issuance and reviewed and disseminated by the Information Resource Management Department, and, if within the authority of the issuer, shall have the same effect as though sent by the Postmaster General or the Deputy Postmaster General.

(3) Guidelines and program implementation instructions and procedures not involving policy shall ordinarily be issued over the signature of the group, department, or office head having jurisdiction.

(4) Regional staff officials may communicate directly with the corresponding functional group, department, or office in Headquarters on matters within their area of jurisdiction. In addition, where authorized, they may also directly contact supporting Headquarters departments such as Law Department, Inspection Service Department, and Public and Employee Communications Department on technical matters not requiring administrative judgment of the Regional Postmaster General.

(b) Postal Region Offices and Postal Installations. The regular channels of communication are:

(1) Associate Office Postmasters, to and from Sectional Center Managers; (2) Sectional Center Managers, to and from District Managers;

(3) Postmasters of large independent associate offices, to and from District Managers;

(4) Bulk Mail Center Managers, to and from District Managers (except the manager, New York International and Bulk Mail Center.);

(5) District Managers to and from their Regional Postmasters General;

(6) Heads of other Postal Installations, to and from their designated superiors as appropriate.

(c) Headquarters, Postal Region Offices, and other Postal Installations with Postal Data Centers. (1) The Finance Group provides the necessary directives to the Postal Data Centers. All other Headquarters communications to and from the Postal Data Centers shall be coordinated with the Finance Group. The Law Department and the Postal Data Centers shall maintain direct contact on matters relating to professional and policy guidance on claims.

(2) Postal Region Offices and Postal Data Centers may communicate directly with each other.

(3) Other Postal Installations and Postal Data Centers may communicate directly on routine accounting matters. All other communications shall be coordinated with the regional staff. (39 U.S.C. 203, 204, 401(2), 402, 403, 404, as enacted by Pub. L. 91-375, 84 Stat. 719)

[38 FR 20406, July 31, 1973, as amended at 43 FR 29117, July 6, 1978; 48 FR 1966, Jan. 17, 1983; 48 FR 30111, June 30, 1983]

Sec.

PART 224-GROUPS AND DEPARTMENTS

224.1 Administration group.

224.2 Employee and Labor Relations Group.

224.3 Finance Group.

224.4 Operations Group.

224.5 Research and Management Systems Group.

224.6 Law Department.

224.7 Inspection Service Department. 224.8 Government Relations Department. 224.9 Public and Employee Communications Department.

224.10 Planning Department.

224.11 Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General.

224.12 Executive Assistant to the Deputy Postmaster General.

AUTHORITY: 39 U.S.C. 203, 204, 401(2), 402, 403, 404, and 409.

§ 224.1 Administration group.

(a) The administration group is headed by the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Administration, who reports to the Deputy Postmaster General. The administration group has responsibility for the following functions: Procurement and supply, real estate and buildings, customer services, international postal affairs, and the judicial officer.

(b) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Administration, participates in the planning and budget process and reviews and evaluates the budget requests of each region for the areas of his responsibility.

(c) The Administration Group is divided into five departments. The head of each reports to the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Administration.

The components of the Administration Group are:

(1) Procurement and Supply Department. The Procurement and Supply Department is headed by the Assistant Postmaster General, Procurement and Supply. It exercises policy authority over procurement activities in general, including those areas which are common to both mail transportation, the real estate and buildings functions, and other types of procurement, but excluding those issues which by reason of law or custom are unique to mail transportation contracting, or the real estate and buildings function. It is responsible

for the direction and review of all procurement activities in the field and at Headquarters except mail transportation contracting and the real estate and buildings function. It publishes and maintains a Postal Contracting Manual containing procurement regulations covering all procurement activities of the Postal Service. It manages the Postal Service's intellectual property. It manages Headquarters operating services, including printing, library, telephone switchboard, and Headquarters building maintenance and repair. It controls and administers supplies and inventories for the entire Postal Service.

(2) Real Estate and Buildings Department. The Real Estate and Buildings Department is headed by the Assistant Postmaster General, Real Estate and Buildings. It is responsible for acquisition, design, construction, modification, repair, improvement, and disposition of postal facilities and real estate. This includes:

(i) Formulating, administering, and reviewing policies, programs, and procedures for the design, acquisition, management, repair, upkeep, improvement, and disposal of real property used or to be used by the Postal Service, and of utilities and building equipment;

(ii) Exercising procurement authority of the Postal Service over real estate, real estate facility design, and construction services contracts, including repair and improvement;

(iii) Advising and assisting operating organizations and regions in establishing building project priorities based on financial and technical considerations;

(iv) Providing technical guidance during the phase-in of new facilities and mechanization, and conducting post-installation reviews to evaluate prior planning and plant and equipment design and arrangement;

(v) Providing for installation of conventional mechanization systems;

(vi) Developing procurement policies in those areas unique to real estate, architect-engineer, and construction contracting, including repair and improvement;

(vii) Designing and constructing facilities; designing and installing utilities; installing mechanization; taking energy conservation considerations into account;

(viii) Providing functional guidance to the regional Real Estate and Buildings Departments and Maintenance Management Divisions.

