FOIA Advisory Committee to meet October 21

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. The meeting, which is open to the public, will discuss the FOIA issues on which the Committee has agreed to focus:  FOIA oversight and accountability, proactive disclosures, and FOIA fees. Speakers will include David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States; … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee to meet October 21

Register to attend the June 24, 2014 FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HOST AN OPEN MEETING ON JUNE 24, 2014 DATE: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 TIME OF MEETING: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm WHERE: The Archivist's Reception Room, Room 105 in the National Archives Building ADDRESS: 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20408-0001 WHAT: The newly established Freedom of … Continue reading Register to attend the June 24, 2014 FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting

FOIA Advisory Committee to Meet June 24

The first meeting of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee is scheduled for June 24, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C. The meeting will be open to the public and we will provide registration information in the coming weeks. The FOIA Advisory Committee was … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee to Meet June 24

Second U.S. Open Government National Action Plan Highlights FOIA

The United States released its second Open Government National Action Plan on December 5, announcing 23 new initiatives to further transparency and encourage a more efficient and effective government. One initiative, Modernizing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), lists five specific commitments the government plans to undertake over the next two years. The National Action … Continue reading Second U.S. Open Government National Action Plan Highlights FOIA

Managing Emails & Government Records: Are your ducks in a row?

In his November 28, 2011 Presidential Memorandum -Managing Government Records, President Obama noted “proper records management is the backbone of open Government.” Sound records management helps agencies carry out their missions, promotes accountability by documenting agency activities, and fosters open Government. As we’ve written before, good records management is essential for good FOIA programs. That’s … Continue reading Managing Emails & Government Records: Are your ducks in a row?

Surging ahead into the electronic world

As we move toward a more digitized society, we’re continually looking to build upon electronic access and management of government records. FOIA requesters and agency FOIA professionals came together this week to discuss issues they face working with electronic records. Records management was a key point of discussion — electronic records can be incredibly time-saving, … Continue reading Surging ahead into the electronic world

White House Assesses FOIA Commitments

  In its March 29 self-assessment of the National Action Plan, the White House evaluated its progress on the two FOIA-related components of that plan: professionalizing FOIA administration and harnessing the power of technology. During Sunshine Week 2012, the Office of Personnel Management announced the creation of the Government Information Series. This specialized field within … Continue reading White House Assesses FOIA Commitments

Requesting Records Across Agencies

With 100 departments and agencies, the Executive Branch can feel downright massive sometimes. Although each of the 100 has a separate and distinct mission, and no doubt creates very different kinds of records, there is also some overlap in the way agencies operate and with the records they keep. Since its start, OGIS has been … Continue reading Requesting Records Across Agencies

Civil War-era Pension Records: An OGIS Case Study

When University of California–Los Angeles economics professor Dora Costa started looking at aging processes and extreme longevity, she knew military files of Civil War veterans would be crucial to her research. Costa planned to compare medical records and life histories of Civil War veterans with present-day veterans’ records for soldiers who lived to be at … Continue reading Civil War-era Pension Records: An OGIS Case Study