Archive
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Document Name: Chapter 10: U.S. Government and Federal Employees
Date: 12/04/95
Owner: National Performance Review
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Reviews federal actions affecting historic properties.
We are committed to providing you with first-class service. When you conduct business with us, we will treat you with courtesy and respect.
Section 106 reviews:
* Review of Section 106 projects will be completed within the time allotted by regulation or sooner.
* Upon inquiry, we will provide information on project status, estimated time needed to complete review, or any associated problems.
* We will clearly explain our project review decisions so you can understand why and how they were made and what to do if you disagree.
* To facilitate better communication, the name of the employee responsible for your project, along with a telephone number, will be on every letter.
Technical assistance:
* We will respond promptly to requests for assistance or advice on federal historic preservation programs and related matters.
* We will provide appropriate referral to other sources of information if the request falls outside the Council's purview or we are otherwise unable to address it.
Education and publications:
* We will continue to produce publications that are written clearly and address the specific informational needs of our customers.
* We will fill requests for individual copies of Council publications or training information within three working days.
* Our publications will be regularly updated to reflect changing laws and regulations, and all publications will have a date of publication on them.
* At present we cannot meet all training demand. We will develop a plan that will facilitate the widest possible geographic and special-interest distribution.
Telephone standards:
* Our telephone system is designed to connect you with the person you called or, if they are unavailable, their voice mail. Telephones will be answered by a person unless all lines are busy. If all lines are busy, you will receive clear instructions for leaving a message. Under unusual circumstances, it may be impossible to answer each incoming call. We are working to improve this system.
* Your phone call will be returned within one working day of receipt.
* We will respond to your telephone inquiries in a pleasant and helpful manner. Immediate, concise information will be provided whenever possible. If such information is not immediately available, you will be informed when you can expect to receive the information.
Agriculture (Department)
Agricultural Research Service
National Agricultural Library
Ensures and enhances access to agricultural information for a better quality of life.
Staff:
* At NAL you will find a knowledgeable and courteous staff who are dedicated to effectively meeting your information needs.
Access:
* We will provide multiple points of access, including telephone, fax, mail, the Internet, and other personal and electronic means.
* When you request documents on-site, we will retrieve and deliver them within 20 minutes of request. Requests submitted through fax, e-mail, mail, telephone, or Ariel (electronic delivery) will be filed within two days if items are on our shelves; within four days if items are not immediately available. We will respond to you within three days of receipt of request if your request cannot be filled.
* We will respond to or acknowledge receipt of requests for information requiring library research within five work days, most within three work days of receipt.
* NAL will offer a variety of convenient delivery methods--electronic, traditional postal, or express mail. We will provide high-quality photocopies, duplicated microforms, or loans of library materials to meet your needs. Options for delivery will include Ariel, fax, mail, or express mail.
* We will make information accessible through AGRICOLA, NAL's bibliographic database, and ISIS, our on-line public access catalog. We will strive to provide information that is current and thoroughly covers agriculture and related subjects.
* Access to NAL in person will be available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, at the Washington, D.C., Reference Center and NAL's Beltsville, Maryland, location.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Animal Damage Control
Helps solve conflicts between human activities and wild animals.
We strive for the highest possible standards in providing you service. When requesting assistance, you can expect the following:
* You will be provided with accurate information or expert help to resolve or minimize your wildlife conflict.
* Our employees will show respect for people, property, and wildlife.
* Our employees will respect varying viewpoints on wildlife damage management.
* We will use the most humane, selective, and effective control techniques.
* We will conduct activities in a professional, biologically sound, and accountable way.
* Our work will be done in a safe manner and in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
International Services
Facilitates international trade in animal and plant products and helps to ensure an abundant food supply through helping to prevent agricultural pests and diseases from entering the United States.
We promise you, our customers:
* Professional and courteous treatment: Our employees are knowledgeable and responsive. Your concerns are important to us, and you will be treated in a professional, courteous, and efficient manner.
* Clarity in explaining our position: We will answer your questions in a clear and concise manner. We will explain how decisions were made and convey this information in understandable language.
* Program responses: Our program designs use the latest scientific methodologies. We promise to deliver our services with minimal disruption to the normal daily operations of our customers.
* Transparency and consistency in our regulatory processes: We promise to be consistent and transparent in the enforcement of our regulations.
Office of Inspector General
Conducts audits and investigations.
What you, our customer, can expect:
* You can expect us to work closely but independently with Congress, USDA managers, and U.S. Department of Justice and state and local attorneys to address important or emerging issues and concerns regarding USDA's programs and activities.
* We will work proactively with you by directly encouraging your input into the audit and investigative process to identify areas that warrant our attention, and to engage in discussions with you up front on what we plan to do and what you can expect us to provide to you.
* You can expect to receive audit and investigative information to solve problems and improve operations. We will keep you involved and informed as our audit and investigative work progresses.
* We want to promote a high level of customer satisfaction and to ensure that we are providing you with timely, meaningful, and useful information and solutions to your problems. We plan to answer public concerns about fraud, waste, and abuse promptly, and provide you with accurate and accessible information to improve USDA operations.
* You can expect timely assistance to resolve or implement audit or investigative recommendations or information.
* We will coordinate regular meetings with you to discuss audit and investigative issues to ensure timely resolution and implementation of recommendations or to address other questions as they arise. We will keep you abreast of information you may need during debate on issues affecting USDA, by way of our issued reports or regular briefings.
Commerce (Department)
Bureau of the Census
Congressional Affairs Office
Handles congressional queries for statistical
information.
* We will be attentive and serve you with courtesy. Your data needs are important, and a Congressional Specialist will assist you politely and responsively.
* We will meet most of your information and data requests within 24 hours. Many of your needs will be met the very same day they reach us. If we are unable to do this, we will act on most requests by the following workday. Should we need more time to prepare data that are not "on the shelf," we will give you a good-faith estimate, within 24 hours, of the time needed to prepare your customized product on a priority basis, and we will deliver it to you immediately upon completion.
* We will call upon subject or statistical experts, if needed, to service your needs for data and other information. In the event our Congressional Specialists are unable to provide certain services or data products directly, we have established an agencywide Congressional Liaison system to identify the person best suited to help you in the timeliest way possible.
* We will ask you about your level of satisfaction and areas where we need to improve. We conducted surveys of your staffs to help us evaluate our service. We will repeat this process periodically to gain quantitative and qualitative insights with which to continue improving our data and information deliveries to you.
* We will provide you Resources for the Congress, your convenient reference binder to our programs and services. You can expect to receive this basic reference during the autumn of each year.
* We will expand our services to you beyond Capitol Hill. Your staffs in home state or district offices can expect to receive selected data products, identical to the ones we provided your Washington staff. Our 12 regional offices will acquaint your staffs at home with our data products and services. And, starting with the 1995 census test, we will implement a Congressional Partnership Plan for the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, eventually putting us in touch with each member of Congress and their staffs.