(ix) Acting as USPS coordinator with the Department of Energy and other governmental agencies on energy matters;

(x) Providing energy conservation policies for postal facilities.

(3) Customer Services Department. The Customer Services Department is headed by the Assistant Postmaster General, Customer Services. It is responsible for:

(i) Analysis, development, adjustment, and marketing of all postal products and services;

(ii) Establishment of policy for, and the functional management of, the Postal Service's sales operations and provision of functional guidance to the regional Customer Services Departments;

(iii) Management of the design, production, and distribution of postage stamps and postal stationery;

(iv) Representation of the interests of individual consumers, including responding to consumer needs and problems;

(v) Conduct of market research and diagnostic service analysis;

(vi) Liaison with postal customers, including the planning and implementation of the National Postal Forum; and

(vii) Development and execution of the Postal Service's advertising and promotion programs.

(4) Judicial Officer Department. (i) The Judicial Officer is an independent officer, located within the Administration Group, who performs quasijudicial and other functions. He administratively supervises Administrative Law Judges and hears appeals from their decisions. He serves with them on the Board of Contract Appeals, of which he is exofficio Chairman. As directed by the Judicial Officer, the Associate Judicial Officer assists in the administration of the office and normally is the Acting Judicial Officer when the Judicial Officer is absent or unable to serve. The Associate Judicial Officer is the ex officio Vice Chairman of the Board of Contract Appeals.

(ii) The Judicial Officer has authority to:

(A) Execute in his own name the final decision and order in proceedings authorized by section 1717 of title 18, and by sections 3001(a), 3003, 3004, 3005, and 3007 of title 39. U.S.C., appeals from administrative denial, suspension or revocation of second-class mail permits, administrative proposals to refuse to rent, to renew the rental of, or to close a post office box and other proceedings authorized by Postal Service regulations to be brought before the Administrative Law Judge or the Judicial Officer:

(B) Modify, suspend, or rescind any action heretofore taken (including any order issued) or which hereafter may be taken by the Judicial Officer pursuant to the powers, functions, authority, and duties vested in the Postmaster General and the Postal Service with respect to the matters covered by paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section;

(C) Preside at the reception of evidence in proceedings where expedited hearings are requested by either party or are provided in rules of practice, and issue a tentative or a final decision in such cases;

(D) Revise or amend the rules governing eligibility to practice before the Postal Service and to revise or amend the Postal Service rules of practice governing proceedings conducted under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. chapters 5 and 7) and in other proceedings in which the Judicial Officer is authorized to execute a final decision and order;

(E) Name and delegate authority to an Acting Judicial Officer;

(F) Exercise jurisdiction over the Administrative Law Judges for administrative purposes only, but not to direct or participate in the initial decision of Administrative Law Judges in any proceeding;

(G) Exercise such other authority as may be delegated to him.

(iii) Decisions and orders of the Judicial Officer made under the delegated authority shall be the final Postal Service decisions and orders except that the Judicial Officer may refer any proceeding to either the Postmaster General or the Deputy Postmaster General for final decision. The Judicial Officer does not determine the constitutionality of statutes nor the validity of Postal Service regulations. The Law Department and the Postal Inspection Service do not participate in or advise as to the decisions of the Judicial Officer in any proceeding.

(iv) Office of Administrative Law Judge: (A) Administrative Law Judges are appointed and qualified as prescribed by law. They preside at administrative hearings involving alleged violations of postal laws or conflicts arising over second-class mail permits and other proceedings as provided by Postal Service regulations.

(B) Initial decisions prepared by Administrative Law Judges become final Postal Service decisions unless an appeal is taken to the Judicial Officer. Administrative Law Judges do not determine the constitutionality of statutes nor the validity of Postal Service regulations.

(C) The Administrative Law Judges are under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Officer for administrative purposes only, in the same manner as are Administrative Law Judges assigned to independent regulatory commissions.

(v) Board of Contract Appeals: (A) The Board of Contract Appeals is the Postal Service body designated to hear and decide appeals submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978, 41 U.S.C. 601 et seq., and is the authorized representative of the Postmaster General to hear and decide appeals from decisions of contracting officers when and to the extent such appeals are expressly au

thorized by the terms of any contract to which the Postal Service is a party. The Chairman of the Board of Contract Appeals is authorized to promulgate rules and procedures for the Board of Contract Appeals. The members of the Board may be assigned other consistent duties such as assisting the Judicial Officer in the performance of his functions under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.

