Schedule
Mapped to the SOW's own deliverable table
The OIG published the calendar: award estimated October 1, 2026; four research notes three months after kickoff; white paper review approximately five months after kickoff. Our plan front-loads evidence capture so drafts reach the OIG well before the deliverable dates.
Kickoff
Within one week of award, per SOW 3.e.1
Research notes 1-4
Four Word-format notes, each 5 pages max plus attachments
Note review
Review meetings within two weeks of delivery
White paper review
Accuracy and clarity review, meeting within one week
Cadence
Week by week
- 1
Week 1 (Oct 2026)
Kickoff: data inventory, evidence standard agreed, biweekly cadence set, and a working session on the comparability dimensions that will govern Task 1a
- 2
Weeks 2-4
Screen candidate domestic entities against the agreed dimensions and draft the rationale for each finalist
- 3
Week 4 (est. Nov 1, 2026)
Deliverable 2: the comparison set of up to six domestic entities with written rationale, in Word, for OIG agreement
- 4
Weeks 5-9
Field the capability and revenue-strategy matrices across the agreed set and the competitor set; UX task walkthroughs captured with screen evidence
- 5
Weeks 10-12
Draft research notes shared for OIG comment in working sessions; opportunity register screened for legal feasibility
- 6
Week 13 (Jan 2027)
Deliverables 3-6: all four research notes delivered (est. January 4); note-review meeting within two weeks (est. January 18)
- 7
Feb-Mar 2027
OIG drafts white paper; HSG reviews draft for accuracy and clarity, review meeting within one week (est. March 1)
Deliverables
All nine SOW deliverables, owned
| Task | Scope | Due |
|---|---|---|
| T1a | Comparison set: up to six relevant domestic entities, with rationale A proposed set of no more than six domestic entities, public or private, comparable in some way to the Postal Service, each with a brief written rationale for inclusion, delivered in Microsoft Word. Unique visitors is one relevance factor; the SOW invites others, and the rationale is where the analytical work shows. | 1 month after kickoff (est. November 1, 2026) |
| T1b | Research note: USPS digital channels vs. relevant domestic entities How USPS digital channels compare to the offerings of the entities agreed in Task 1a: available platforms including primary sites, apps, and other channels, and the digital revenue strategies comparators use. Revenue-stream types, not amounts. Max 5 single-spaced pages plus attachments. | 3 months after kickoff (est. January 4, 2027) |
| T2 | Research note: USPS digital channels vs. domestic competitors Digital offerings from Amazon, UPS, FedEx, and other domestic parcel operators; how competitors monetize their websites; comparison of digital revenue-stream types (not amounts). Max 5 single-spaced pages plus attachments. | 3 months after kickoff (est. January 4, 2027) |
| T3 | Research note: UX of revenue-generating tasks on USPS digital channels Broad heuristic review (not usability testing, not 508 review) of purchasing postage, stamps, and merchandise on usps.com and the USPS Mobile App; barriers and friction that suppress completion. Capped at 20 percent of the overall budget by the SOW. | 3 months after kickoff (est. January 4, 2027) |
| T4 | Research note: revenue-generation opportunities from USPS digital channels Modifications to existing streams and entirely new digital revenue streams with estimated revenue, explicitly screened against the Postal Service's status as a government agency. Builds on Tasks 1-3. | 3 months after kickoff (est. January 4, 2027) |
| T5 | Regular meetings with the OIG Kickoff on or around October 1, 2026; standing biweekly working sessions covering status, data needs, roadblocks, and draft findings; review meetings after research notes and the draft white paper. | Kickoff within 1 week of award; biweekly throughout |
| T6 | Review and comment on the draft white paper Read the OIG's draft white paper and verify research findings are represented accurately and clearly; review meeting within one week of receipt. | Approx. 5 months after kickoff (est. March 1, 2027) |
Contract shape
What the OIG published
Vehicle
Firm Fixed Price
$100,000 not-to-exceed (published in the SOW)
NAICS
541990
All other professional, scientific, and technical services
Location
Virtual or in-person
Meetings per SOW 3.e; HSG operates in Tampa and Washington, DC
Dates are the SOW’s own estimates. Firm pricing is not requested at the RFI stage and is not published here; the plan holds Task 3 under the SOW’s 20 percent budget cap.