Governments Division
Conducts public sector surveys on behalf of other federal agencies.
Governments Division Reimbursable Surveys:
* We will review survey requests for relevance to our mission, skills and capabilities, and available resources.
* We will review the cost of survey options, and work to tailor projects to sponsor requirements and available resources.
* We will communicate with sponsors in the following ways:
-- negotiate an agreement that defines the scope of work, the performance period, and estimated costs.
-- review project deliverables.
-- develop work plan and provide schedule.
-- provide regular progress and cost reports.
-- review intermediate products.
-- develop contingency plans and provide advance alerts as contingencies arise.
-- obtain survey response/participation consistent with professional standards, sponsor needs, and available resources.
-- maintain appropriate data confidentiality guarantees.
-- evaluate product output by assessing data reliability (e.g., sample and non-sample error).
-- provide detailed documentation of methodology.
-- evaluate project effectiveness through debriefings.
-- use the best available technology, including technology that you request to meet your requirements for cost and deliverables.
Defense (Department)
Defense Commissary Agency
Commissaries
Runs commissaries at military installations.
Our customers have the right to:
* Professional, courteous service.
* A clean, pleasant store.
* Fresh, high-quality merchandise.
* Well-stocked shelves.
* The best possible prices.
* Quick, efficient checkout.
Our employees have the right to:
* Fair and equal treatment.
* Challenge work processes with new ideas.
* Express their views and have them fairly considered.
* Expect a commitment to quality.
* Put quality first.
* Feel true pride in their workmanship.
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Serves as the central financial and accounting office for the Department of Defense.
Debt collection:
* We will give prompt and accurate service.
* Our service providers will be knowledgeable and courteous.
* We promise prompt resolution to your inquiry.
Military pay:
* We will process pay, effecting transactions within 30 days from the date of the entitlement.
* We will successfully deliver pay instruments on the first attempt on the designated payday.
* We will respond to written inquiries within 15 calendar days of receipt.
Civilian pay:
* We will have an 85 to 90 percent Electronic Funds Transfer participation rate.
* Less than 5 percent of our total payroll payments will require special payment.
* We will forward to the Office of Personnel Management 95 percent of the retirement packages within 60 days of the retirement date.
Department of Defense travelers:
* We will process travel advances within two work days of receipt.
* We will process temporary duty travel vouchers within five days of receipt.
* We will process permanent change of station travel vouchers within 10 working days of receipt.
Garnishment operations:
* We will accept or reject Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act applications within 90 calendar days of receipt.
* We will accept or reject garnishments for child support and alimony within 30 calendar days of receipt.
* We will accept or reject commercial garnishments for civilians within 30 calendar days of receipt.
* We will accept or reject military commercial involuntary allotment applications within 45 calendar days from receipt.
Office of the Secretary
Legislative Affairs
Provides congressional support on constituent inquiries.
Congressional requests for hearings and information:
* Employees maintain close contact with clients within the Department to ensure that deadlines for submission of testimony are met and participate in events scheduled to prepare the Department of Defense witness for the hearing.
* Employees maintain a dialog with their customers on Capitol Hill to ensure that the Department receives a thorough explanation of the requirement of the hearing, meeting, or briefing.
Congressional constituent inquiries:
* Replies to congressional, general public, and White House correspondence shall be overseen by the Correspondence Control Division in accordance with the standards of Administrative Instruction Number 7, DOD Manual for Written Material.
Personnel and Readiness
Handles military recruiting.
Military recruiting stresses a total quality approach that underscores teamwork and a strong customer focus as the foundation of our commitment to customer service. To make our military recruiting force more accessible to our customers, we have established:
* Convenient locations for our recruiting
facilities.
* Pleasant, professional-looking offices.
* Comfortable reception areas.
Recruitment advertising also is an essential component of our image to customers. Each year we invest about $125 million for television and radio spots (35 percent), magazine and newspaper advertisements (15 percent), and a range of promotional material, including direct mail programs. These efforts inform youth--and those who influence their decisions--of Armed Forces opportunities.
Performance Improvements and Management Reengineering
Encourages reinvention activities in the Department of Defense.
The Department has one overall standard:
* American confidence in the military and in those running the military will be at a high level.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Provides comprehensive engineering, management, and technical support to the Army, the Air Force, the Department of Defense, and other agencies.
We have adopted nationwide standards listed here.
If you are a soldier, airman, or member of a military family living and working on an Army or Air Force installation, you can count on the Corps to:
* Design and build quality housing and working areas within available funding.
If you are an installation commander or director of public works, you can count on the Corps to:
* Make our expertise promptly available to help you meet your construction, maintenance, environmental, and other engineering needs.
If you are a state, city, county, or tribe with a water resource problem, you can count on the Corps to:
* Define the problem and potential solutions within 12 to 18 months.
* Select the best alternative solution within three to four years.
* Design that solution within two years after the project is authorized for construction by Congress.
* Ensure that our construction contractors provide a quality product.
* Consult with you on all changes in project design, schedule, or budget.
* Provide you with information on actions you can take to reduce flood risk through our Flood Plain Management Services and Planning Assistance to States programs.
If you are a user of the nation's ports and inland waterways, you can count on the Corps to:
* Maintain harbor and waterway channels at navigable depths.
* Keep navigation locks on the waterways open at least 97 percent of the time.
* Notify you of scheduled lock outages at least 60 days in advance, and maintain procedures for notification of unscheduled outages.
* Share information with the navigation industry, and with state and local officials, on potential flood conditions.
If you are a hydroelectric power consumer or utility, you can count on the Corps to:
* Provide hydropower using the most cost-effective operation and maintenance methods.
If you are a resident of a community drawing water from a Corps project, you can count on the Corps to:
* Deliver a reliable supply of clean water to meet your community's needs.
If you are a visitor to a Corps recreation area, you can count on the Corps to:
* Operate clean, safe recreation areas and visitor centers, staffed by courteous employees.
If you are seeking a permit to do work in a wetland or waterway, you can count on the Corps to:
* Act on your inquiry (including questions on whether a piece of land is a "wetland" or whether a general permit applies) within 60 days.
* Process your individual permit, if you need one, within 120 days.
* Consider all factors in the public interest, including needs for economic development and environmental protection, in reaching a decision on your application.
* Visit and inspect at least 25 percent of the sites for which individual permits were issued during the previous year.
If you are an environmentalist, you can count on the Corps to:
* Identify environmental issues during the planning process for military and civil projects, or before we issue a permit for work in a waterway or wetland.
* Weigh costs and benefits to the environment with economic costs and benefits.
* Seek opportunities to modify Corps projects for environmental benefit.
* Monitor environmental measures once they are in place to evaluate their success.
