bi-monthly)

Number of Stamped Cards … since 1926 -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal- history/rates-historical-statistics.htm

Rates for Domestic Letters since 1863 -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal- history/rates-historical-statistics.htm

Number of Postal Employees … since 1926 -- https://about.usps.com/who-we- are/postal-history/rates-historical-statistics.htm

Delivery Points … since 1905 --https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/rates- historical-statistics.htm

Pieces of Mail Handled … since 1789 -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal- history/rates-historical-statistics.htm

First-Class Mail Volume … since 1926 -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal- history/rates-historical-statistics.htm

The United States Postal Service: An American History -- https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf (new edition of book added March 2020)

African American Subjects on Stamps; American Indian Subjects on Stamps;
Hispanic Subjects on Stamps; Women Subjects on Stamps; Christmas Holiday Stamps -
-https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/stamps-postcards.htm (updated in May 2020)

Post Office Headquarters Sites in Washington, DC -- https://about.usps.com/who-we- are/postal-history/headquarters-sites.pdf (new paper added May 2020)

List of Postmasters General -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/list-of- postmasters-general.pdf (updated June 2020)

Benjamin Franklin Award -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/benjamin- franklin-award.pdf (updated June 2020)

The Postal Service’s Role in Civil Defense during the Cold War -- https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/postal-service-role-in-civil-defense.pdf (new paper added October 2020)

Supply Management

Highway Contract Routes -- https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/documents/hcr- listing-fy2021-q1.xlsx

Purchase Cardholder Listing -- https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/documents/purchase-cardholder-list-jan- june-2020.xlsx

Updates to the Supplying Principles and Practices --
https://about.usps.com/manuals/pm/welcome.htm

New issues to the Supplier Newsletter: Supply Management -- http://about.usps.com/suppliers/forms-publications.htm

Fiscal Year 2020 Goals for the Supplier Diversity Program -- https://about.usps.com/suppliers-diversity/usps-goals-fy2020.pdf

Facilities

National listing of both leased and owned postal facilities along with land for all fifty States and U.S. Territories located at: http://about.usps.com/who-we- are/foia/readroom/welcome.htm

Listing of Postal properties for sale located at: https://powersearch.jll.com/usps/
Sustainability

Annual Sustainability Report 2020: https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social- responsibility/sustainability/report/2020/usps-annual-sustainability-report.pdf

2020 Sustainability Implementation Plan: https://www.sustainability.gov/usps.html

FY20 USPS Annual EPAct Fleet Compliance Report: https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social-responsibility/sustainability/pdf/USPS-AFV- Annual-Fleet-Compliance-Report.pdf

Various articles regarding Sustainability posted to social media:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/usps

BlueEarth Services and Initiatives: https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social- responsibility/sustainability/greening-business/

The U.S. Postal Service Five Year Strategic Plan FY2020-2024: https://about.usps.com/strategic-planning/five-year-strategic-plan-2020-2024.pdf

FY19 USPS OMB Scorecard: https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social- responsibility/sustainability/pdf/fy2019-omb-scorecard.pdf

Postal Inspection Service
www.uspis.gov

As one of our country’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies, the Inspection Service has a proud history of fighting criminals who attack the postal system and misuse it to defraud, endanger, or otherwise threaten the American public. The Postal Inspection Service redesigned its website to make it easier for consumers to find crime prevention tips and to learn about the agency. The site offers information on avoiding common types of crime—including mail and identity theft, lottery scams and phishing—as well as guidelines on reporting suspicious activity. The redesigned site also offers a behind-the- scenes investigate the types of cases the Inspection Service investigates, the state-of- the-art tools used to solve crimes, and how to join the law enforcement organization.

