FOIA Advisory Committee Seeks Input on Draft Model Determination Letter

"Here Lies a Good Idea. Don't Let Your Idea Die. Put it in the Suggestion Box Today." National Archives Identifier 514482 As presented and discussed at the June 8, 2023, FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting, the Modernization Subcommittee seeks public feedback on a model determination letter from federal agencies, FOIA requesters, and the public, before finalizing … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee Seeks Input on Draft Model Determination Letter

New Resources Available on OGIS Website

https://giphy.com/gifs/usnationalarchives-archives-archivesgif-naid12065-wlRdOoUTVBI63NGjS3 Book reading by US National Archives via GIPHY. From National Archives Identifier 12065. We recently published two resources that are now available on the OGIS website. The first is an Ombuds Observer on the decommissioning of FOIAonline. It highlights the history of FOIAonline and what the next steps are for requesters and agencies as … Continue reading New Resources Available on OGIS Website

Join us June 13 for our Annual Open Meeting

Uncle Sam Wants Your Ideas! Keep 'Em Firing. National Archives Identifier 534244 In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act statute, OGIS will host our Annual Open Meeting at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 13. Please join us as we hear from OGIS Director Alina M. Semo about OGIS’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 annual report. Members of the public will … Continue reading Join us June 13 for our Annual Open Meeting

FOIA Advisory Committee Meets on June 8

https://giphy.com/gifs/usnationalarchives-nasa-satellite-communications-26UtCvTRqLIDdeWih1 Rocket Science Space by US National Archives via GIPHY. From National Archives Identifier 45002. The next meeting of the 2022-2024 term of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee is on Thursday, June 8, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET.  This virtual meeting is open to the public and registration is … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee Meets on June 8

Ensuring Effective Portal Communication with Requesters: Even When They’re on Vacation!

Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter fishing on August 26, 1978. National Archives Identifier 180949. OGIS has observed recently that agencies are increasingly using portals to send response letters and records to requesters. OGIS applauds this approach as portals are faster than U.S. postal mail and more secure than email. However, OGIS encourages agencies to consider … Continue reading Ensuring Effective Portal Communication with Requesters: Even When They’re on Vacation!

Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting Recap

A new webpage cataloging Office of Government information Services (OGIS) recommendations and best practices, a model for analyzing FOIA programs and technology, and an update on an interactive search tool on FOIA.gov were among the matters discussed at the April 25, 2023, meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council.  Missed the meeting? Catch up by … Continue reading Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting Recap

OGIS Launches New Quarterly Reporting

Beginning in fiscal year 2023, OGIS has launched a new reporting graphic that tracks quarterly data and activities. In the past we shared mediation statistics with regard to the number of cases we managed. And while that work continues — we respond to more than 4,000 inquiries a year — it is just as important … Continue reading OGIS Launches New Quarterly Reporting

Register for the April 25 Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting

https://giphy.com/gifs/doors-washington-dc-national-archives-3oz8xN5m2zcnRupgv6 Washington DC Doors by US National Archives via GIPHY. From National Archives Identifier 12065. Plan to attend the next Chief FOIA Officers Council meeting at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 25. The meeting is open to Chief FOIA Officers, FOIA professionals and the public. We invite you to either watch the livestream of the … Continue reading Register for the April 25 Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Bobak Talebian

Bobak Talebian, Director of the Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice, providing remarks at the March 13, 2023, OIP Sunshine Week program. Photo courtesy of Alina M. Semo. Today we present an interview with Bobak Talebian, Director of the Office of Information Policy (OIP) at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Bobak Talebian

Making Access Happen – Sunshine Week 2023

FOIA Advisory Committee member Alex Howard and OGIS Director Alina M. Semo at the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy’s Sunshine Week program on Monday, March 13, in Washington, D.C (Photo courtesy of Alex Howard) March 12-18, 2023, is Sunshine Week and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) and National Archives and Records … Continue reading Making Access Happen – Sunshine Week 2023