The Postal Service and the General Services Administration (GSA) have teamed up to assist federal employees with their government credentials.
GSA, a federal agency that manages government real estate, typically operates hundreds of USAccess sites that provide federal employees and contractors with credentialing services and support.
However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, almost 500 USAccess sites have closed across the nation, leaving employees and contractors with fewer options.
Under the USAaccess Point pilot program, seven Post Offices in the Washington, DC, area are serving as credentialing sites.
So far, the Post Offices have provided services to more than 4,400 federal employees.
“The Postal Service takes great pride in our ability to serve the American public through our nationwide network of Post Offices. We are excited to work with GSA on the USAccess Point pilot and use our footprint to make government services more convenient and accessible,” said Jeffrey Tackes, the USPS acting digital business services director.
The collaboration with GSA, which launched in the fall, is part of the Postal Service’s broader effort to leverage its retail network and trusted reputation. USPS has also teamed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to offer fingerprinting services at 80 Post Offices across the nation.
The USAccess Point pilot is expected be a first step in an ongoing collaboration between the Postal Service and GSA that could further improve the government’s credentialing processes.
“This is an opportunity that could help reshape the way USAccess delivers services,” said Darlene Gore, GSA’s identity credential and access management division director. “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.”
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