Though the “sunny” forecast in Washington D.C. actually ended up being rather snowy, we were still feeling the warmth during Sunshine Week. We gave you a preview of the events we planned to attend during Sunshine Week, and wrote about Director Nisbet’s Senate testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but here are some other exciting things that happened in the world of Government transparency.
More Support From the Top
We’ve written about the importance of executive support for FOIA, and the National Archives and Records Administration’s own Archivist of the United States David Ferriero blazed a trail last Sunshine Week with a message to all employees reminding them that FOIA is everyone’s responsibility. Mr. Ferriero wrote another all-staff message about NARA’s open government efforts, sent during Sunshine Week 2014. We are so grateful for the support.
We were pleased to hear that Treasury’s Chief FOIA Officer sent a similar message to all Treasury employees this year. Nani Coloretti wrote: “As you know, the responsibility for responding to FOIA requests doesn’t rest solely on Treasury’s FOIA staff. FOIA is everyone’s responsibility. Thank you for taking this obligation seriously by helping the Department’s FOIA professionals respond quickly to FOIA requests.” This is a good reminder for everyone.
OGIS Updates
OGIS published several items during Sunshine Week. The first, our 2014 report, provides a window into our work over the last year. And what a year it has been—we’re down a staff member, our case load is up 40 percent, and we were audited by the Government Accountability Office.
OGIS also began making final letters to our customers available on our website. These letters, which often close the requests for mediation services that OGIS receives, provide unique insight into our work. The collection of letters is a work in progress—watch the site for additional letters in the coming months.
Finally, OGIS released two recommendations for 2014. We suggest that when procuring new technology, upgrading existing technology, or even creating a new database, agency program officers consult with their records managers and FOIA professionals to best determine how the records will be managed, how the agency might efficiently and effectively search for records in response to FOIA requests for the information contained in those records, and, ideally, how the agency might proactively disclose the information or data.
We also recommended that Executive Branch guidance be issued to agencies that focuses on ways agencies can provide exemplary customer service to FOIA requesters, with particular attention to the importance of appropriate dispute resolution through the FOIA Public Liaisons and through working with OGIS.
It seemed like wherever we went during Sunshine Week, event attendees were discussing OGIS’s activities related to the National Action Plan. We’ve written about the FOIA Modernization Committee that OGIS will be leading, and we heard a lot of support for and interest in that idea. OGIS will also have a seat at the table as agencies convene to discuss the creation of a common FOIA regulation. We look forward to these efforts and their positive impact on government openness.
Agencies Celebrate FOIA
We wrote about the Census Bureau’s Sunshine Week plans, but Census is not the only Federal agency to organize a Sunshine Week event. The Department of Homeland Security hosted a FOIA Day celebration, where OGIS Director Miriam Nisbet spoke about the important work done by FOIA professionals. Treasury also spread a little sunshine, with a Sunshine Week celebration for Department FOIA professionals. We’d love to hear about what you did to celebrate Sunshine Week 2014!
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