GSA Blog

Success Through Collaboration: USPS and GSA “Pointing” Identity in the Right Direction

GSA and the United States Postal Service (USPS) have joined forces to solve the credentialing problem that many federal agencies are experiencing during this extraordinary health crisis. The collaborative solution, called the USAccess Point pilot, provides greater access to convenient credentialing services by leveraging seven Washington, D.C. metro area post offices as USAccess credentialing sites.

Imagine you are a federal employee and you receive a notification to update your personal identity verification (PIV) card certificates. Imagine there are no available USAccess credentialing sites nearby, so you must make an appointment at the nearest location an hour away. Not only is it inconvenient, but it disrupts most of your workday. 

This scenario is common for thousands of federal employees, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem. Nearly 500 USAccess sites have closed, straining the capacity of the sites that remain open. 

Enter the USAccess Point pilot. The pilot launched on November 5, 2020 and has already served more than 4,400 federal employees. Participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. More than 90 percent of customers surveyed said they were very satisfied or satisfied with their experience:

• Suitland (MD) Post Office: "This was the most enjoyable and easy appointment! I came early and got right in to update my card. So pleasant and quick and easy." - USDA employee 
• Ben Franklin (DC) Post Office: "I highly recommend utilizing the Post Office for this service. It was easy, convenient, and quick. The staff was professional and friendly. Very positive experience."  - International Development Finance Institution employee
• Herndon (VA) Post Office: "Very good experience; hopefully this becomes a permanent solution. Very nice location; easy to get to; plenty of parking." - GSA employee

The pilot is the first step in this collaboration with USPS to enhance customer service, create efficiencies and optimize the identity management and PIV credentialing processes. 

“This is an opportunity that could help reshape the way USAccess delivers services,” said GSA Identity Credential and Access Management Division Director Darlene Gore. “The collaboration allows for innovations in the federal shared services model and could lead to offering additional identity management services at USPS sites in the future.”

“The Postal Service takes great pride in our ability to serve the American public through our nationwide network of Post Offices,” said USPS Acting Director of Digital Business Services Jeff Tackes. “We are excited to work with GSA on the USAccess Point Pilot and use our footprint to make government services more convenient and accessible.”

To learn more about the USAccess Program, visit www.gsa.gov/usaccess. And if you are in the Washington metro area and need credentialing services, consider making an appointment at one of the USAccess Point locations.