§ 221.1 The U.S. Postal Service.

(a) The U.S. Postal Service has been established as an independent establishment within the executive branch of the Government of the United

States under the provisions of the Postal Reorganization Act of August 12, 1970, Pub. L. 91-375, 84 Stat. 719.

(b) As a complement to the information in the regulations in this part, a concise statement of the organization of the Postal Service can be found in the United State Government Organization Manual.

[38 FR 20403, July 31, 1973]

(b) The Postmaster General determines appeals from the actions of staff and department heads, except that in cases where the PMG has delegated authority to make a decision to a subordinate, such subordinate may also determine appeals within the authority delegated.

(c) The Board of Governors has directed that the Postmaster General exercise the powers of the Postal Service to the extent that such exercise does not conflict with power reserved to the Board by law. The Postmaster General is authorized to direct any officer, employee, or agency of the Postal Service to exercise such of the PMG's powers as the PMG deems appropriate. For the direction of the Board of Governors that the Postmaster General exercise the powers of the Postal Service, see §§ 3.5 and 4.3 of this chapter.

[38 FR 20403, July 31, 1973, as amended at 43 FR 29117, July 6, 1978; 45 FR 43718, June 30, 1980]

§ 221.4 Deputy Postmaster General.

(a) The Deputy Postmaster General is the alternate chief executive officer of the Postal Service. The Deputy is appointed and can be removed by the Postmaster General and the Governors. The Deputy is a voting member of the Board of Governors.

(b) The Deputy Postmaster General is required to perform all tasks as assigned by the Postmaster General. The Deputy acts as Postmaster General in the Postmaster General's absence or whenever a vacancy exists in the Office of Postmaster General.

(c) For delineation of authority of the Deputy Postmaster General by the Board of Governors see § 4.4 of this chapter.

[38 FR 20403, July 31, 1973, as amended at 41 FR 16941, Apr. 23, 1976; 43 FR 29117, July 6, 1978; 45 FR 43718, June 30, 1980]

§ 221.5 Groups and departments.

(a) Postal Service Headquarters is primarily divided into five groups—Administration, Employee and Labor Relations, Finance, Operations, and Research and Technology. Each group is headed by a Senior Assistant Postmaster General. The Senior Assistant

Postmasters General report directly to the Postmaster General or to the Deputy Postmaster General. These Senior Assistant Postmasters General are responsible for the following activities within their assigned areas:

(1) Program planning, direction, and review;

(2) Establishment of policies, procedures, and standards; and

(3) Operational determinations not within the full jurisdiction of field officers.

(b) Each group is in turn divided into departments or offices headed by either Assistant Postmasters General or Directors who report to the Senior Assistant Postmaster General. The heads of these departments and offices are responsible for assisting the Senior Assistant Postmasters General in carrying out the activities assigned their groups.

(c) Certain other Headquarters units report directly to the Postmaster General. These include the Law Department, headed by the General Counsel, the Inspection Service Department, headed by the Chief Postal Inspector, and the Planning Department, headed by an Assistant Postmaster General. Also reporting to the Postmaster General are the Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General, the Assistant Postmaster General for Government Relations, and the Assistant Postmaster General for Public and Employee Communications.

(d)(1) The Executive Committee is the established organization through which the Postmaster General and his top staff collectively consider and act on major policy, planning, and other management control matters. the Executive Committee is composed of:

(i) The Postmaster General, Chairman;

(ii) The Deputy Postmaster General; (iii) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Administration Group;

(iv) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General; Employee and Labor Relations Group;

(v) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Finance Group;

(vi) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Operations Group;

(vii) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Research and Technology Group;

(viii) The Assistant Postmaster General, Government Relations Department;

(ix) The Assistant Postmaster General, Public and Employee Communications Department;

(x) The Chief Postal Inspector; and (xi) The General Counsel.

(2) The Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General is secretary to the Executive Committee.

(e) Statements of the functions of the various groups, departments, and offices can be found in Part 224 of this chapter.

[38 FR 20403, July 31, 1973, as amended at 38 FR 31007, Nov. 9, 1973. Redesignated and amended at 40 FR 11722, Mar. 13, 1975; 41 FR 16941, Apr. 23, 1976; 42 FR 18859, Apr. 11, 1977; 43 FR 29117, July 6, 1978; 43 FR 41984, Sept. 19, 1978; 45 FR 43718, June 30, 1980]

§ 221.6 Postal Regions.

(a) There are five Postal Regions. Each region is headed by a Regional Postmaster General who reports to the Deputy Postmaster General, and has overall responsibility for operational activities (except those reserved to Headquarters) of the Postal Service within his region.

