The DOE Mail Center provides a variety of mail services for all official and other authorized mail for the Department of Energy and its employees. The services provided include the processing of all incoming postal mail, outgoing official mail, internal mail processing, accountable mail processing, pouch mail, a variety of overnight express mail services, directory services, and pick-up and delivery services. In response to the risk of terrorism, the business line implemented various processes for sanitizing and testing mail against bio-terrorist attacks.
Internal Distribution
· Receive, sort, process and deliver all incoming ordinary and accountable mail from the United States Postal Service.
· Process, safeguard and deliver all incoming accountable mail (registered, certified, express, insured).
· Pick-up, secure, safeguard, control and deliver all classified mail from the DOE Security Box.
· Process and deliver all incoming Business Reply Mail.
· Sort, deliver, and pick-up all internal mail at all authorized mail stops and mail boxes.
· Provide mail services between headquarters and all other DOE Satellite Buildings.
· Provide directory/locator service to customers for mail that is undeliverable due to lack of address information.
· Make special internal deliveries for urgent mailings.
· Provide guidance and assistance on matters related to mail operations.
· Process and control all incoming overnight express mail which includes FedEx, Airborne, DHL, UPS, and any other overnight express packages. Customers are called when the packages are ready for pick-up.
· Provide specialized service for specific customers.
United States Postal Service - Official Outgoing Mail
· Process and meter all outgoing DOE Official Mail to meet the customer's needs for timely delivery and postage cost. The varieties of services include overnight Postal Express Priority Mail, First Class Mail, Standard Class (A), Standard Class (B), and Special Standard Class. Also outgoing accountable mail service such as Registered, Certified, Insured, and Postal Express Mail are available.
· Irradiate incoming first class mail.
· Process and meter Field Pouch Mail.
· Process Diplomatic Pouch Mail.
Outgoing Overnight Express Package/Parcel Service
Process outgoing overnight express shipments of FedEx, Airborne, DHL, Emery World Wide, and TNT Service International for airfreight and overseas deliveries.
Mail Center Locations
Forrestal Building:
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585
· Room GL-084
· Phone 202-586-6061
· Hours 7:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.
Germantown Building:
19901 Germantown Rd
Germantown, MD 20874-1290
· Room E-066
· Phone 301-903-4111
· Hours 7:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
270 Corporate Center:
20300 Century Boulevard
Germantown, MD 20874
· Room 1003
· Phone 301-903-5273
· Hours 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The Working Capital Fund Board adopted a new Mail pricing policy at its December 11, 2002 meeting. Based on this new policy, Mail service pricing has seven components:
1. Offices pay the actual dollar meter value for outgoing United States Postal Service mail;
2. Offices pay actual cost for Federal Express or other special mail;
3. Offices pay for internal mail distribution based on the number of mail stops based on a Board approved funding levels of $1,313,000 (FY 2003) and $1,418,000 (FY 2004);
4. Offices pay for Mail Security ($149,000/year) based on their percentages of incoming USPS mail over the previous six-month period;
5. Offices pay for Express Mail Labor (annualized levels of $140,000 in FY 2003 and $151,000 in FY 2004) based on their percentage of the total volume of incoming and outgoing special mail during the preceding six- month period;
6. Offices pay for USPS Outgoing labor (annualized levels of $184,000 in FY 2003 and $199,000 in FY 2004) based on their percentage of actual outgoing mail for the prior six months; and
7. Offices pay for specified special services on a negotiated basis with the Mail business .line.
Internal Distribution - Customers validate their number of mail stops at the beginning of the fiscal year and pay an annual mail stop cost calculated by dividing the total internal distribution allowance (see above) by the number of stops. An adjustment is made to avoid charging field pouch costs to elements that do not use this service. Mail stops may be adjusted semi-annually as necessary.
For the operating costs that are distributed based on six-month usage percentages, calculations will be made of actual usage in October through March (to be used for the second half of the fiscal year) and again for April through October (to be used for the first half of the subsequent fiscal year).
The business provides specialized services on demand for customers including internal program distribution.
United States Postal Service and Federal Express Mail - Customers pay the actual cost of metered, overnight airfreight, and overseas express mail.
Budgetary estimates are developed based upon the twelve-month period prior to issuance or submission of IRB and OMB budgets. In other words, budget estimates published in June of the fiscal year reflect actual usage charges for June through May of the preceding year. In FY 2003, adjustments will be made to these calculations for changes in Board pricing policies, as outlined above. Extraordinary or unusual charges in usage patterns are not anticipated in the Fund=s estimates. To the extent that such anomalies can be foreseen by the program customer, the cost impact of these charges should be added or subtracted (as appropriate) from the Funds= estimate. Also, possible variations in consumption due to expected charges in staffing levels are not considered in the Fund=s estimates.
WCF projections of current Fiscal Year usage and costs are updated monthly and provided with each bill. Projections are calculated based upon fiscal year-to-date costs annualized. For example, the annual projection calculated as of April would be as follows:
Total YTD Cost (October - April) divided by 7 multiplied by 12 equal projected annual costs.
During FY 2003, this methodology will be adjusted as necessary to account for changes in the Board’s pricing policies.
Internal Distribution of mail is billed at the beginning of the fiscal year, with adjustments made in 6-months. The Fund Manager may decide, in periods covered by a Continuing Resolution) to defer a portion of this billing.. United States Postal Service charges are billed monthly, based upon prior month actual usage.
Program offices may receive copies of summary data for United States Postal Services, outgoing overnight express packages and parcel services. This summary data will include the class of mail, weight, pieces and cost.
· Objectives for this business are in the format of a balanced scorecard.
· Customers: Reduce the amount of time to process and deliver internal mail.
· Financials: Reduce customer’s mailing costs by utilizing bulk mail rates.
· Internal Processes: Maintain the highest security standards for incoming, outgoing, and internal mail distribution.
· Learning and Growth: Improve the skills of all staff.
For more information on these objectives and business line performance measures please see the Mail Five-year Plan.
All properly addressed incoming regular mail will be processed and delivered unopened to the appropriate mail stops within one day of receipt by the mail centers.
Improperly addressed mail will be looked up and every effort will be made to determine a delivery destination. If a delivery point cannot be determined, it will be returned to the sender. If a return address is not available, the mail leader will open the envelope and determine if and where it should be delivered. If a delivery point cannot be determined, it will be disposed of in accordance with United States Postal Service and Department procedures.
All incoming controlled mail (certified, registered, or insured) will be processed and dispatched in accordance with United States Postal Services and Department directives at the end of each day. Controlled mail received after 3:30 p.m. will be safeguarded and processed for the next dispatch.
Outgoing registered mail is processed and dispatched under United States Postal Services approved combination lock or seal.
Fund Manager: John Harrison, 202-586-3611
Business Line Manager: Mary Anderson, 202-586-4318
Service Points of Contact:
Alvan Majors, 202-586-4338
Anthony Nellums, 202-586-6064
For more information, customers are invited to visit the Mail Business home page.
Q. How can I save money on mail distribution?
A. Consult the mail centers when planning a large mailing for discount.
Q. Who do I call to start or discontinue a mail stop?
A. The service point of contact, Tony Nellums, should be called on (202) 586-6064. If he is not available, the business line manager, Mary Anderson, should be contacted on (202) 586-4318.
Q. It is cheaper to have an extra mail stop or to sort the mail ourselves at the program level?