* Inspect Civil Works facilities on a five-year cycle to keep them in full compliance with environmental law.
* Clean up hazardous and toxic waste sites as promptly and thoroughly as funding allows. Specifically:
-- start action within 180 days of customer funding.
-- award contracts within timeframes agreed to with customers.
-- not exceed cost estimates by more than 15 percent.
* Develop new solutions to environmental concerns and make them available to others.
If you are a resident of a community struck by natural disaster, you can count on the Corps to:
* Help your community leaders organize flood fighting and provide sandbags, pumps, and technical assistance in compliance with the law.
* Provide post-disaster technical assistance, clear and remove debris, and help restore critical public facilities and services.
* Provide water in cases of drought or contaminated local supplies for up to 30 days, or until your local government can provide safe water.
If you are a federal agency needing engineering support, you can count on the Corps to:
* Provide the services called for in our agreement with your agency.
* Give your mission equal priority with our military and civil work missions.
If you are a contractor doing business with the Corps, you can count on the Corps to:
* Operate as your partners in meeting a common goal.
* Meet with you on a periodic basis while work is in progress to resolve issues.
* Use Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve any disputes that may arise.
* Pay you promptly for work completed in accordance with your contract.
Education (Department)
Inspector General Investigation and Audit Services
Provides independent objective assistance to Congress and the Secretary by performing audits and investigation of Department programs and operations.
If you contact the Office of Inspector General Hotline about a complaint:
* We will respond to written complaints with at least an acknowledgment of receipt or notice of referral within 15 working days of our receipt of the complaint.
* If you telephone us with a complaint, we will advise you on the telephone or refer your complaint to the proper source.
Energy (Department)
Energy Information Administration
Seeks to be a leader in providing high-quality, policy-independent energy information to government, industry, and the public, in a manner that promotes sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding.
* Provide service through knowledgeable employees who will treat you with courtesy, dignity, and respect every time you do business with EIA.
* Follow standard statistical practices to ensure the accuracy and reliability of our data, and we will document everything we publish.
* Provide you with our best estimate of the time needed to complete your request and fully explain any delays.
* Offer options to service.
* Resolve customer needs through single-point contact whenever possible.
* Distribute our information in a format that fits your needs as resources allow.
* Provide instructions for accessing electronic information.
* Respond to written inquiries within five business days.
* Answer each customer telephone call within one business day, providing the requested information whenever possible.
* Write and speak in language that you can understand--free of government jargon, acronyms, and technical terms.
* Include a contact name and telephone number on every document and letter.
* Deliver services without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, marital or family status, and organization size or name.
National Security Business Line
Maintains nuclear weapons technology and competence that are responsive to national security needs; assists in the reduction of the worldwide nuclear stockpile by safely and securely dismantling thousands of nuclear weapons; transforms the national security infrastructure to meet the requirements for secure disposition of weapons capable materials; and maintains arms control and related technologies.
Office of Defense Programs
* Maintain or exceed the confidence and reliability standards as defined by the military characteristics for weapons, as measured by technical analysis by the National Laboratories, resulting in the continued maintenance of a safe and reliable stockpile.
* Dismantle weapons in accordance with the annual presidential directive, resulting in a reduction of over 6,000 nuclear weapons between 1994 and 1998.
Office on Nonproliferation and National Security
* Continue our program to build public
confidence by classifying fewer documents; declassifying more documents; and establishing in November 1994, an on-line bibliography of declassified documents available on request. Since 1993, classified documents have decreased by 70,000; this is a 791 percent improvement in declassification actions.
Office of Environment, Safety and Health
Seeks to achieve excellence in environmental, safety, and health activities and timely implementation.
* Maintain safe facilities.
* Demonstrate openness and take responsibility for our actions.
* Share technology advancements.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Conducts hearings and appeals on complaints of employment discrimination, establishes principles for affirmative action plans, and conducts training and informational activities for employers, unions, and community organizations.
As a complainant or respondent agency named in a federal employment complaint, you can expect us to:
* Treat you with respect and dignity.
* Look at all the ways we do business and the ways we relate to you and others. We want to find ways to improve the quality and speed of our services.
* Involve complainants and federal agencies to help us understand what you want, what you need, and what you think about the way we serve you.
* Support our front-line employees by giving them the tools and knowledge they need to provide the best possible service to you.
* Strengthen our commitment to customer service.
Executive Office of the President
Admittance to the White House Complex
Manages admittance process to the complex.
We will base our success on how well we meet the following standards:
* To greet all customers in a friendly manner.
* To expedite your entry to the Complex.
* To ensure that appointments are made correctly and in a timely manner to minimize delay.
* To provide a comfortable waiting environment for customers should there be an unlikely delay.
* To continually educate White House Complex employees about the admittance process.
Conference Rooms
Provides conference support for the Executive Office of the President.
We will base our success on how well we continue to ensure the following standards:
* That the conference rooms fully meet your expectations.
* That you receive accurate and helpful assistance at all stages of the conference room process.
* That your schedulers are given clear directions for how to reserve conference rooms.
* That the conference rooms are well-maintained (lighting, heating/cooling, quiet environment).
* That the room is ready at the time of your event.
Library and Information Services
Operates general reference libraries in the White House Complex.
We will base our success on how well we continue to ensure the following standards:
* That the libraries meet your immediate needs.
* That library staff is helpful, knowledgeable, and professional.
* That you are given the necessary tools to be able to quickly find what you need.
* That information you need is available through the libraries.
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Office of General Counsel
Manages federal sector labor-management relations
We exercise leadership in federal sector labor-management relations. We do this in the following ways:
* We know our customers, and we understand their needs.
* We provide our customers with the highest quality service.
* We treat our customers with respect, and we merit their trust by our professional conduct.
* We enforce the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute impartially and efficiently.
* Our customers can rely upon our national and field offices to interpret the statute with clarity, consistency, and uniformity.
* We provide leadership and training, tailored to our customers' needs, to enable them to develop productive labor-management relationships.
* We assist management and unions in fashioning alternative dispute resolution procedures, which reduce the cost of conflict and engender trust.
* When our efforts fail, our customers look to us for assistance in resolving meaningful disputes.
* We obtain effective remedies for unfair labor practices.
We create an environment for promoting the exercise of leadership in federal sector labor-management relations in the following ways:
* We treat people at all levels of our organization fairly and respectfully.
* We value highly their commitment, their hard work, and their views about the organization.
* We care about one another's personal and professional welfare.
* Diversity is valued and reflected at all levels of the organization.
* Managers and the Union of Authority Employees, as the recognized exclusive representative of the employees, are partners in developing and implementing goals and plans.
* We value initiative and innovation, and so we reward people who take risks that result in improved service to our customers.
* Our work environment provides job satisfaction and opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.
