(1) Keeping USDA personnel informed of the objectives, policies, standards and procedures for prompt, accurate and economical mail operations.

(2) Ensuring that incoming USPS and intradepartmental mail is promptly moved, with a minimum of backtracking and control, from the point of receipt to the action office.

(3) Ensuring that outgoing mail is economically and expeditiously dispatched.

(4) Providing for continuous monitoring of mail operations to effect improvements.

(5) Providing liaison with the USPS and GSA, adherence to their rules, regulations and ensuring correct, speedy and economical movement of USDA mail within the postal system.

(6) Providing adequate liaison with the USPS on reimbursement for postal services.

(1) Examples of mail matter that would generally not be considered to be official mail are: Christmas cards, chain letters, job resumes, complaints (except those submitted to the Inspector General under section 7 of the Inspector General Act of 1978), grievances, and similar personal matters.

(2) An agency head may request a ruling from the Director of Operations, as to whether a particular mail matter is official business. Any such request should include the reason why the agency head believes the matter to be official USDA business.

(1) Provide direction, leadership and policy for Departmental Mail Services.

(2) Promulgate Departmental policies, standards, techniques and procedures and represent the Department in the area of mail management.

(3) Provide liaison with USPS and GSA to assure adherence to their rules and reimbursement for postal services.

(4) Review USDA mail practices and procedures to assure that the most economical and efficient mail services are used.

(5) Provide training assistance in mail management and mail services operations.

(1) Establish a mail management program and assure that their employees are aware of and comply with the provisions of this regulation.

(2) Appoint a person (Mail Manager) to manage, control and coordinate matters regarding mail management and services within their organization. The name, complete mailing address and telephone number of the appointed person (or any replacement) will be sent to the Chief, MRMD.

(3) Establish a relationship between mail management and other administrative programs that impact on mail.

(4) Maintain rules and guidelines for the use of penalty mail privileges, assuring that the most economical classes of mail are used and the most efficient and economical means of handling mail are used.

(5) Seek opportunities to centralize or consolidate mail services when USDA agencies are collocated in Federal Buildings or in nearby locations, in order to insure efficiency and economy to the government. These services may be currently available through a Cooperative Administrative Support Unit (CASU).

(6) Evaluate the use of Post Office Box rentals to assure that economical and efficient systems are utilized for the receipt of incoming mail.

(7) Review and reconcile reports of postal accountability (Official Mail Accounting System) to assure accurate billing.

(1) Providing MRMD, as required, with pertinent information and reports concerning mailing practices, volumes and costs.

(2) Coordinating with MRMD on matters regarding USPS services and reimbursements.

(3) Keeping members of their organization informed of changes in regulations and mailing requirements as provided by MRMD.

(4) Continually review and evaluate the use of mail products and services, within their organization, to assure that economies are derived that benefit the organization.

(5) Assuring that their organization utilizes postal products and services that are efficient and economical.

(1) Review outgoing mail to assure that it is properly prepared and conforms to standards specified in the IMM and Eligibility Module in the DMM, and other appropriate sections.

(2) Inform mailers of preparation discrepancies and of alternatives that can reduce the postage cost of mailings.

(3) Obtain and refer to current postal publications appropriate to their mailing operations.

(4) Deliver all mail which is adequately addressed to the appropriate mail stop within 4-6 hours of delivery. All mail which is inadequately addressed will be returned to the USPS as undeliverable.

(1) Route adequately addressed mail directly to the action office without opening the envelope unless instructions have been issued to open specific categories.

(2) Write routing directions on envelopes that have been opened rather than on a routing form and attach the envelope to the correspondence.

(3) Use office organizational and/or mail stop codes rather than the complete office title. Room numbers are to be used where they are required to make delivery.

(4) Limit date/time stamping to classes of mail for which date/time stamping protects the interest of the Government, its employees and/or the public.

(5) Maintain an up-to-date routing guide to assist in accurate routing, and keep it current on organizational, functional, and personnel changes.

(1) Official Mail. Payment of postage due for official mail will be made by currently dated meter strips or penalty mail stamps, in the exact amount of the postage due, or in cash from an imprest fund.

(2) Public Mail. Each agency is to establish a policy to accept or refuse postage due mail received from the public.

- Government employee retirement functions.

- Agency/office sponsored sporting or recreation events.

- Agency/office sponsored special events.

- Red Cross blood bank appeals.

- State or local government sponsored activities.

(1) A complete return address must be indicated on outgoing official mail. The upper left corner of official mail shall contain the Departmental return address and identify the agency or staff office (stop code) of origin identified as the ZIP+4.

(2) The statement "Official Business," shall appear immediately below the return address of all official mail.

(3) Official mail of designated State Extension Directors must bear in the upper left corner the name of the agriculture college and the name of the post office where the mail is to be accepted, followed by the name and title of the designated officer and the words "Cooperative Agriculture Extension Work-Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914". The preprinted words "Official Business, Penalty for Private Use $300" must appear below this statement. The penalty statement must not be handwritten or typewritten.

(4) Mailings by cooperative extension agents must be prepared in accordance with the provisions of DMM.

(1) Except for USPS required items and appropriate slogans that can be included on ad plates for metered mail, no other printed, stamped, or affixed markings or design shall be placed on official envelopes or on the front of official postcards without the approval of the Departmental Senior Information Resource Management official. Requests for markings or design additions will be submitted to the Departmental Mail Manager, OO-MRMD, and will include a determination, in each instance, that use of a given marking or design will either:

(2) Except for self-mailers, no printing is permitted on the inside of envelopes.

(3) Envelopes dispatched will use the most economical service consistent with delivery needs and must meet USPS requirements.

(4) The smallest standard size envelope available, that will accommodate the material to be sent, will be used. The USPS levies extra charges on larger size envelopes.

(5) Addresses will include, at a minimum, the five digit Zip Code and, when available, Zip+4 Code.

(6) Addresses will be typed, clear, correct, and properly placed on all envelopes.

(7) Addresses will be completely visible through window envelopes.

(8) Letter size window envelopes will be used to the maximum extend possible, except for mailing material that:

(1) Letter envelope - Letter size envelopes are rectangle in shape with minimum dimensions of 5 inches in length, 3.5 inches in height and .007 inches in thickness and maximum dimensions of 11.5 thickness. The standard letter size envelopes used Departmentwide is white, approximately 9.25 by 4.25 inches with black printing. Letter envelopes are used for one to five pages of correspondence that can be folded to .25 inch maximum thickness.

(2) Flat envelopes - Flat envelopes are rectangular in shape and exceed one or more of the maximum dimensions for letter size envelopes but do not exceed 15 inches in length, 12 inches in height, or .75 inches in thickness. Flat envelopes will be used for communications that cannot be folded or, if folded, will exceed the .25 inch maximum width permitted for letter size envelopes. All new envelopes should be reviewed by the Departmental Mail Manager for format and USPS requirements prior to printing. The standard flat envelopes used Departmentwide are:

(3) Batch mailing - When several pieces of mail (at least six pieces) are sent to the same address, the mail should be consolidated into a single flat envelope for mailing.

(4) Mail pouches - When there is a recurring high volume of mail between two offices and the volume is too great for batch mailing, mail pouches should be considered as a cost effective alternate to individual mailings.

(5) Labels - Imprinted labels are to be used on imprinted flat envelopes and parcels too large to be mailed in flat envelopes.

(6) Postcards - In order to qualify for the postcard rate, cards will be no smaller than 3.5 by 5.5 inches and, with the exception to direct accountability, will be imprinted with the same markings and indicia required for envelopes. Postcards that exceed the above measurements will be charged the full First-Class rate by the USPS.