Our Inspection Service Annual Report is openly posted on our external website each year. https://www.uspis.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FY-2019-annual-report-508- web.pdf
.
Controller

FY 2019 USPS Annual Report to Congress -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2019.pdf

Form 10-Q Qtr. 1 FY20 -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/financial-conditions- results-reports/fy2020-q1.pd

Form 10-Q Qtr. 2 FY 20 -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/financial-conditions-results- reports/fy2020-q2.pdf

Form 10-Q Qtr. 3 FY20 -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/financial-conditions- results-reports/fy2020-q3.pdf

Form 10-K FY2020 -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/10k-reports/fy2020.pdf

Finance and Planning

FY 2021 Integrated Financial Plan -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/integrated- financial-plans/fy2021.pdf

USPS Annual Report to Congress which includes the Annual Performance Plan, Annual Performance Report and the Comprehensive Statement of Operations -- https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2019.pdf
USPS Five Year Strategic Plan for FY2020 to FY2024 -- https://about.usps.com/ strategic-planning/five-year-strategic-plan-2020-2024.pdf

Board of Governors

Announcements of all BOG/TEC meeting days, times, locations are posted to https://about.usps.com/.

Live audio webcasts and the presentations of the Open sessions of the TEC/BOG are available online. Three hours after the conclusion of the meeting, a recorded audio file is available. In compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the audio webcasts are open-captioned. These are available at: http://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/briefings/welcome.htm

USPS News Releases with the agendas of Open Session meetings of the BOG/TEC are available online.	The PDF of the meeting agenda and the link to the Postmaster General and CEO and Chief Financial Officer’s media call to discuss USPS financials are posted online at https://about.usps.com/what/financials/briefings/welcome.htm

Delivery and Retail Operations
Informed Delivery – Informed Delivery is a free and optional notification service that gives eligible residential consumers the ability to see a preview of their letter mail, wherever they are, before it arrives. More than 33.1 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017.

FOIA Library Link – (Delivery Operations) -- https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/library.htm

Administrative Manuals that affect the public Frequently Requested Records
City Delivery -- Headquarters Holiday Operations

Curbside Delivery -- http://about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/current-initiatives/delivery- growth-management/welcome.htm

Judicial Office

Decisions issued by the U.S. Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals, Office of the Administrative Law Judges, and Judicial Officer are added to the Decisions page (as part of the U.S. Postal Service website). Further, a report of pending Board of Contract Appeals cases is available on the Electronic Filing website. The report is accessible from the start page and does not require an electronic filing account. https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/judicial/welcome.htm https://uspsjoe.justware.com/JusticeWeb/Reports

Global Business

During COVID, USPS Global Business worked to ensure all customers are aware of the pandemic’s impacts on our business. We posted relevant information throughout usps.com to ensure customers can easily find the information.
https://about.usps.com/newsroom/covid-19/ https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm https://www.usps.com/international/ https://www.usps.com/international/mail-shipping-services.htm https://www.usps.com/international/international-how-to.htm https://www.usps.com/international/gxg.htm https://www.usps.com/international/priority-mail-express-international.htm https://www.usps.com/international/priority-mail-international.htm https://www.usps.com/international/first-class-mail-international.htm

International Mailing Services: Proposed Product and Price changes – CPI:
https://pe.usps.com/FederalRegisterNotice/Index https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immsoc.htm

International Price list: https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm

Marketing

In addition to the Industry Engagement and Outreach monthly newsletter “Mail Spoken Here” released via our external facing “Industry Alerts” mailbox which shares information with our industry partners on important events within USPS and Marketing. The Marketing group maintains the Industry portion of PostalPro, i.e., Postal Customer Council (PCC), Mailer’s Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) and Areas Inspiring Mail (AIM). This site contains presentations, meeting notes, webinars, and schedules for meetings that USPS holds regularly with customers and industry partners. It can be accessed at https://postalpro.usps.com/. The PCC is a postal-sponsored organization which provides local support to business mailers large and small through education and networking events. Our PCC website located at www.usps.com/pcc is designed to allow interactive communication to facilitate this. Also, regular PCC alert notices are sent to our industry partners with updates and information.

There have been enhancements to our “Disaster Recovery Reporting.” When national and natural disasters occur, USPS informs our mailing and shipping partners of disruptions in service via “Industry Alerts.” The formats and timing of these alerts has been streamlined to better meet industry needs. In addition to the alerts, this information can be found at http://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/. These alerts are for residential, business, and international customers. The Marketing group is responsible for ensuring coordination with the Ready campaign by using the information displayed on the www.Ready.gov website and its Spanish language version at www.Listo.gov to prepare for hurricanes, natural disasters and severe weather.

Product Innovation

Mailing Services

Documents on 2020/2021 Postal Service Mailing Promotions are available on the following links:

USPS.COM https://www.usps.com/business/promotions-incentives.htm

POSTALPRO https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions

Business Customer Gateway https://gateway.usps.com/eAdmin/view/knowledge?securityId=INCENTI VEPROGRAMS

Information about current and upcoming mailing promotions is provided to industry and other interested parties in the following ways:

Quarterly MTAC presentations (industry membership group)

Monthly MTAC UG#8 teleconferences (this group is open to mailers and mail service providers who wish to join. Meeting notes are posted on PostalPro and are available to MTAC members)

Promotions information is also posted on PostalPro, which is available to the general public: https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions. This site contains information about each promotion that is offered as well as recordings of informational webinars.

Promotions and associated webinars are advertised in Industry Alert emails that are sent to a subscriber list.

Additionally, vendor participation in the Direct Mail Technology Integrator Directory is available on PostalPro at: https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/promotions resources/tech directory
Documents on Share Mail are available on the following link: POSTALPRO https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/share-mail
Documents on Every Door Direct Mail are available at the following links:
https://www.usps.com/business/advertise-with-mail.htm
https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/every-door-direct-mail
Vendor Participation in the USPS Printer Directory information is available at the following link: https://postalpro.usps.com/printer-directory

Commercial PO Box Redirect Service -- Information about this service, currently in Market Test, is available on the following link: https://postalpro.usps.com/comm-pobox- redirect
Innovation

Case studies of the impact of different Informed Delivery strategies https://www.uspsdelivers.com/informed-delivery-case-studies/

Examples of innovative direct mail campaigns https://www.usps.com/nextgenaward/

Direct Mail in an Omnichannel world – Lob Virtual Direct Mail Symposium -- June 9, 2020 https://www.lob.com/events/usps-talks-directmail

The Rise of DMTech – NEDMA MTech summit, December 9, 2019

Direct Mail in a Digital World - DM Bootcamp, October 21, 2019

Sales

Global Direct Entry publishes updates online to the GDE Wholesaler list. This list is updated as each new wholesaler is approved, or as a wholesaler is removed. This information may be found at: https://www.usps.com/business/international-shipping.htm.

Enterprise Analytics / Corporate Reporting

The Corporate Reporting team responded to various FOIA requests from different media outlets related to Service Performance of Market Dominant products. These requests were fulfilled through emails and links are not available.

The Postal Service is required to file service performance reports with the PRC every quarter and those reports can be found at below locations:

https://www.prc.gov/dockets/quarterly-performance
https://about.usps.com/what/performance/service-performance/

General Counsel

The Postal Service Law Department proactively disclosed records concerning Election Mail. These records can be found at: https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/ library.htm, under the heading “Election Mail 2020.”

Office of Inspector General

OIG posted audit reports, white papers, semi-annual reports to congress, and congressional testimony in full or with modest redactions: www.uspsoig.gov/document- library.

Beyond posting new material, is your agency taking steps to make the posted information more useful to the public, especially to the community of individuals who regularly access your agency’s website?

Yes

If yes, please provide examples of such improvements. In particular, please describe steps your agency is taking to post information in open, machine-readable, and machine -actionable formats, to the extent feasible. If not posting in open formats, please explain why and note any challenges.