* We are committed to providing training to employees at all levels of the organization to enable them to excel at their work and to meet the challenge of new directions.
* Communications flow easily throughout the organization and intraregional communication is promoted.
* Employees at every level are provided the information they need.
* The national office provides clear guidance and effective support to the field offices.
* Work is distributed equally among the regions and among the agents within the regions.
As a result of our commitment to providing the highest quality service to our customers, and to creating a working environment that promotes dedication to making that goal a reality:
* Our customers view us as fair-minded, professional leaders who provide services vital to the development of successful labor-management relationships.
* Our work is recognized at all levels of the federal government as superior.
* We are viewed as a model for labor-management cooperation and partnership within the federal sector.
* Our employees receive substantial personal satisfaction in performing their jobs.
* High levels of trust exist within our organization and between us and our customers.
* We are given the resources necessary to provide the highest quality service.
* Government works better, and the public interest is better served.
General Services Administration
Improves the effectiveness of the federal government by ensuring quality work environments for its employees.
GSA has established the following standards to guide its relations with its federal customers.
Value:
* Competitive prices at the quality specified.
* Added value for the prices GSA is paid.
* Value as defined by our customers.
Quality:
* Products and services of consistently high quality.
Timeliness:
* Timely delivery of products and services.
* Prompt response to customer inquiries and requirements.
Ease of accessibility and convenience of service process:
* Competent and knowledgeable staff.
* Ease of access to people who can help.
Federal Supply Service
Fleet Management
Provides federal customers with quality vehicles and management services at a competitive cost.
Value:
* Interagency Fleet Management System (IFMS) rates paid by customers for vehicles, including maintenance and fuel, are below the average rate for commercial lease of comparable models, including maintenance and fuel.
Quality:
* Customer satisfaction with the quality of the vehicles provided at the rates charged will be maintained at a 90 percent level.
* Customer satisfaction with repairs to IFMS vehicles will be maintained at a 90 percent level.
Timeliness:
* Vehicles will be replaced within the timeframes agreed upon by IFMS and customers at a 90 percent satisfaction level.
* Establish a period of time for vehicle maintenance and repair activities that is acceptable to the customer at a 90 percent satisfaction level.
Ease of accessibility:
* Customer questions, problems, and concerns will be resolved by Fleet Management Centers within five working days.
* A Maintenance Control Center technician will be on the line with a customer within 75 seconds of the call being answered.
* SF 149 and SF 149A credit cards used by customers will be accepted at fueling stations convenient for the customer at a 95 percent satisfaction level.
Note: Standards are subject to change after customer review and comments.
Property Management
Transfers for re-utilization, or disposes of, government-owned assets other than real property.
Value:
* Standard to be developed by January 1, 1996.
Quality:
* Customers will be satisfied with the quality of information provided for at least 95 percent of the total number of lines transferred and sold.
Timeliness:
* Customer satisfaction is maintained by transferring 95 percent of all property reported for utilization or donation within established timeframes (transfers within 60 days, donations within 21).
* Customer satisfaction is maintained by selling 90 percent of all property reported for sale within established timeframes (vehicles within 60 days, all other within 90 days).
Ease of accessibility:
* Using our data collection techniques, we will validate our achievement of a standard of 95 percent customer satisfaction with the ease of access and convenience provided in utilization, donation, and sales transactions as of January 1, 1996.
Note: Standards are subject to change after customer review and comments.
Supply and Procurement
Provides federal customers with supplies, equipment, and services.
Value:
* Customers will benefit from savings of 20 percent over competitive sources.
Quality:
* Customer satisfaction with the quality of our products and services will be maintained at 90 percent or better.
Timeliness:
* We will meet or exceed our shipping commitments at least 95 percent of the time.
Ease of accessibility:
* Over 93 percent of all items will be available when ordered.
* Customer inquiries will be addressed immediately; concerns and problems will be responded to within two business days.
Note: Standards are subject to change after customer review and comment.
Travel and Transportation
Provides travel and transportation services to the federal worker.
Value:
* Savings attributable to our air fare program will continue to average 40 percent.
* Savings attributable to our traffic services will continue to average 30 percent off commercial rates.
Quality:
* Our household goods carrier program will result in good to excellent quality on at least 80 percent of moves.
Timeliness:
* To be developed by January 1, 1996.
Ease of accessibility:
* Contract airlines will be used when available for 80 percent of flights.
* Customer questions, problems, and concerns will be resolved within five working days.
Note: Standards are subject to change after customer review and comment.
Information Technology Service
Provides telecommunications and computer policy, equipment, and services for the federal government.
Value:
* ITS services will be customer-, price-, and cost-competitive and reflect the best value to the government.
Quality:
* ITS will provide solutions that meet or exceed customers' requirements and expectations and will involve customers in the development and improvement of services and standards
Timeliness:
* ITS will respond to customer needs in a timely, professional, and effective manner.
Ease of accessibility:
* ITS will make it easy for customers to do business with us.
Emerging Technology
Examines successful models and potential usage of emerging information technologies within the federal government.
Value:
* Early deployment of emerging technologies will meet or exceed 90 percent of customers' requirements and expectations.
Quality:
* Pilot projects will produce results that directly influence the decision on strategic use of appropriate technologies for 90 percent of the participating agencies.
Timeliness:
* Timeliness will be measured by meeting 95 percent of the target service dates established by the customers.
Ease of accessibility:
* The IT Access Working Group, comprising federal workers with disabilities and their agency program officials, will participate in the planning and testing of 100 percent of this office's projects. This function will leverage capacity-building by government bodies to address poorly understood customer requirements of citizens with disabilities.
GSA-Wide Information Technology
Provides federal workers with network and information management support, including e-mail and data networks.
Value:
* Services will be provided at the same or lower prices and costs than comparable suppliers. Comparisons with the marketplace will be accomplished using semiannual surveys.
Quality:
* 95 percent of customers will be satisfied with their network, information, and support services.
Timeliness:
* Services provided will meet customer needs and expectations for responsiveness 95 percent of the time.
* GSA equipment delivery orders will be prepared and transmitted to the contractor within four days from receipt of a valid requisition.
* Requests for information/services will be responded to within 24 hours.
Ease of accessibility:
* Customers will be involved in 95 percent of reinvention, policy determination, and focus group initiatives.
* Follow-up visits/calls will be made on at least 95 percent of completed technical support services.
Information Security
Provides information security services.
Value:
* Rates paid by customer agencies for information security services will result in a significant (10 percent or greater) cost savings to the government when compared with alternative sources.
Quality:
* Customer satisfaction with the quality of information security services will be maintained at a 95 percent level.
Timeliness:
* The Office will respond in a timely, professional and effective manner to customer requests for emergency service within six hours, 95 percent of the time.
Ease of accessibility:
* Every Office customer will have continual access to emergency service through an after-hours and weekend hotline for customer response.