(b) Each Regional Postmaster General's office includes five departments-Mail Processing, Customer Services, Finance, Employee and Labor Relations, and Real Estate and Buildings. Each regional department is headed by a Regional Director who reports to the Regional Postmaster General. While the Regional Directors, Employee and Labor Relations, report to the Regional Postmasters General for administrative purposes, functional direction is provided to them by the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Employee and Labor Relations.

(c) In addition to the five departments, there is within each Regional Postmaster General's office a Law Division, which is headed by a Regional Counsel, and a Public and Employee Communications Division, which is headed by a General Manager. The Regional Counsel and General Manager, Public and Employee Communi

cations, report to the Regional Postmaster General.

(d)(1) Postal Regions are composed of districts headed by District Managers whose organizational units are in turn composed of management sectional centers headed by Sectional Center Managers, large Independent Post Offices headed by Postmasters, and bulk mail centers headed by Bulk Mail Center Managers.

(2) Each District Manager reports to the Regional Postmaster General, and has line responsibility for postal operations (except those reserved to Headquarters and Regions) in the management sectional centers, Independent Post Offices and bulk mail centers within the District area.

(3) Each Sectional Center Manager reports to a District Manager, and has line responsibility for postal operations (except those reserved to Headquarters and Regions) within the Management Sectional Center area.

(4) Each Bulk Mail Center Manager reports to a District Manager, and has line responsibility for postal operations (except those reserved to Headquarters and Regions) within the Bulk Mail Center.

(5) The General Manager, New York International and Bulk Mail Center, reports to the Regional Postmaster General.

(6) The Air Mail Facility at JFK New York, and O'Hare Field, Chicago, are headed by Operations Managers who report to their District Managers. (e) For a detailed statement of the organization of the Postal Regions, see Part 225 of this subchapter.

[41 FR 16941, Apr. 23, 1976, as amended at 43 FR 29117, July 6, 1978; 46 FR 34329, July 1, 1981]

§ 221.7 Officers serve at pleasure of Postmaster General.

The following officers of the Postal Service are appointed by the Postmaster General and serve at his pleasure: Senior Assistant Postmasters General, Regional Postmasters General, the General Counsel, Assistant Postmasters General, the Consumer Advocate, the Chief Inspector, the Judicial Officer, the Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General, and the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Postmas

222.3 222.4

Contents of delegations.
Redelegation.

222.5 Authority to approve personnel actions and administer oaths of office for employment.

222.6 Authority to administer oaths other than for employment.

222.7 Authority to designate certifying officers-Headquarters.

222.8 Authority to designate certifying officers-Field.

222.9 Delegation of authority to the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Finance. 222.10 Delegation of Authority to the Director, Office of International Postal Affairs.

AUTHORITY: 39 U.S.C. 203, 204, 401(2), 402, 403, 404, 409, as enacted by Pub. L. 91-375, 84 Stat. 719.

SOURCE: 38 FR 20404, July 31, 1973, unless otherwise noted.

§ 222.1 Authority for delegation.

(a) The Postmaster General is empowered to authorize any employee or agency of the Service to exercise any function vested in the Postal Service, in him, or in any other Postal Service employee.

(b) The Deputy Postmaster General is the full alternate to the Postmaster General.

(c) When, by reason of absence, disability, or vacancy in office, neither the Postmaster General nor the Deputy Postmaster General can act as Postmaster General, the first available official on the following list will do so as acting Postmaster General:

(1) Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Administration;

(2) Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Operations.

(d) The Postmaster General has been authorized by the Board of Governors to exercise the powers of the Postal Service to the full extent that such exercise is lawful. See §§ 3.5 and 4.3 of this chapter.

(e) The Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General, the Senior Assistant Postmasters General, the General Counsel, the Chief Inspector, the Judicial Officer, the Assistant Postmaster General, Government Relations Department, and the Assistant Postmaster General, Public and Employee Communications Department, act for the Postmaster General on assigned matters. Each of these officers is authorized to exercise the powers and functions of the Postal Service under the Postal Reorganization Act, in respect to matters within the area of his responsibility, except as limited by law or by the specific terms of his assignment.

(f) Each head of a department or office who reports to a Senior Assistant Postmaster General is authorized to exercise the powers and functions of that Senior Assistant Postmaster General within the area of responsibility of his department or office, except as such authority may be reserved or rescinded by the Senior Assistant Postmaster General or is limited by law or the terms of his specific assignment.

[38 FR 20404, July 31, 1973, as amended at 42 FR 18859, Apr. 11, 1977; 46 FR 34330, July 1, 1981]

§ 222.2 Media of delegation.

(a) All delegations of authority shall be issued through official directives.