The Postal Service develops its strategic plan, and the associated goals, objectives, performance indicators, and targets, through a process that relies heavily on participation by postal stakeholders. In order to effectively reach the stakeholder community, the Postal Service has attempted to map out an all-inclusive list of key stakeholders. The Postal Service devotes a significant amount of resources to determine the requirements of each stakeholder group, work out reasonable compromises among the various groups, and assess the effectiveness of postal programs.

For example:

National Postal Forum — Since 1968, the National Postal Forum (NPF) has been the leading mailing industry conference bringing together the Postal Service and the organization’s major customers. The goal of the NPF, a not-for-profit educational corporation, is to bring industry professionals together to interact with Postal Service management and learn about existing and future U.S. Postal Service products and services. The four-day NPF annually showcases the latest in technology and innovation, providing a unique opportunity for mailers to network with each other as well as talk to potential vendors and suppliers. It also features educational workshops on topics ranging from marketing to operations through general sessions with senior postal leadership, certification courses, focus group sessions, and other activities. The Postal Service briefs attendees on how it is collaborating with industry to develop and deliver solutions to service issues and share the latest information on logistics and operations.

Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee — The Postmaster General’s Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) is another venue for the Postal Service to share technical information with mailers and to receive advice and recommendations from them on matters concerning postal products and services. MTAC is comprised of nearly 175 executives and sponsors who represent over 50 associations. For over 50 years, MTAC has successfully collaborated with the Postal Service and industry on issues ranging from barcoding improvements to implementing drop shipping changes to modifying business mail entry processes.

Postal Customer Councils — Postal Customer Councils (PCCs) consist of Postal Service leaders and business mailers who work together at the local level to promote the value of mail, address mailing concerns, and exchange ideas. The goal is to maximize the benefits of Postal Service products, programs, services, and procedures. Through regular meetings, educational programs, and seminars, PCC members learn about the latest Postal Service products and services that will help them grow their businesses. There are more than 155 PCCs nationwide.  Each year the importance of PCCs and their contributions to the success of the Postal Service are celebrated during National PCC Week.

Examples of improvements made to post information in open formats to the public:

The Postal Service has redesigned the website it uses to serve shipping and marketing customers. The refreshed USPSDelivers.com went live in May 2020. The menu bar offers the choice of “Shipping,” “Marketing” and “More,” which gives site visitors access to tools, resources and event information. The site also offers articles and tools for businesses of all sizes, as well as information about industry events like the National Postal Forum. The Postal Service created USPSDelivers.com in 2016 for business-to- business customers, including small, medium and large businesses, as well as marketers and shippers. The site had more than 1.12 million visitors in fiscal year 2019 (October 1, 2018-September 30, 2019), and it has brought in more than 5,600 sales leads and $32.5 million in revenue since 2017.
The Postal Service launched a program in August 2020 to help small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic attract more customers. Every Door Direct Mail Retail Discount Program will offer a 10 percent postage discount for all Every Door Direct Mail retail mailings, including flats, postcards and flyers. Every Door Direct Mail is a service that allows companies to tailor their mailings based on ZIP Codes and neighborhoods and filter them by the age, income and other demographics. Business customers can take advantage of the 10 percent discount by creating an order using the EDDM Online Tool and dropping off their mailing at their local Post Office. The discount program is part of the Postal Service’s broader strategy to attract business customers. The organization also encourages employees to submit sales leads for businesses that could benefit from postal products and services, and Post Offices across the nation regularly hold Grow Your Business Day events in their communities. Additionally, USPS plans to roll out a loyalty program for business customers who use Click-N-Ship for their shipping needs. The Every Door Direct Mail Retail Discount Program begins August 1, 2020. The Every Door Direct Mail page on usps.com has more information.
The Postal Service expanded its Extended Mail Forwarding market test nationwide on October 1, 2020. Extended Mail Forwarding allows customers to pay a fee to extend an existing permanent Change of Address request in six-month increments for up to 18 months.  The Postal Service began testing the service in nine districts on August 1, 2020. By September 27, 2020, the Postal Service had generated more than $500,000 in revenue from 21,000 forwarding requests. Extended Mail Forwarding is geared toward customers who may be displaced temporarily, on extended assignments, or who may not have updated their mailing contacts within the usual mail forwarding period of 15 days to one year.