* All customer inquiries directed to an account executive will be responded to within one business day.
Information Technology Acquisition
Improves services for all Americans through innovative governmentwide information technology and policy leadership.
Value:
* Contracts will be awarded at or below compatible commercial offer at least 95 percent of the time.
Quality:
* Achieve a 95 percent approval rating by customers.
Timeliness:
* Acquisitions will be awarded on time 95 percent of the time.
Ease of accessibility:
* Employees will respond to customer inquiries within 24 hours.
Information Technology Integration
Provides technical assistance for federal contracting of information technology systems.
Value:
* ITI will employ benchmarking to determine process improvements in standard procurement practices resulting in a 20 percent time/dollar savings on 50 percent or more of all procurements.
Quality:
* ITI will develop new services, including at least one new major business line each year, in response to customer requests.
Timeliness:
* ITI will respond to all customer needs in a timely and professional manner achieving a customer satisfaction rating of 95 percent on its customer satisfaction surveys.
Ease of accessibility:
* ITI will develop more effective service delivery by reviewing 100 percent of customer suggestions and incorporating customer and employee suggestions into work processes. These suggestions will be culled from client satisfaction surveys, client focus groups, and employee focus groups.
Information Technology Policy and Leadership
Provides policy for delegated authority to federal agencies to acquire information technology.
Value:
* 20 percent savings in governmentwide technology acquisitions through cost reductions.
Quality:
* 95 percent of customers will find that their agency's Information Resources Procurement and Management Review was conducted fairly and professionally.
Timeliness:
* 95 percent of customers will be satisfied with the responsiveness (i.e., promptness, communication, full attention to their needs) of GSA's conduct in their Agency Procurement Request.
Ease of accessibility:
* 95 percent of customers will find that the Federal Information Resources Management Regulation has been published in sufficient types of media (e.g. hard copy, CD-ROM, electronic bulletin board) to meet their agency's needs.
Local Telecommunications
Provides voice and data services, telecommunications equipment, and technical assistance for federal workers.
Value:
* Products and services in the Purchase of Telecommunication Services (POTS) program will attain at least a 25 percent cost savings over similar commercial lines.
* Local telecommunications lines will achieve at least a 38 percent cost savings per line compared to commercial and governmental organizations.
Quality:
* This office will achieve a 95 percent satisfactory rating on customer surveys.
Timeliness:
* All POTS/Telecommunication Support Contract contracts will be recompeted and awarded at 60 percent of the maximum dollar limit or 18 months before expiration date (whichever occurs first).
* 95 percent of Agency Procurement Requests will be completed within 10 business days from receipt of notification.
Ease of accessibility:
* 100 percent of Technical Contract Management Division contracts during FY 1995 will allow customers to order directly from the contractor and receive direct billing in return.
* After the first year of Telecommunication Ordering and Printing System implementation, customers will be able to electronically place orders from personal computers and obtain immediate access to current account information.
Office of FTS2000
Long Distance Telecommunications
Operates the federal government_s program for long distance voice data and video telecommunication services.
The Office of FTS2000 has identified the following customer service standards based on information and direction from you, our customers.
Value:
* Prices for FTS2000 services will remain below the average of the lowest commercial rates.
Quality:
* Our customers will receive error-free bills. In those rare cases when an error is identified, it will be corrected within the next billing cycle.
Timeliness:
* Monthly statements of account will be provided by the 16th of each month.
* Service enhancements will be completed within an average of 135 work days.
* At least 95 percent of service order due dates will be met.
Ease of accessibility:
* All calls will be returned within the business day.
Public Buildings Service
Commercial Broker
Acts as the federal government's commercial broker.
Value:
* Lease payments for large leases will be below the appraisal rate.
Quality:
* The Commercial Broker will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 90 percent according to the Transactional Report Cards.
Timeliness:
* Space assignments will be delivered within the agreed-upon timeframe.
Ease of accessibility:
* Customer satisfaction will be measured via transactional report cards against expectations established in the occupancy agreements. If the transactional report cards indicate any area of concern, appropriate personnel will contact the customers within five working days.
* Project managers and/or real estate specialists shall provide biweekly status reports on a transaction-by-transaction basis either verbally or in writing in order to be proactive in communicating with customers.
Federal Protective Service
Provides law enforcement and security services to federal employees in property managed by GSA.
Value:
* The operating costs for protective services will be equal to or below the average costs published by the Buildings Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).
Quality:
* The Federal Protective Service will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 85 percent as measured by the International Facilities and Management Association Survey.
Timeliness:
* The standard for emergency and/or life-threatening situations such as homicide, rapes, aggravated assaults, arson, robberies, bomb threats, and other similar incidents will be a maximum response time of five minutes.
* Nonemergency responses will be accomplished within 20 minutes.
Ease of accessibility:
* Customers will be queried on a random basis to obtain feedback on response time and quality of work. Service Call Report Cards will be left with the customers to be filled out on a voluntary basis after a transaction has been completed. If the report cards indicate an area of concern, appropriate personnel will contact the customer within five working days.
* Assign Physical Security Specialists as single points of contact to provide an ongoing customer relationship.
Fee Developer
Provides repair/alteration and modernization of existing buildings and buildings newly constructed or lease-purchased through GSA.
Value:
* Project construction budgets will be less than or equal to comparable industry-based costs.
Quality:
* The Fee Developer will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 90 percent according to the Transactional Report Cards.
Timeliness:
* Complete projects in accordance with the agreed-upon schedule approved by the customer.
Ease of accessibility:
* Project managers shall provide biweekly status reports on all projects either orally or in writing in order to be proactive in communicating with customers.
* Assign Project Managers to all major projects. The Project manager will contact and involve the customer at the onset of project development and will serve as the one point of contact to the customer through final occupancy.
* Customers will be queried to obtain feedback on response time and quality of work. Transactional Report Cards will be left with the customers to be filled out on a voluntary basis after a transaction has been completed. If the Transactional Report Cards indicate an area of concern, appropriate personnel will contact the customer within five working days.
Property Disposal
Provides a full range of disposal and appraisal services for federal agencies.
Value:
* The actual sales price of property sold is greater than the fair market value.
Quality:
* Property Disposal will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 90 percent according to the Transactional Report Cards.
Timeliness:
* Dispose of reimbursable real property within 135 days.
Ease of accessibility:
* Customers will be queried on a regular basis to obtain feedback on response time and quality of work. Report Cards will be left with the customer to be filled out on a voluntary basis. Areas of concern will be addressed within five working days.
Property Management
Provides a full range of property management services for properties and buildings managed by GSA.
Value:
* The operating costs for property management will be equal to or below the average costs published by the Buildings Owners and Managers Association.
Quality:
* Property Management will achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 85 percent as measured by the International Facilities Management Association Survey.
Timeliness:
* The cycle time for Reimbursible Work Authorizations and the response time of service calls will meet customers' expectations. The performance will be measured through the use of Transactional Report Cards.
Ease of accessibility:
* Customers will be queried on a random basis to obtain feedback on response time and quality of work. Transactional Report Cards will be left with the customers to be filled out on a voluntary basis after a transaction has been completed. If the Transactional Report Cards indicate an area of concern, appropriate personnel will contact the customer within five working days.
Justice (Department)
Bureau of Prisons
Federal Prison Industries
Trains and employs inmates at federal institutions.
FPI is committed to total customer satisfaction, striving to maintain the highest standards of customer service. FPI's fundamental customer service standards are the following:
* Deliver all products and services on time.
* Process all orders received within two working days.
* Provide a customer acknowledgment of all orders within five working days.
* Expand the QuickShip program significantly for products shipped within 30 days.
* Answer each incoming call to the Customer Service 1-800 number within 30 seconds.
* Respond to all customer waiver requests within five working days.
* Meet marketplace pricing and customer quality requirements on all products and services.
* Conduct customer surveys each year.
* Ensure that products and services pass each customer's quality testing and cost-pricing requirements.
* Respond to all customer inquiries within two working days.
* Provide timely and accurate marketing information to customers on all UNICOR products and services.
* Offer specific customer feedback mechanisms in its catalogs, direct mailings, advertisements, and trade shows.
* Mail the full-line catalog within 14 working days of customer requests.
Office of the Inspector General
Enforces and investigates.
OIG-wide standards:
* All OIG employees will maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
* The OIG will provide reports that are well-written, report facts accurately, and provide information that is useful to the recipient.
* OIG personnel will minimize disruption of Department of Justice operations to the extent practicable.
* All OIG work will be conducted in a timely manner.
Audit Division standards:
* Audit Division personnel will foster open
and frequent communication with auditees throughout the audit regarding areas for review, audit objectives, findings, and recommendations.
* In addition to frequent communication with the component being audited, any negative condition discovered during an audit will be communicated to management.
* At the conclusion of every audit, and in addition to the yearly customer surveys, the Audit Division will survey orally the respective component to solicit feedback as to the positive and negative aspects of the audit as well as additional work the auditee would like to have pursued.
* The Audit Division will adhere to the requirements of the United States Trustees reimbursable agreement by issuing a targeted percentage of trustee audit reports within the specified timeframes.
Inspections Division standards:
* During the review process, the Inspections Division will seek input from program managers to identify the most significant issues facing our customers and the most useful approaches for addressing them.
* The Inspections Division will communicate with program managers, at agreed-upon intervals, during the inspection review process.
* Issues arising during the course of our reviews that are determined to be significant by Inspections Division management will be brought to customers' attention within three business days.
* Customers will be given an opportunity to comment on the service provided to them by the Inspections Division.
Investigations Division standards:
* On average, investigative case days will not exceed 170 days.
* OIG Special Agents will conduct themselves in a fair and unbiased manner during all inquiries.
* The confidentiality of a complainant or a source of information will be maintained.
* Disclosure of the identity of an employee complainant or employee source of information will be made only with the employee's consent, unless it is determined that disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation.
* All OIG Special Agents, especially supervisors, will ensure that no unnecessary risks are taken and that operations are conducted with the safety of all in mind.
Labor (Department)
Employment Standards Administration
Office of Workers Compensation Programs: Division of Federal Employees' Compensation
Provides federal employees who sustain work-related injury or disease with benefits for medical care and wage loss replacement, as well as assistance in returning to work.
Services our customers can expect:
Prompt Adjudication. If you are an injured worker, you can expect timely adjudication of your compensation claims:
* For traumatic injuries, this means a decision within 45 days of receipt in all but the most complex cases.
* For the large majority of occupational illness cases, which require more extensive evidentiary development, a decision should be forthcoming within six months of receipt.
* For very complex occupational illness cases, a decision should be rendered within 10 months of receipt.
Prompt Payment. Injured workers can also expect prompt payment of claims in accepted cases:
* Where medical evidence supports disability, compensation payments are usually made within 14 days of submission to our district office by the employing agency.
* Medical bills, whether submitted directly by the providers or as reimbursement requests by injured workers, are usually approved for payment (or denied if not payable) within 28 days of receipt.
Assistance in Returning to Work. The Federal Employees I Compensation Act gives injured workers the right to reclaim their federal jobs within one year of the onset of wage loss. We will do everything we can to assist employees in returning to work during that time period, and, if necessary, beyond. Injured workers and employing agencies can expect timely and quality case management services, which include the following:
* Assignment of a registered nurse to work with any injured worker who cannot return to work soon after the injury. The nurse ensures that appropriate medical care is provided and assists the worker in returning to employment.
* Referral to a medical specialist for a second opinion examination where required by the worker's medical condition or the office's need for additional medical information.
* Vocational rehabilitation services if the employee is unable to return to work at the employing agency or in his or her previous job category.
Merit Systems Protection Board
Protect federal employees' rights.
We have established these standards to assure our customers that they receive the quality of service to which they are entitled and to assure the public as a whole that we are ably promoting and protecting the federal merit systems.
Mission I--Adjudication of Appeals:
* We will make our regulations easy to understand and our procedures easy to follow.
* We will process appeals in a fair, objective manner, according respect and courtesy to all parties.
* We will promptly and courteously respond to customer inquiries.
* We will facilitate the settlement of appeals.
* We will issue readable decisions based on consistent interpretation and application of law and regulation.
* We will issue decisions in initial appeals within 120 days of receipt and within 110 days on petitions for review, except where full and fair adjudication of an appeal requires a longer period.
* We will make our decisions readily available to our customers.
Mission II--Oversight of the Federal Merit Systems and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management:
* We will conduct research on topics and issues relevant to the effective operation of the federal merit systems and the significant actions of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management; perform sound, objective analysis; and where warranted, develop practical recommendations for improvement.
* We will issue timely, readable reports on the findings and recommendations of our research and make these reports available to all interested individuals and parties.
* We will enhance the constructive impact of our studies and reports through outreach efforts.
* We will conduct surveys of our customers from time to time to see how well we are meeting these standards. However, if at any time, you have comments or suggestions concerning our service, we invite you to provide feedback to our Chairman, Mr. Ben Erdreich, through our Clerk of the Board, at 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20419, telephone (202) 653-7200, fax number (202) 653-7130. Electronic mail may be sent over the Internet to mspb@mspb.gov.
Office of Personnel Management
Federal Employment Information System
Serves job seekers and displaced federal employees by providing information on federal employment.
Our customer service standards:
* We will provide you with courteous and timely service.
* We will update our nationwide job listings every business day.
* We will have Employment Information Specialists available to answer your questions on the nationwide Career America Connection telephone system, (912) 757-3000.
* We will provide 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week access to nationwide job information.
* We will respond to your requests for applications and routine information within one business day.
* We pledge to respond to your requests for employment information within one business day, and requests for more detailed information within five days.
* We will use your suggestions and complaints to improve our service continually. We will always remember we work for you, the American public.
Office of Insurance Programs
Retirement and Insurance Service: Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program
Provides a stable, cost-effective, and quality program of life insurance to meet the needs of federal employees, retirees, and their families.
* When you use the FEGLI booklet, you will find it is clear and factual and gives you the information you need.
* You and your beneficiaries will receive prompt, accurate, and courteous assistance from OFEGLI, which can be reached directly through a toll-free hotline (1-800-OFE-GLIA, 1-800-633-4542).
* Once a claim for death benefits or dismemberment is fully documented, OFEGLI will generally pay it within 10 workdays.
* We will respond to correspondence within 30 days of when we receive your letter. If we need more information before giving you an answer, we will send you an interim response.
Retirement and Insurance Service: Federal Employees Health Benefits
Provides a stable, cost-effective, and quality program of health insurance to meet the needs of federal employees, retirees, their families, and others enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
* Your choice of health benefits plans will compare favorably for value and selection with the private sector.
* When you use the FEHB Guide and plan benefit brochures, you will find they are clear and factual and give you the information you need.
* When you change plans or options, you should receive your new identification card within 45 days after your new plan gets your enrollment form from your agency.
* Your fee-for-service plan should pay your claims within 20 work days; if more information is needed, it should pay within 60 days.
* If you ask us to review a claim dispute with your plan, our decision will be fair and easy to understand; we will send it to you within 60 days.
* If you need to do more before we can review a claim dispute, we will tell you within 14 workdays what you still need to do.
* We will respond to correspondence within 30 days of when we receive your letter. If we need more information before giving you an answer, we will send you an interim response.
Retirement and Insurance Service: Retirement Benefits
Provides accurate, efficient, and timely retirement benefits and services to Civil Service Retirement System and Federal Employees Retirement System employees, retirees, and their families.
For retiring employees:
* We will make your transition to retirement as seamless as possible. As agencies begin to participate in this program, your federal income tax and direct deposit arrangements will be automatically maintained by us.
* Your first annuity payment will probably be on its way to you within five working days from when we receive your retirement papers from your agency. If you are participating in the direct deposit program, your account will be credited within seven working days. We will meet this standard 90 percent of the time by the end of 1995.
* You can expect to receive professional and personalized information concerning your retirement and the status of your application for benefits.
For survivors of retirees:
* We will be prepared to assist you in filing the paperwork needed to obtain benefits.
* We will initiate processing your benefit when you call us about your loss.
For our established customers (account holders):
* You can count on our reliability: you will receive your recurring benefit payment on the first business day of every month.
* We will tailor our services to meet your needs. For example, we will accept tax withholding requests based on dollar amounts or exemptions and filing status. Your requests for this and other selected services will be accepted by us either in writing or by phone.
State (Department)
Diplomatic Security Service
Personnel Security/Suitability Division
Conducts and adjudicates investigations to ensure suitability of applicants.
The standards listed below represent our commitments and goals for providing quality service and leadership in the foreign affairs security community:
* Work with our Bureau customers to clear their prospective employees or identify clearance problems within 65 working days from the date of their request.
* Provide information on personnel security programs regularly to all State Department employees so they can contribute effectively to making our work environment secure, worldwide.
* Continue streamlining security clearance procedures, including work on common clearance standards across government lines.
Office of Foreign Missions
Diplomatic and Consular Missions
Provides services to diplomatic personnel stationed in the United States, while assuring reciprocity, as required.
The goal of the Department of State is to establish, for foreign nations' diplomatic and consular missions and their personnel, a regime of service that is readily understood, simple in execution, and sensitive to the time constraints of the consumers involved. OFM currently operates the following programs, which are subject to the provisions of the Customer Service Plan:
* Diplomatic motor vehicles.
* Goods and services.
* Travel.
* Real property.
* Customs.
* Tax exemption.
Note: The established standards for each of these programs are spelled out in applicable diplomatic notes, which have been used to notify the customers involved. The standards employed are governed by our commitment to quality, but tempered by reciprocity as required.
Office of Overseas Schools
Promotes quality educational opportunities at the elementary and secondary levels for dependents of American citizens overseas.
The Office of Overseas Schools is committed to
providing its customers with service of the highest possible quality within resources available. In doing so, the Office strives to meet the following standards:
* If you request information on overseas schools, we will provide professional, knowledgeable, and courteous service. When written material is pertinent, we will send it to you within 24 hours of the request.
* In accord with legislative criteria and post recommendations, we will provide grant assistance each year to schools that enroll U.S. citizen school-age dependents.
* If you request assistance in locating an appropriate school for your child(ren), including those with special needs, we will provide options within one week of your request.
* To enhance appropriate education for dependents of U.S. citizens abroad, we will administer technical support activities to encourage school improvement and foster excellence in elementary and secondary education in American-sponsored overseas schools.
Transportation (Department)
Federal Railroad Administration
Promotes a safe railroad industry and encourages policies that help rail realize its full potential.
For federal employees, we will:
* Guarantee that managers will set an example of their commitment to customer service and communicate this to every employee.
* Establish that senior management will ensure that customer service requirements are understood and responded to throughout the agency.
* Create a customer service contract by every employee, identifying ways that they will provide customer service.
* Answer congressional letters within five working days and all other letters from our customers within 10 working days.
* Survey and review the Office of Chief Counsel's processes and procedures that are of concern to its staff and other FRA offices.
* Publicly recognize and reward the Office of Chief Counsel's staff achievements.
* Ensure that the headquarters attorney assigned as the primary Chief Counsel contact for a region should visit that region at least one or two weeks a year to increase the physical presence of the legal staff in the field.
* Enhance Chief Counsel's ability to provide customer service through the use of videoconferencing.
* Provide standardized responses under the Federal Torts Claim Act to typical situations, including specific instructions to claimants as to how to comply with applicable laws and regulations to reduce confusion with respect to legal requirements for first-time claimants.
* Improve information flow to requesters under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by providing interim responses acknowledging their requests within three days of receipt in Chief Counsel's Office. Respond to telephone calls seeking the status of pending FOIA requests within 24 hours.
* Develop Quality Review Teams to ensure that legal services are consistent with the needs and desires of all our regional customers.
* Provide the general public and all FRA employees with requested information as quickly as possible.
* Ensure that the Office of the Secretary staff has adequate time to review, fact-check, and clear news releases for public distribution.
* Ensure that FRA's Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Regional Managers have the tools necessary to promote the life-saving messages of the "Always Expect a Train" campaign.