(B) The Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals is composed of the Judicial Officer as Chairman, the Associate Judicial Officer as Vice Chairman and such additional members, appointed by the Chairman, as may be necessary to assure the timely disposition of matters pending before the Board. All members of the Board of Contract Appeals shall be Administrative Judges possessing the qualifications required by the Contract Disputes Act of 1978. In general, appeals are assigned to a panel of at least three members of the Board.

(5) International Postal Affairs Department. International Postal Affairs Department is headed by the Assistant Postmaster General, International Postal Affairs. It is responsible for:

(i) Provision of policy guidance on the international postal affairs of the U.S. Postal Service;

(ii) Representation of the United States in the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and Postal Union of the Americas and Spain (PUAS);

(iii) U.S. Postal Service liaison with all foreign postal administrations;

(iv) Negotiation, conclusion, and administration of bilateral and multilateral postal treaties and agreements with foreign governments;

(v) Liaison with the Department of State;

(vi) Maintenance of an information exchange program with selected foreign postal administrations; and

(vii) Management of technical cooperation activities with respect to the training of foreign postal officials in the United States, the exchange of USPS and foreign postal officials, and the programing and conduct of visits of foreign postal officials.

[38 FR 20406, July 31, 1973, as amended at 40 FR 36119, Aug. 19, 1975; 41 FR 27354,

July 2, 1976; 43 FR 29118, July 6, 1978; 43 FR 41984, Sept. 19, 1978; 43 FR 42250, Sept. 20, 1978; 43 FR 60275, Dec. 27, 1978; 44 FR 5119, Jan. 25, 1979; 45 FR 43718, June 30, 1980; 45 FR 74921, Nov. 13, 1980; 48 FR 1966, Jan. 17, 1983]

§ 224.2 Employee and Labor Relations Group.

(a) The Employee and Labor Relations Group is headed by the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Employee and Labor Relations, who reports to the Postmaster General. It is responsible for:

(1) Establishment, implementation, and monitoring of broad goals, policies, and procedures for all employee and labor relations functions;

(2) Establishment of appropriate policy for achieving labor relations goals and activities associated with collective bargaining and contract negotiation;

(3) Determination of program emphasis for activities conducted by the Employee Relations Department, and Labor Relations Department;

(4) Providing advice to the Postmaster General on collective bargaining agreement negotiation, contract administration, and grievance and arbitration administration precedents;

(5) Coordination and analysis of the Employee and Labor Relations Group financial, directives control and planning activities;

(6) Administration of the Special Job Evaluation Review Panel;

(7) Maintenance of liaison with the Management Associations for consultation meetings; and

(8) Providing functional guidance to the regional Employee and Labor Relations Departments.

(b) The Employee and Labor Relations Group consists of two departments, each headed by an Assistant Postmaster General. Description of these departments follows:

(1) Employee Relations Department. The Employee Relations Department is responsible for the development, implementation, and monitoring of a comprehensive employee relations program for the Postal Service. This includes:

(i) Administration of medical, safety, environmental improvement, and injury compensation programs.

(ii) Administration of all managerial, technical, and employee training programs;

(iii) Establishment and monitoring of postmaster and employee selection and performance evaluation policies and procedures, including associated personnel actions and records programs;

(iv) Provision for employee career development programs;

(v) Administration of the systemwide employee and labor relations computer-oriented information

system;

(vi) Determination of non-bargaining discipline policies, practices, and procedures;

(vii) Administration and monitoring of Postal Service policies and programs for equal employment opportunity including affirmative action, evaluation and appeals; and the special emphasis programs for alcoholic recovery, career opportunities for women, and employment of the handicapped;

(viii) Administration of programs to improve the quality of working life in the Postal Service;

(ix) Administration of an executive career development program;

(x) Provision of policy interpretation and program guidance on employee relations matters to the regional employee relations division through the SAPMG, Employee and Labor Relations Group;

(xi) Development and implementation of policies and programs for job evaluation, analysis, and review, and associated appeals procedure;

(xii) Establishment of a comprehensive program of compensation services, including all aspects of wage and salary administration, employee benefits; and suggestions and incentive awards;

(xiii) Development and implementation of policies and programs for new and revised organization structure and staffing patterns for all bargaining and nonbargaining unit positions, including control and revision of functional statements for all organizational units;

§ 224.3 Finance Group.

(a) The Finance Group is headed by the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Finance, who reports to the Postmaster General. It is responsible for:

(1) Policy and functional guidance to field organizations and activities in the areas of finance, postal rates and classification, and management services.

(2) Control of Postal Service systems relating to budget and accounting, financial planning, postal rates and classification, and management services.

(b) The Finance Group consists of two departments, each headed by an Assistant Postmaster General, and the Office of Management Services, the Office of the Treasurer, and the Records Officer.

(1) Controller Department. The Controller Department is headed by an Assistant Postmaster General. It is divided into four Divisions: Budget, Accounting, Payroll Systems, and Economic and Cost Benefits. The Department is responsible for: