14 FAH-5 H-410 INCOMING MAIL

Start Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Last Modified: Saturday, May 2, 2020

End Date: Friday, December 31, 9999

UNCLASSIFIED (U)

14 FAH-5 H-400
processing dpo MAIL

14 FAH-5 H-410

INCOMING MAIL

(CT:DPO-21; 05-15-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)

14 FAH-5 H-411 responsibility for incoming mail

(CT:DPO-19; 11-06-2017)

Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) personnel (postal officer, DPO sSupervisors, and DPO clerks), acting as United States Postal Service (USPS) agents, are bound by the U.S. Code, and must follow the USPS policy, regulations, and guidance when engaged in mail processing and/or delivery. Such procedures and regulations cannot be waived or mitigated by the Department.

14 FAH-5 H-412 Processing Incoming Mail

(CT:DPO-21; 05-15-2018)

This subchapters objective is to describe how to process incoming mail through the Departments Diplomatic Post Office (DPO). DPO mailroom personnel must use the DPO module in the Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS DPO) to process all incoming mail. When processing incoming mail, DPO clerks must:

(1) Review the "Incoming Mail" report in ILMS DPO to verify incoming consignments dispatched to post prior to collecting incoming mail at the airport. This report can be generated via the ILMS DPO Home Page under "Managerial Reporting";

(2) Ensure that all mail is destined for the respective DPO by checking the Universal Postal Union (UPU) barcode label. If misrouted mail arrives at the airport intended for other destinations, do not accept the mail; instead, leave that mail with the air carrier for re-routing to the correct destination;

(3) Screen all inbound mail before it enters the DPO mailroom. During this screening process, DPO mailroom personnel must maintain the integrity of the UPU barcode and the Product Tracking and Reporting (PTR) barcode association by opening and processing one sack at a time, and then placing the mail back into the sack. After screening the mail contained in each sack, place the cleared mail back into the sack, and record any discrepancies on a separate log. All mail that is not cleared during the screening process must be reported to the postal officer (PO) and the regional security officer (RSO) for further instruction. Best business practice dictates installing a computer workstation with ILMS access at the mail-screening site. This improves efficiency and effectiveness for the processing of incoming mail;

(4) Process all UPU barcode labels and PTR barcodes in ILMS DPO. When processing PTR barcodes, enter the customer's name using the customer directory in ILMS DPO to verify that the addressee is an authorized user (see 14 FAH-5 H-211.2); and

(5) For additional instructions on how to process incoming mail, see ILMS Training Tutorials. For further guidance, please contact DPO-Answerperson_MB@state.gov.

14 FAH-5 H-413 DPO Mail Delivery

(CT:DPO-21; 05-15-2018)

When delivering mail, DPO clerks must:

(1) Verify with posts human resources office (HR) that the addressee is an authorized user if they are not listed in the ILMS Customer Directory;

(2) Verify that the name on the mail and the name on the receptacle match before placing the mail in the receptacle. If names do not match, check the customer directory in ILMS. If the addressee has departed post, the DPO clerk must forward the mail in accordance with USPS regulations (see 14 FAH-5 H-432.2 for procedures). Check with posts HR to see if the person is inbound/newly assigned;

(3) Only place mail items bearing postage, or other items authorized by USPS or DPM, in mail receptacles. Process and deliver mail (by class) in the following order: Priority Mail Express, First-Class and Priority Mail, Periodicals (magazines and newspapers), and Standard Mail; and

(4) See 14 FAH-5 H-420 for procedures for handling accountable mail.

14 FAH-5 H-414 holding dpo Mail for pERSONNEL due to arrive at post

(CT:DPO-19; 11-06-2017)

a. Mail will be held for personnel due to arrive at post based on the guidelines listed herein:

(1) The office sponsor or HR must notify the DPO supervisor of a person scheduled to arrive and provide the estimated time of arrival (ETA), full name of authorized customer(s), contact email, telephone number, and names of all eligible family members on travel orders who will accompany them; and

(2) DPO clerks will assign the incoming personnel a receptacle and inform the sponsor of the mailing address.

b. For incoming personnel who have not arrived by the ETA provided by the sponsor or HR, the DPO clerk must take the following actions:

(1) Contact the office sponsor or HR via email 15 days after the ETA and request a status update:

(a) If a new date is provided, continue to hold mail based on the new date; or

(b) If a new date is not provided, mail may be held for an additional 30 days;

(2) Contact the office sponsor or HR by email on day 30 and request a status update of the customer:

(a) If the sponsor provides a new ETA, continue to hold mail based on the date provided; or

(b) If the sponsor is unable to provide a new ETA, the mail must be returned to sender and endorsed "Attempted not known"; and

(c) Close the assigned receptacle and inactivate the personnel record from the customer directory in ILMS DPO.

14 FAH-5 H-415 THROUGH H-419 UNASSIGNED

UNCLASSIFIED (U)

Roles:

Everyone: All Users