(b) Headquarters or regional officials shall not orally authorize postmasters to deviate from published instructions, except in emergencies. An oral authorization shall be confirmed by a memorandum or order dated subsequent to the issuance date of the most recently published instructions on the subject. Postal inspectors shall charge as irregularities any imdeviations properly authorized observed in the course of office inspections.

§ 222.3 Contents of delegations.

(a) Delegations of authority shall ordinarily be made by position title rather than by name of the individual involved. An officer or executive acting in the absence of a principal has his principal's full authority.

(b) When authority is delegated to an officer, the officers above him shall have the same authority. Delegated authority shall not extend to aides except when an aide serves on an acting basis (see paragraph (a) of this section) or unless the aide is specifically authorized by his superior to exercise such authority.

(c) A delegation must accord with the law and regulations under which it is made and contain such specific limiting conditions as may be appropriate.

§ 222.4 Redelegation.

(a) Except as otherwise prohibited by law, or by a regulation that expressly prohibits redelegation, or by the terms of the delegation:

(1) The head of a group, department, or office at Headquarters is authorized to redelegate any authority vested in him.

(2) A Regional Postmaster General or head of a regional department, division, or branch is authorized to redelegate any authority vested in him subject to the condition that redelegation to members of a regional staff must be consistent with the then current regional organizational structure.

(3) A District Manager, is authorized to redelegate, subject to or within guidelines issued by the Regional Postmaster General, any authority vested in him provided that the redelegation is consistent with the current organizational structure.

(4) A Director, Postal Data Center, is authorized to redelegate any authority vested in him.

(5) Heads of management sectional centers and other field installations are authorized to redelegate to members of their respective staffs any authority vested in them.

[38 FR 20404, July 31, 1973, as amended at 41 FR 16941, Apr. 23, 1976]

§ 222.5 Authority to approve personnel actions and administer oaths of office for employment.

(a) Delegation. The following are authorized to effect appointments, administer oaths, and take other personnel actions:

(1) Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Employee and Labor Relations, Assistant Postmasters General, Employee Relations Department

Labor Relations Department; (2) Chief Inspector;

(3) Regional Chief Inspectors; (4) Inspectors-in-Charge;

and

(5) Regional Postmasters General; (6) Heads of postal field installations including those reporting directly to specified departments in Headquarters or to Regional Postmasters General;

(7) Officials occupying personnel services positions PMS-16 and above and PES positions when their positions include responsibility for functions such as recruitment, appointments, placement, position changes and separations, and related personnel processing.

(b) Personnel actions for employees of "other installations." As specifically authorized by either the Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Employee and Labor Relations or a Regional Postmaster General, officers and employees listed in paragraph (a) of this section may approve personnel actions for employees in offices or installations other than their own as a crossservice, as a central personnel office, or on a special need basis.

(c) Transfers of accountability. In addition to other personnel authorized under this section, Postal System Examiners may administer oaths of office for employment at any post office in conjunction with transfers of accountability.

[38 FR 20404, July 31, 1973, as amended at 40 FR 13498, Mar. 27, 1975; 43 FR 29117, July 6, 1978]

§ 222.6 Authority to administer oaths other than for employment.

The following are authorized to administer oaths concerning matters other than employment:

(a) Postal inspectors with regard to any matter coming before them in the performance of their official duties;

(b) Any member of a board who is assigned to conduct hearings or investigations in which sworn testimony, affidavits, or depositions are required and each officer or employee assigned to conduct such hearings or investigations;

(c) Postmasters. See § 244.1 of this chapter.

[38 FR 20404, July 31, 1973, as amended at 40 FR 26511, June 24, 1975]

§ 222.7 Authority to designate certifying officers-Headquarters.

(a) Delegation. The following are authorized to designate certifying officers at Headquarters for the items specified:

(1) The Chief Inspector, for: (i) Payment from his special deposit account; (ii) disbursements for rewards based on Postmaster General Notices of Reward; (iii) payments from confidential funds; (iv) salary payments for Special Investigations Division; (v) advances of funds for confidential purposes; (vi) inspection service, travel advances, transportation of things; and (vii) payments for special analyses and services.

(2) The General Counsel certifies payments relating to tort claims and claims under 39 U.S.C. 2603.

(3) The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Finance, certifies all payments not covered by paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section.

(b) Redelegation. The officials named in paragraph (a) of this section are authorized to redelegate their authority to designate certifying officers. The redelegation shall be made by letter to the appropriate Postal Data Center disbursing officer and must bear the specimen signature of the person to whom the authority is redelegated.

(c) Designating certifying officers— (1) Inspection Service and Law Department. Officials authorized to designate certifying officers (see paragraph (a) of this section) will complete SF 210, Signature Card for Certifying Officer, in duplicate for each Postal Data Center disbursing officer affected to show:

(i) Name of department for which vouchers will be certified.