Here are the Extended Mail Forwarding fees and options available to customers:

$19.95 (six-month extension)
$29.95 (12-month extension)
$39.95 (18-month extension)

Customers with existing permanent Change of Address requests may sign up for the service at Retail Systems Software locations, locations with self-service kiosks, or through usps.com. Customers may also request Extended Mail Forwarding when submitting their initial Change of Address request using the Mover’s Guide on usps.com. The test could last up to three years.
The Postal Service introduced an Election Mail website, part of the organization’s ongoing effort to ensure that voters and election officials have the information they need to successfully use the U.S. Mail to vote in this year’s general elections. The new website, located at usps.com/votinginfo, served both voters seeking information on how to use the mail to vote, and election officials seeking resources to help make their administration of the upcoming elections a success.

For domestic voters, the website provided links to online federal election resources as well as links to state-specific resources. For overseas and military voters, the site provided additional information, including links to resources supporting their election participation. The site also highlighted what the Postal Service views as the most critical information for voters who opt to vote through the U.S. Mail: that, in requesting or casting a mail-in ballot, they not only had to comply with their local jurisdiction’s requirements, but also start the process early.

To allow sufficient time for voters to receive, complete, and return ballots via the mail, the Postal Service strongly recommended that voters request ballots at the earliest point allowable, but no later than 15 days prior to the election date. The Postal Service also recommended that voters mail their ballots at least one week prior to their states’ due dates to allow for timely receipt by election officials. Voters were advised to contact their local election officials for further information about deadlines and other requirements.

In addition, the website provided resources to state and local election officials, including guidance on how to contact USPS personnel to discuss mailpiece design. The site also provided links to resources, such as Kit 600, 2020 Official Election Mail Kit, and Publication 632, State and Local Election Officials User’s Guide, that were distributed to 11,500 election officials earlier this year.
Please describe the best practices used to improve proactive disclosures and any challenges your agency faces in this area.

Given the size and decentralized nature of the FOIA program, the Postal Service continually emphasizes to FOIA coordinators and records custodians that they must inform the FOIA Office if they receive three or more requests for the same records. In addition, Privacy and Records Management Office staff periodically review FOIA logs to determine whether there are new categories of frequently requested that should be added to the public FOIA reading room. Beyond these efforts to identify frequently requested records, the Privacy and Records Management Office continually works with stakeholders throughout the organization to identify regularly queried databases and information repositories, as well as newly created IT tools and systems to identify new categories of records that may be subject to the FOIA.

The Postal Service is an extremely large organization in terms of both personnel and physical locations. As such, the Postal Service manages hundreds of distinct IT systems, networks, and data repositories as well as countless hard-copy paper filing systems across the country. The scope of records potentially subject to the FOIA grows daily. Staying abreast of new developments in operational procedures, services, products, and systems is a continual challenge. As more of the Postal Service’s business and operations move toward digitization and technological solutions, expertise in various technologies and platforms becomes a prerequisite for proper FOIA administration.

Section IV: Steps Taken to Greater Utilize Technology

Please briefly describe the types of technology your agency uses to support your FOIA program. In addition, please highlight if your agency is leveraging or exploring any new technology that you have not previously reported. If so, please describe the type of technology.

