shall be processed within 90 days. When a complaint has not been resolved within these time limitations, the complainant may appeal to the Civil Service Commission for a review of the reasons for the delay in the processing of his complaint.

(h) Report of disposition of complaint (1) By the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. Within 10 calendar days of the close of a complaint, the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer shall report to the Director, Bureau of Inspections, U.S. Civil Service Commission, Washington, D.C. 20415, the disposition of the complaint, whether the complaint was closed because of a rejection or cancellation of the complaint, or a decision on the merits of the complaint. For each closed complaint there shall be submitted a separate report, consisting of the following information:

(i) Name of the complainant (in the event of a group appeal, the name of one complainant selected to identify the group).

(ii) Title and grade of complainant's position or of the complainant's position selected to identify the group.

(iii) Date on which the complaint was received.

(iv) A description of the action, decision, or condition giving rise to the complaint.

(v) Nature of the complaint (kind of discrimination alleged).

(vi) Name and location of the employing activity.

(vii) Nature of the closing action (including the reason for any rejection or cancellation) and a description of any corrective action resulting from the complaint.

(viii) Date of the closing action.

(ix) Name and title of the official taking the closing action.

(x) A statement as to whether or not the complainant has appealed the closing action to the Commission, when known.

(xi) As attachments to the report, a copy of the complaint, a description of any additional allegations of discrimination made during the investigation or hearing, a copy of the agency's notice of final action on the complaint.

(2) By the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. The Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer shall submit a disposition report on all cases, in duplicate, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. For each closed complaint, a separate report shall be submitted, in duplicate, in the format

outlined in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph.

(i) Retention of regional complaint file. After the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer has submitted his disposition report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, the regional office retention file of the case shall be returned to the control clerk in the office of the Director, Industrial Relations Division.

§ 747.5 Organization or third party complaints.

(a) Definition. A complaint of general discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, filed by an individual, a group of individuals, or any organization, whether or not connected with the Department shall be accepted as a third party complaint. Third party complaints of discrimination are not to be related to a specific complaint. General allegations of discrimination which are related to a specific complaint, or allegations pertaining to the environment out of which the specific complaint arose, shall be processed as outlined in §§ 747.1 through 747.4(i).

(b) Receipt and acceptance. When a complaint of the nature described in this section is received by the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, it shall immediately be forwarded to the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for his determination as to how it shall be handled.

(c) Disposition by Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. When the complaint is remanded to the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, he shall immediately initiate an investigation. After the investigation, the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer shall attempt to settle the complaint informally. When the complaint is settled informally, the procedures provided in § 747.4(a) (2) shall be followed. When the complaint is not settled informally, no hearing will be held. The Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer will forward the complete file, along with his comments and recommendations, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer.

(d) Decision of the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. Based on the total record, the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer shall render a written decision, which shall be final and from which there is no further appeal.

(e) Retention of regional complaint

file. After the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer has submitted his disposition report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, the regional office retention file of the case shall be returned to the control clerk in the office of the Director, Industrial Relations Division.

§ 747.6 Equal employment opportunity complaints in conjunction with adverse action appeals filed with the Civil Service Commission.

(a) Processing by the Department. When an appellant alleges discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex or national origin in his adverse action appeal to the Civil Service Commission's Regional Office, Regional Directors in

Sec.

their capacity as Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officers will assign a Hearing Officer-Investigator to conduct the necessary investigation of the complaint. Upon completion of the investigation, the Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer will furnish the Commission with a copy of the summary of investigation and finding of fact. No further action on the issue of discrimination is required.

(b) Civil Service Commission. The Civil Service Commission's Regional Office will process the appeal in the usual fashion and render a decision on the issues in the appeal, including the issue of discrimination. This decision will be appealable to the Commission's Board of Appeals and Review.

PART 811-RESPONSIBILITY

DISTRIBUTION

(a) All responsibilities and authorities for performance of the work of the Post Office Department are vested by law in the Postmaster General, who may redelegate them to subordinate officers. The Postmaster General operates by delegation, as provided in this part, except as to any matters which he may generally or specifically reserve for his personal decision, notwithstanding formal delegations.