* Determine consistency in policies and procedures for creating Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for all personnel.
* Issue the Administrator's Civil Rights Policy Statement to all FRA employees and new personnel.
* Identify problems and barriers and provide assistance to employees on procedures for filing complaints of discrimination.
* Publicize EEO and Affirmative Program
policies.
* Notify employees on impacts of newly enacted civil rights legislation and/or interagency changes.
* Provide FRA employees with formal customer service training and on-the-job training, and explore new ways of doing business and implement the most efficient ones.
* Develop an Alternative Work Schedule program and make changes based on evaluation results.
* Develop and implement a telecommuting program.
* Complete needs assessment to provide adequate training opportunities for managers, executives, and employees.
* Provide Partnership Training to address issues that are of mutual benefit to the union and management.
* Review the current Performance Management System to determine the feasibility/disability of revising it.
* Implement and provide training on all facets of the new Integrated Personnel and Payroll System as they become available.
* Utilize all appointing authorities and personnel programs to reach diverse candidates for hiring and advancement.
* Distribute customer service surveys to a representative sampling of all customers; review and tabulate the results; revise or modify policies, procedures, and programs, if necessary; and notify customers of any changes.
* Rate the quality of the service provided by our computer technicians and identify areas for improvement.
* Empower staff and agency IMPAC credit card holders with maximum dollar delegations of authority with minimal reviews.
* Review wants and needs, as well as problems, noted with computer hardware, software, and remote connectivity of FRA customers.
* Review ways to streamline the information technology acquisition process.
* Provide accounting information about various FRA programs to program managers and fund administrators.
* Provide current information to employees on travel entitlements and status of vouchers, and develop a new methodology for electronically preparing, processing, and paying for all travel expense vouchers to reimburse individual employees for various expenses incurred while performing their assigned duties.
* Clarify guidelines, including policy and technical issues, to all program offices.
* Track all adjustments during the three phases of the budget cycle and provide feedback to program offices.
* Issue financial plans and related documents for all program offices.
* Determine status of funds and adjustments needed to maximize funding options.
* Bring a systems approach to rail safety that emphasizes uniformity and consistency in safety assurance.
* Streamline the regulatory process with an emphasis on developing quantitative data justifications for decisionmaking purposes.
* Minimize the amount of time necessary to generate and distribute inspection reports.
* Review the first year's activities of the Technical Review Committee (TRC) and make refinements accordingly to make TRCs more efficient.
* Develop improved performance standards for inspectors.
* Ensure consistency of information presented on hours of service.
* Assist FRA personnel in preparation of hours-of-service presentations.
* Furnish briefing information to the rail industry, the public, and FRA employees on recent alcohol and drug control and engineer certification requirements.
* Promptly publish results of R&D projects.
Treasury (Department)
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Currency and Stamps
Prints and provides paper money to the Federal Reserve Banks and prints stamps for the U.S. Postal Service.
Paper money:
* You can expect us to deliver 100 percent of your orders for currency to the Federal Reserve Banks each week. We will measure compliance on a monthly basis by reporting the proportion of total orders completed to the total number of items delivered.
* You can expect us to conduct an audit of your currency destruction activities annually.
* You can expect us to assist you in calibrating your currency verification systems equipment monthly.
* You can expect us to respond within 24 hours to complaints regarding discrepancies in shipments or defects in product quality.
Stamps:
* You can expect to participate in the review and concurrence process for equipment and materials specifications.
* You can expect to be included in the prepress artwork and models review.
* You can expect the BEP to deliver a product that matches the expectations agreed upon in artwork reviews.
* You can expect us to deliver 100 percent of agreed-upon postage stamp orders to you in accordance with your 13 accounting periods. We measure compliance daily by reporting the proportion of total orders completed and a count of items delivered. The measure is calculated by the proportion of the total stamps ordered and a count of stamps delivered to the USPS vault. Feedback can be directed to our Office of Production Management, (202) 874-2615.
* We measure our effectiveness by verifying the production and shipment schedules. Finished goods produced in advance for the convenience of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing are not billed to you until delivery. You can call the Office of Production Management, (202) 874-2615, with any questions.
* We respond to your request for a change in production scheduling within 24 hours.
* Once we make a proposal for a revised production schedule, you can expect us to deliver within the parameters of that proposal.
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Training of Law Enforcement Officials
Provides training for federal, state, local, and international law enforcement personnel.
* We will maintain Administrative Services at a level 4, as measured by the Student Feedback System.
* We will maintain Program Services at a level 5, as measured by the Student Feedback System.
* We will maintain a rating of 90 percent for customer services as reflected in the 1994 Customer Satisfaction Survey.
* We will provide 100 percent of the participating organizations' requests for basic training.
U.S. Mint
Mints and supplies coins to the Federal Reserve Banks.
* We will work to improve our ability to meet Federal Reserve Bank coin requirements and to maintain inventories at sufficient levels to fulfill Federal Reserve Banks' coin distribution mission.
* We will coordinate and communicate planned shipments quarterly in accordance with your orders.
U.S. Secret Service
Office of Investigations
Maintains the integrity and public trust of the nation's financial systems. The Secret Service conducts investigations to assist U.S. Attorneys with their prosecutions of crimes involving counterfeiting, forgery, and other kinds of fraud.
Because we want to provide the U.S. Attorneys with completed investigations consistent with their prosecution priorities, the Secret Service has set the following standards for this relationship:
* Special Agents in Charge will maintain ongoing and frequent liaison with U.S. Attorneys in their districts, to discuss current, new, or changing prosecution policies.
* Specific service standards agreements will be determined after consultations between the Secret Service and each U.S. Attorney. These standards will be tailored to reflect the unique needs of each U.S. Attorney and the respective judicial district.
* A minimum of 25 percent of all U.S. Attorneys or their designees will be interviewed each year by a representative of the Director of the Secret Service. These interviews will ensure that the needs and priorities of the U.S. Attorney's Office are being met by the local Secret Service Office.
U.S. International Trade Commission
Furnishes studies, reports, and recommendations involving international trade and tariffs to the President, Congress, and other government agencies.
* Staff will stay fully abreast of official Commission activities and determinations in order to provide complete and accurate information and guidance to their customers.
* Staff will greet all customers in a courteous and helpful manner, and assist them by:
-- helping locate requested information,
-- putting the customer in direct contact with appropriate ITC technical experts when inquiries exceed staff's own knowledge, and
-- helping customers find appropriate information sources outside the ITC when inquiries are not related to the ITC's mission and functions.
* To the extent resources allow, staff will fulfill all requests for published information, reports, and documents within 24 hours of receiving the request.
* To the extent resources allow, telephones will be answered directly by staff. When voice mail must be used, it will be monitored and responded to as promptly as possible. No call will be held unacknowledged for more than 24 hours after its receipt.