We rely on the electronic document review (EDR) feature of the Postal Service’s internal FOIA tracking system to expedite the review and redaction of responsive records. EDR analyzes the text in documents and groups them into document clusters. It creates concept-based clusters and provides efficient and consistent document reviews.
The Postal Service’s Information Catalog Program Office (ICP) and IT professionals provide required support and assistance in conducting electronic records searches. ICP sorts and de-duplicates email records and may provide data transfer services for the exchange of electronic files.
The Postal Service has one of the world’s largest computer networks. The services provided daily by the Postal Service depends on an astonishing network of people and technologies that collect, transport, process and deliver the nation’s mail. As such, records custodians at the over 30,000 facilities throughout the country at which records are maintained may utilize available technology which supports the programs they manage to help create efficiencies in processing FOIA requests.
The Postal Service has explored and begun development on a project that uses existing CRM platforms to automate responses to requests for address information from government agencies, process servers, and certain other types of requesters. Once completed, requesters will be able to input requests for address information online; the custodian can digitally review and approve; and the requester will receive requested address information in near real-time. This new process should reduce the time to fulfil such requests from days, to mere hours.

OIP issued guidance in 2017 encouraging agencies to regularly review their FOIA websites to ensure that they contain essential resources and are informative and user-friendly. Has your agency reviewed its FOIA website(s) during the reporting period to ensure it addresses the elements noted in the guidance?

The Postal Service FOIA reading room shows transparency by including records and information from several postal functional organizations including Supply Management and Facilities. It also contains information on FOIA logs, FOIA requests received each fiscal year, and the Postal Service’s holiday plans and schedules. This year, certain Election Mail records were posted to the FOIA reading room.
The FOIA public access link (PAL) allows requesters to electronically submit FOIA requests directly to the Postal Service. Requesters are also able to submit FOIA requests to the Postal Service through the Department of Justice’s website.
On a quarterly basis, the Privacy and Records Management Office reviews and updates the Postal Service internal and external FOIA websites. The internal FOIA website contains template letters and a boilerplate library to assist FOIA Coordinators and records custodians with responding to FOIA requests.

Did your agency successfully post all four quarterly reports for Fiscal Year 2020?

Yes

If your agency did not successfully post all quarterly reports, with information appearing on FOIA.gov, please explain why and provide your agency’s plan for ensuring that such reporting is successful in Fiscal Year 2021.

N/A

The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, requires all agencies to post the raw statistical data used to compile their Annual FOIA Reports. Please provide the link to this posting for your agency’s Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report and, if available, for your agency’s Fiscal Year 2020 Annual FOIA Report.

Fiscal Year 2019 -- https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/annual-foia-reports/fy2019- rawdata.csv
Fiscal Year 2020 -- https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/annual-foia-reports/fy2020- rawdata.csv

Please describe the best practices used in greater utilizing technology and any challenges your agency faces in this area.

To create an engaging workplace especially during this pandemic, Postal Service management is encouraged to continuously look for materials and equipment that will assist employees in performing their jobs efficiently and effectively, follow-up regularly with employees to ensure they have the tools and information they need to perform their jobs while teleworking.

The Privacy and Records Management Office continues to work with an IT portfolio manager to identify technology tools that it may need to provide for efficient FOIA processing. This approach requires yearly review by communicating with IT to develop a plan for accomplishing explicit development goals and timelines, gauging results, and making any necessary modification or enhancements.

The Postal Service continues to expand internal training to include basic instruction on using technology to make redactions to records and sanitize electronic versions of records in preparation for release.

Section V: Steps Taken to Improve Timeliness n Responding to Requests and Reducing Backlogs

Simple Track

Does your agency utilize a separate track for simple requests?

Yes

If your agency uses a separate track for simple requests, according to Annual FOIA Report Section VII.A, was the agency overall average number of days to process simple requests twenty working days or fewer in Fiscal Year 2020?

Yes

Please provide the percentage of requests processed by your agency in Fiscal Year 2020 that were placed in your simple track.

83.6%

If your agency does not track simple requests separately, was the average number of days to process all non-expedited requests twenty working days or fewer?