(b) The Deputy Postmaster General functions as full alternate to the Postmaster General with full authority to act in his stead on all matters.

(c) During any period when, by reason of absence, disability, or vacancy in office, neither the Postmaster General nor the Deputy Postmaster General is available to exercise the powers or perform the duties of the office of Post

General,

(6) General Counsel. (7) Assistant Postmaster Bureau of Research and Engineering. § 811.2 Bureaus and offices.

(a) The Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster General are assisted in the performance of their duties by six Assistant Postmasters General, the General Counsel, and the Chief Postal Inspector, who are assigned to Department Headquarters. Functions of these officers, each within the area of his assigned responsibility, relate mainly to:

(1) Program planning, direction, and review.

(2) Establishment of policies, procedures, and standards, and other guidelines.

(3) Operational determinations on

matters not logically within the full jurisdiction of field officers.

(b) Each bureau and office, as affected, shall participate in the selection of key officials in the regional components of the Field Postal Establishment; shall review personnel actions warranting Headquarters action; and shall deal with employee organizations on matters within its jurisdiction.

§ 811.3 Postal field service.

(a) The postal field service is divided into fifteen regions, each under the jurisdiction of a Regional Director, who is responsible for:

(1) Efficient operation of all post offices and other postal installations (except those specifically reserved to Headquarters) within his region in accordance with official delegations and prescribed policies, procedures, and standards.

(2) Referral to superior authority of matters requiring higher decision, accompanied by appropriate recommendations.

(3) Reporting of performance, special problems, trends, and other operating information necessary for effective planning and action by Headquarters.

(b) Following are the official abbreviations and numerical designations of the 15 regions of the Post Office Department. They should be used, respectively, when abbreviations or numbers are used to identify the regions. This does not permit the substitution of abbreviations or numbers in formal reports when names of regions should be used.

(1) Directing activities of the postal data center with responsibility for data management and processing functions for assigned postal regional areas.

(2) Providing leadership in developing, implementing and operating data processing systems which integrate several areas of management interest and use several categories of equipment.

(3) Accomplishing systems projects of national significance in improving information and management systems of the postal service.

(4) Contributing to the Post Office Department's search for developing and implementing advanced management sciences in capturing, processing, reporting and balancing information for use of postal service managers.

(5) Ajudicating tort claims in amounts less than $100. Adjudicating postmasters' claims for losses due to fire, theft, burglary or other unavoidable casualties.

(d) Following are the official abbreviations and designations of the six postal data centers of the Post Office Department. They should be used, respectively, when abbreviations or alphabetical designations are used to identify the centers. This does not permit the substitution of abbreviations or designations in formal reports where names of centers should be used.

BOS.

Sec.

St. Louis.

812.1

Wichita..

WIC.

10

12

812.4

Denver..

812.5

Authority to effect personnel actions. Authority to administer oaths.

Authority for delegation.

Contents of delegations.

Redelegation.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 812 issued under 5 U.S.C. 301, 39 U.S.C. 501.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 12 apepar at 32 F.R. 5326, Mar. 30, 1967, unless otherwise noted.

§ 812.1

Authority for delegation.

(a) The Postmaster General is vested with authority for the administration of all functions of the Post Office Department (39 U.S.C. 302) and is authorized to delegate to any officer, employee, or agency of the Department such of the functions vested by law in him or any other officer or employee of the Department as he deems appropriate (39 U.S.C. 309).

(b) The Deputy Postmaster General functions as full alternate to the Postmaster General with authority to act in his stead on all matters.

(c) Each Assistant Postmaster General, the General Counsel, and the Chief Postal Inspector are authorized to act on behalf of the Postmaster General on all matters within the area of their assigned duties. In the absence of any of these officers from duty, his functions shall be discharged by his deputy or other designated officer, next in line, who shall sign documents in his own name as Acting Assistant Postmaster General, Acting General Counsel, etc. Prior approval of the Postmaster General or Deputy Postmaster General is required before an officer of lesser rank than a Deputy Assistant Postmaster General may be designated to act as head of a bureau or office.

