Final Report and Recommendations of the 2016-2018 FOIA Advisory Committee Released

On April 17, 2018 the 2016-2018 Term of the FOIA Advisory Committee wrapped up its work by approving its Final Report and Recommendations.  The report is the culmination of two years of work by individuals with particular FOIA expertise inside and outside of government who were able to develop consensus solutions to some of the … Continue reading Final Report and Recommendations of the 2016-2018 FOIA Advisory Committee Released

Time is Running Out: Register Today for the Second Annual OGIS Open Meeting!

Don’t forget to register to join us for the Second Annual OGIS Open Meeting on Friday, May 18th from 10 a.m. to noon. This is your opportunity to learn more about our activities, hear from members of the FOIA Advisory Committee, and share your views! After welcoming remarks from Deputy Archivist of the United States … Continue reading Time is Running Out: Register Today for the Second Annual OGIS Open Meeting!

Five Ways Agencies are Improving FOIA Compliance

As we wrote about in our Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Annual Report, our agency compliance assessment process recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to administering FOIA—each agency’s records are unique and as such, management of the FOIA process differs. We have observed that successful FOIA programs share three general characteristics: they manage their resources … Continue reading Five Ways Agencies are Improving FOIA Compliance

Volunteer to Improve the Administration of FOIA

Did you hear that we are currently accepting nominations for the 2018-2020 Term of the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee? Who should be nominated? We are looking for agency FOIA professionals and nongovernment members who are interested in working to improve the administration of FOIA. From the government, we are looking for representatives  from both Cabinet-level … Continue reading Volunteer to Improve the Administration of FOIA

Don’t Miss Our Second Annual Open Meeting: May 18, 2018

Registration is now open for our Second Annual Open Meeting on Friday, May 18, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives. The purpose of the meeting is to provide the public with an update on OGIS’s activities, and give interested persons an opportunity to present oral … Continue reading Don’t Miss Our Second Annual Open Meeting: May 18, 2018

Time to Register for Our May 8th Dispute Resolution Skills Training Session!

Registration is now open for our May 8 Dispute Resolution Skills for FOIA Professionals training session. Space is limited and seats fill up fast, so make sure you act now to reserve your spot for this free training! We ask that you register with your government email address and tell us your agency—we want to … Continue reading Time to Register for Our May 8th Dispute Resolution Skills Training Session!

FOIA Advisory Committee Set to Vote on Final Report and Recommendations on April 17th

On Tuesday, April 17th, the FOIA Advisory Committee will wrap up its current two-year term and vote on its Final Report and Recommendations. As regular readers of our blog know, during this term the FOIA Advisory Committee examined specific areas where federal agencies could take action and implement initiatives to improve proactive disclosures, FOIA searches, … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee Set to Vote on Final Report and Recommendations on April 17th

Outbreak of Interesting FOIA Discussions Reported at CDC Atlanta HQ

On Wednesday, March 28, OGIS’s Mediation Team Lead Carrie McGuire facilitated a FOIA forum at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. This special event brought together FOIA processors, FOIA coordinators, appeals staff and others from across the federal government to discuss FOIA issues of special interest. For years, OGIS has … Continue reading Outbreak of Interesting FOIA Discussions Reported at CDC Atlanta HQ