N/A

Backlogs BACKLOGGED REQUESTS
If your agency had a backlog of requests at the close of Fiscal Year 2020, according to Annual FOIA Report Section XII.A, did that backlog decrease as compared with the backlog reported at the end of Fiscal Year 2019?

No, the backlog increased by 56 overdue FOIA requests at the close of Fiscal Year 2020 compared to the backlog reported at the end of Fiscal Year 2019.

If not, according to Annual FOIA Report Section V.A., did your agency process more requests during Fiscal Year 2020 than it did during Fiscal Year 2019?

Yes

If your agency’s request backlog increased during Fiscal Year 2020, please explain why and describe the causes that contributed to your agency not being able to reduce its backlog. When doing so, please also indicate if any of the following were contributing factors:

An increase in the number of incoming requests
A loss of staff
An increase in the complexity of the requests received.
If possible, please provide examples or briefly describe the types of complex requests contributing to your backlog increase. Any other reasons – please briefly describe or provide examples when possible.
The number of complex FOIA requests increased by 75 percent during the fiscal year. These FOIA requests involved various subject matter widely reported by the news media. Most of the

complex FOIA requests generated a voluminous amount of records that required review and redactions before release. In addition, the Privacy and Records Management Office and Federal Compliance were short-staffed due to retirements and other transitions.

If you had a request backlog please report the percentage of requests that make up the backlog out of the total number of requests received by your agency in Fiscal Year 2020. If your agency has no request backlog, please answer with “N/A.”

2.51%

BACKLOGGED APPEALS

If your agency had a backlog of appeals at the close of Fiscal Year 2020, according to Section XII A of the Annual FOIA Report, did that backlog decrease as compared with the backlog reported at the end of Fiscal Year 2019?

No. There was only one appeal backlogged at the end of the fiscal year, which was the same number reported last fiscal year.

If not, according to Section VI.A of the Annual FOIA Report, did your agency process more appeals during Fiscal Year 2020 than it did during Fiscal Year 2019?

Yes

If your agency’s appeal backlog increased during Fiscal Year 2020, please explain why and describe the causes that contributed to your agency not being able to reduce its backlog. When doing so, please also indicate if any of the following were contributing factors:

An increase in the number of incoming appeals
A loss of staff
An increase in the complexity of the requests received.
If possible, please provide examples or briefly describe the types of complex requests contributing to your backlog increase. Any other reasons – please briefly describe or provide examples when possible.
The appeal backlog remained the same as reported in Fiscal Year 2019.

If you had an appeal backlog please report the percentage of appeals that make up the backlog out of the total number of appeals received by your agency in Fiscal Year 2020. If your agency did not receive any appeals in Fiscal Year 2020 and/or has no appeal backlog, please answer with "N/A."

0.67%

Backlog Reduction Plans

In the 2020 guidelines for Chief FOIA Officer Reports, any agency with a backlog of over 1000 requests in Fiscal Year 2019 was asked to provide a plan for achieving backlog reduction in the year ahead. Did you agency implement a backlog reduction plan last year? If so, describe your agency’s efforts in implementing this plan and note if your agency was able to achieve backlog reduction in Fiscal Year 2020?

N/A

If your agency had a backlog of more than 1,000 requests in Fiscal Year 2020, what is your agency’s plan to reduce this backlog during Fiscal Year 2021?

N/A

Status of Ten Oldest Requests, Appeals, and Consultations OLDEST REQUESTS
In Fiscal Year 2020, did your agency close the ten oldest pending perfected requests that were reported in Section VII.E of your Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report?

No

If no, please provide the number of these requests your agency was able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section VII.E of your Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten total oldest requests to close, please indicate that.

The Postal Service closed five of the ten oldest requests reported pending in the USPS Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report during Fiscal Year 2020.

Beyond work on the ten oldest requests, please describe any steps your agency took to reduce the overall age of your pending requests.

The Privacy and Records Management Office met on a weekly basis, circulated weekly FOIA reports to management, and ensured that all team members were assisting with closing the oldest requests.

