80 FR 68336 - Public Inquiry on Service Performance Measurement Data

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 213 (November 4, 2015)

The Commission is establishing a public inquiry to receive comments regarding the Postal Service's service performance measurement data. This notice informs the public of this proceeding, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 68336]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28054]



[[Page 68336]]

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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. PI2016-1; Order No. 2791]


Public Inquiry on Service Performance Measurement Data

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is establishing a public inquiry to receive 
comments regarding the Postal Service's service performance measurement 
data. This notice informs the public of this proceeding, invites public 
comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: December 14, 2015. Reply Comments are due: 
January 11, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing 
Online system at http://www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit comments 
electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing 
alternatives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 
202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction
II. Background
III. Comments Requested
IV. Public Representative
V. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    The Commission establishes Docket No. PI2016-1 to invite public 
comments on potential issues related to the quality and completeness of 
service performance data measured by the Postal Service.

II. Background

    On September 30, 2015, Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
published a report titled Actions Needed to Make Delivery Performance 
Information More Complete, Useful, and Transparent. U.S. Gov. 
Accountability Office, GAO-15-756, U.S. Postal Service: Actions Needed 
to Make Delivery Performance Information More Complete, Useful, and 
Transparent (2015) (Report). The Report was publicly released on 
October 5, 2015.
    In the Report, GAO recommended that the Commission hold a public 
proceeding involving the Postal Service, the mailing industry, and 
other interested parties to address how the Postal Service may improve 
the completeness of its service performance data. Id. at 31. The 
instant docket responds to that recommendation.
    GAO separately recommended that the Commission provide service 
performance data and analyses in a more readily available format. See 
id. at 26, 31. In response, the Commission recently updated its Web 
site to allow instantaneous access to service performance related 
reports and dockets under a tab titled Reports/Data Service Reports. 
This Web site update will make it easier for prospective commenters to 
access background information related to the instant docket.

III. Comments Requested

    The Commission invites public comments on potential issues related 
to the quality and completeness of service performance data provided by 
the Postal Service. Specifically, the Commission is interested in the 
following:
    1. Describe any potential deficiencies with respect to the 
accuracy, reliability, and representativeness of the current service 
performance measurement data. If data are limited in a specific area, 
discuss how the Postal Service could improve that data.
    2. The Report states the Postal Service's ``measurement of on-time 
delivery performance has expanded greatly over the past 9 years, but 
remains incomplete because only about 55 percent of market-dominant 
mail volume is currently included in measurement.'' Id. at 11 (footnote 
omitted). The Commission, however, has not concluded that the 
percentage of mail in measurement should be the primary determinant of 
accurate, reliable, or representative service performance data, instead 
focusing on sampling fractions, confidence intervals, and margins of 
error at the district level. Id. at 52-53. The Report asserts that for 
mail measured using a census-type approach, it is necessary to assess 
non-sampling error, which ``would require determining whether the mail 
not included in measurement systematically differed from the mail 
included in the measurement, particularly regarding characteristics 
associated with on-time delivery.'' Id. at 35.
    a. Accounting for product and service standard, discuss any 
systematic differences between mail in measurement and mail not in 
measurement that are likely to impact service performance.
    b. Discuss whether and how non-sampling error might have a material 
impact on service performance results and actions the Postal Service 
could take to minimize non-sampling error.
    3. The Report suggests that ``[t]he main causes for incomplete 
measurement of bulk mail can be broadly grouped into two different 
reasons: (1) Mailers not applying a unique Intelligent Mail barcode 
[IMb] to each mail piece to enable tracking (trackable barcodes) or (2) 
lack of needed information.'' Id. at 14-15 (footnote omitted).
    a. Discuss specific actions the Postal Service should take to 
increase participation in the full-service IMb program.
    b. Discuss specific actions the Postal Service needs to take to 
decrease the amount of mail excluded from measurement.
    Comments are due no later than December 14, 2015. Reply comments 
are due no later than January 11, 2016.

IV. Public Representative

    Section 505 of title 39 requires designation of an officer of the 
Commission (Public Representative) in all public proceedings to 
represent the interests of the general public. The Commission hereby 
designates Richard A. Oliver as Public Representative in this 
proceeding.

V. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. PI2016-1 to invite public 
comments on potential issues related to the quality and completeness of 
service performance data measured by the Postal Service.
    2. Comments are due no later than December 14, 2015.
    3. Reply comments are due no later than January 11, 2016.
    4. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Richard A. Oliver is appointed to 
serve as an officer of the Commission to represent the interests of the 
general public in this proceeding (Public Representative).
    5. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Stacy L. Ruble,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-28054 Filed 11-3-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P