(a) All delegations of authority shall be issued through officially established media as defined in this part. Statements of delegation shall normally be prepared for inclusion in the Postal Manual or other manuals of regulations and procedures, in the style of such manuals.

(b) Chapter 8 of the Postal Manual shall serve as the general medium for conferring authority to organization units and their heads to perform the duties and responsibilities delegated to them. Other official issuance series may be used as media for conveying specific, related operating authorities when issuance in the Postal Manual is not ap

propriate or feasible. Individual memoranda of delegation, numbered serially for record purposes, may be issued when required.

(c) In addition to publication in suitable headquarters and field service series, delegations shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER when required.

(d) 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 deviations not properly authorized which are observed in the course of office inspections.

§ 812.3

Contents of delegations.

(a) Delegations shall ordinarily be made by position title rather than by individual name. The term "chief or acting chief" or any comparable term need not be used as it will be presumed that the officer acting in the absence of a principal shall have the full authority of that principal.

(b) When authority is delegated to an officer, the officers in line of command above the officer to whom authority is delegated shall have the same authority. This authority shall not extend to associates, deputies, assistant chiefs, assistants to the chief, or other aides to a principal, except on an acting basis as specified in paragraph (a) of this section or unless specifically authorized.

(c) A delegation shall set forth the specific actions for which an officer has authority and limitations and special conditions for exercising the authority. Any delegation of authority shall be subject to legally prescribed conditions or criteria of execution, whether or not mentioned in the delegations. Conditions or criteria may be administratively included. A delegation may also include a requirement to make periodic reports of the exercise of the delegated authority.

§ 812.4 Redelegation.

(a) The head of a bureau or office may redelegate any authority vested in him,

except as otherwise provided by law or administrative regulations.

(b) Authority to commit the Post Office Department or the U.S. Government may be subdelegated by the Deputy Postmaster General or by the head of a bureau or office.

(c) Other subordinate officers may not redelegate authority to perform acts in accordance with legal requirements except as specifically designated to do so by the head of a bureau or office.

(d) An officer may delegate responsibility for ordinary performance of duties, except as provided in paragraph (a) of this section.

does not preclude securing administrative clearances and approvals that may be required by instructions implementing this section issued through other media.

[32 F.R. 5326, Mar. 30, 1967, as amended at 33 F.R. 18027, Dec. 4, 1968]

§ 812.6 Authority to administer oaths.

(a) Delegation. The following officials are authorized to administer oaths of office in connection with employment: (1) Regional headquarters.

Regional Director.

Deputy Regional Director.

Director, Industrial Relations Division.
Regional Controller.

Chief, Personnel Programs Branch Manager,
Personnel Services Section.

Employment and Placement Officers.

Personnel Assistant.

Postal Service Officer.

(2) Postal data centers.

Director, Postal Data Center.
Director, Systems and Planning Division.
(3) Postal installations.
Postmasters.

Assistant Postmasters.

Chief, Administrative Service, or Director, Office of Administrative Services, only to Contractors, Contract Stations and

Branches.

Superintendent and Administrative Assistant, Mail Bag Depository.

Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent (where authorized) and Administrative Assistant of Combined Mail Bag Depository and Mail Bag Repair Center.

Supervisor assigned to Personnel Office in postal installation.

Executive Secretary, Postal Board of Civil Service Examiners.

Area Supply Manager; Deputy Area Supply Manager; Superintendent and Personnel Officer, Supply Center.

Manager, Assistant Manager, and Administrative Assistant, Mail Equipment Shops. U.S. Stamped Envelope Agent.

(4) Inspection service.

Postal Inspector in Charge.

Deputy Postal Inspector in Charge.
Assistant Postal Inspector in Charge.
Postal Inspector.

Area Manager, Internal Audit Division.

(5) Automatic data processing center. Director, Automatic Data Processing Center.

(b) Prohibition on redelegation. Authority delegated to officers and super