The Postal Service as a whole keeps a structure with headquarters and field offices that consist of seven areas, 67 districts, and more than 31,000 facilities. The field office management structure consists of operational managers and supervisors who oversee retail, delivery, and mail processing operations, as well as functional managers who oversee the core functions of finance, human resources, marketing, operations program support, and information systems.
Each district is assigned a size by the Postal Service, with Major being the biggest of the five categories (along with Metro and Levels 1, 2, and 3). The district’s functional managers’ executive administrative schedule (EAS) salary level is determined by the category. Additionally, based on the size of the district, it decides how many support personnel are needed in each functional area. Functional managers are named at the EAS-25 pay level in Major, Metro, and Level 1 district; EAS-24 for Level 2 managers; and EAS-23 for Level 3 managers.
At the area, district, and facility levels, the Postal Service uses 14 workload models and/or specifically defined criteria to decide the EAS pay level and/or the number of authorized positions for operational managers and supervisors. The workload is the amount of work performed by a position and is based on factual information like the quantity of urban and rural routes, anticipated deliveries, and income. Each model uses this information to determine authorized positions. It can also include other measures like plant type. Specific specified criteria, such as span of control, are linked to the ratio of workers to managers and supervisors within a particular function and facility. The scope of control may change depending on the nature and complexity of the task.
Our goal was to evaluate the Postal Service’s management structure, particularly the ranking of the districts and the distribution of operations manager and supervisor positions at the area, district, and facility levels (the field). This included an evaluation of the first-line supervisor organizational structure and span of control at particular facilities as part of our emphasis on first-line supervisors. We concentrated on supervisors of retail, delivery, and processing facilities’ customer care, distribution, maintenance, and transportation operations.
In order to accomplish our goal, we looked at the methods used to rate the 67 districts and distribute operational managers and supervisors in the field. Additionally, we evaluated the 14 workload models and established standards for the operational management roles at seven facilities that were arbitrarily chosen in two districts. The accuracy of the model/criteria results in comparison to the present positional allocation was evaluated using this assessment. Postmasters, managers of post office operations, supervisors and managers of customer service operations, distribution operations, transportation operations, and maintenance operations were among the jobs available.
We also looked more closely at the spans of control and task models for first-line supervisors at 28 facilities, including 12 retail/delivery facilities and 16 processing facilities.
