UNCLASSIFIED (U)

14 FAH-5 H-1000 
assessments

14 FAH-5 H-1010

assessment Guidance

(CT:DPO-37;   06-07-2022)
(Office of Origin:  A/LM)

14 FAH-5 H-1011  DPO assessment

(CT:DPO-37;   06-07-2022)

a. A Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) operates as an extension of USPS, authorized by 39 U.S.C. 413.  In accordance with the Tripartite Agreement, signed October 25, 2011, between the Department of State (DOS), the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and Department of Defense (DoD), DOS is required to make periodic audits and inspections of DPOs.  The DPOs must be inspected to determine if a DPO is performing its mission in an effective and efficient manner in compliance with USPS and State regulatory policies.  For the remainder of this document the word inspection will be identified as an "assessment" or "self-assessment."

b. Postal Officers (PO) should be actively engaged in the daily operations and follow a checklist tailored to their mailroom's operation.

c.  Self-assessments should be conducted to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance of the mailroom and may be initiated by the information management officer (IMO), general services officer (GSO) or the designated PO.  Inspections should focus on three primary functional areas:  Policy, Operations, and Transportation.  A copy of the DPO Self-Assessment Checklist can be found on the DPO page on the Logistics Management (LM) website.  DPM will provide a Quarterly DPO Report Card for each DPO location worldwide.  Each post can utilize the "DPO Report Card" feature in the ILMS-DPO Module to conduct a self-assessment at any time.  The report card is designed to aide management with measuring how well their mailroom staff are performing.  The report card will provide quantifiable goals, metrics, and standards; identify deficiencies and shortfalls; and rank their mailroom among other posts in the same region and globally.

14 FAH-5 H-1012  AUTHORIZED INSPECTORS

(CT:DPO-37;   06-07-2022)

a. The Department or a designated representative will conduct periodic assessments of DPOs in accordance with the Tri-Partite Agreement.  The Office of Diplomatic Pouch and Mail's (DPM) subject matter experts will be used to supplement authorized agencies from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and/or OIG teams when either agency is unable to provide resources.

b. Documentation:

(1)  The DPO must maintain a copy of all self-assessment reports on file for a period of three years and upload a copy to the ILMS Post Profile Documents tab; and

(2)  The DPO PO must respond to deficiencies noted during the assessment in writing to the assessor authority's office and copy DPM within five business days following the date of the assessment.  Maintain a copy of the response on file for a period of three years and upload a copy to the ILMS Post Profile Documents tab.

14 FAH-5 H-1013  self-assessment checklist

(CT:DPO-37;   06-07-2022)

a. The self-assessment checklist serves as a general guideline for conducting official DPO self-assessments.  Each location operates within the parameters of their facility, management, and host nation.

b. The designated individual conducting the assessment will provide a detailed narrative of deficiencies discovered during the assessment.  Prepare the results in memorandum report format, addressed to the PO, with a copy to DPM, and upload the document to the ILMS Post Profile Documents tab.

c.  The PO will provide a corrective action plan (CAP) for all deficiencies in writing to the assessor and DPM, and upload a copy to the ILMS Post Profile Documents tab.

d. Recurring deficiencies will result in an automatic failure of the assessment.  Other factors that will result in an automatic failure are loss of accountability (incoming or outgoing mail), failure to submit postal offenses in a timely manner when required and neglecting to safeguard mail.

e. When a recurring failure is discovered resulting in an assessment failure, a follow-on assessment by the PO must be performed within 30 days.  The results of the follow-on inspection should be provided to DPM and uploaded to the ILMS Post Profile Documents tab.

f.  For any DPO questions or concerns, please visit the ILMS Self Service Portal and submit an ILMS Support Desk ticket to DPM for assistance.  Please note that first-time users of the ILMS Self-Service Portal must create a ServiceNow account. To do so, navigate to the Self Service Portal through ILMS.  Once there, select the “DPM/DPO/MMS" AnswerPerson Policy Request option located in the bottom-right corner and access a copy of the DPO Self-Assessment Checklist.

14 FAH-5 H-1014  THROUGH H-1019 UNASSIGNED

UNCLASSIFIED (U)