TEN OLDEST APPEALS

In Fiscal Year 2020, did your agency close the ten oldest appeals that were reported pending in Section VII.C 5. of your Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report?

Yes

If no, please provide the number of these appeals your agency was able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section VII.C.(5) of your Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report. If you had fewer than ten total oldest appeals to close, please indicate that.

N/A

Beyond work on the ten oldest appeals, please describe any steps your agency took to reduce the overall age of your pending appeals.

N/A

TEN OLDEST CONSULTATIONS

In Fiscal Year 2020, did your agency close the ten oldest consultations that were reported pending in Section XII.C. of your Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report?

Yes

If no, please provide the number of these consultations your agency was able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section XII.C. of your Fiscal Year 2019 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten total oldest consultations to close, please indicate that.

N/A

Additional Information on Ten Oldest Requests, Appeals, and Consultations & Plans

Briefly explain any obstacles your agency faced in closing its ten oldest requests, appeals, and consultations from Fiscal Year 2019.

The number of complex FOIA requests increased by 75 percent during the fiscal year. These FOIA requests involved various subject matter widely reported by the news media. Most of the complex FOIA requests generated a voluminous amount of records that required review and redactions before release. In addition, the Privacy and Records Management Office and Federal Compliance were short-staffed due to retirements and other transitions.

If your agency was unable to close any of its ten oldest requests because you were waiting to hear back from other agencies on consultations you sent, please provide the date the request was initially received by your agency, the date when your agency sent the consultation, and the date when you last contacted the agency where the consultation was pending.

N/A

If your agency did not close its ten oldest pending requests, appeals, or consultations, please provide a plan describing how your agency intends to close those “ten oldest” requests, appeals, and consultations during Fiscal Year 2021.

A weekly backlog report is provided to the Chief Privacy and Records Management Officer for the purpose of identifying backlogged requests that may require the attention of management. FOIA professionals monitor assigned requests and send reminders to FOIA Coordinators and records custodians for those requests that are pending and overdue.

Success Stories

Out of all the activities undertaken by your agency since March 2020 to increase transparency and improve FOIA administration, please briefly describe here at least one success story that you would like to highlight as emblematic of your agency’s efforts.

The COVID-19 webpage was designed to be a primary source of information for the public about the USPS response to the pandemic, detailing our health and safety measures and other information. In keeping employees and customers safe, the Postal Service is following strategies and measures recommended by the U.S. government and public health agencies, and we provide links to these resources. USPS also has posted information about products and services that individuals might need as they respond to the threat of COVID-19, whether that’s tracking the delivery of important medication or residing temporarily in a second home or other location. As the Postal Service serves a wide range of customers, including residential and business, the information posted on the site is tailored for these audiences. The webpage includes sections specific to residential, business and international customers. The webpage also highlights Informed Delivery, which enables customers to preview their mail, manage packages, and utilize services that enable customers to hold mail or change an address. The success of the webpage is reflected in the number of visits. Since the launch on May 7 through November 30, 2020, the page was visited 1,397,338 times.

The Election Mail webpage was designed as part of the organization’s ongoing effort to ensure that voters and election officials have the information they need to successfully use the U.S. Mail to vote in this year’s general elections. For domestic voters, the website provides links to online federal election resources, as well as links to state- specific resources. For overseas and military voters, the site provides additional information, including links to resources supporting their election participation.

The site also highlights what the Postal Service views as the most critical information for voters who opt to vote through the U.S. Mail: that, in requesting or casting a mail-in ballot, they not only must comply with their local jurisdiction’s requirements, but also should start the process early.   In addition, the website provides state and local election officials with the tools and resources needed to ensure a successful vote-by-mail operation, including the Official Election Mail kit and guidance on how to contact USPS personnel to discuss mailpiece design. The success of the website is reflected in the number of visits. Since the launch on August 20 through November 30, 2020, the page was visited 2,063,654 times.