Calling all FOIA professionals! Registration is now open for the November 2nd session of our popular training, “Dispute Resolution Skills for FOIA Professionals,” which will be held at the OGIS offices in downtown Washington, DC. This free, daylong training session helps FOIA professionals develop valuable communication skills for preventing and resolving FOIA disputes. Attendees also … Continue reading Reserve a Seat for the Upcoming Dispute Resolution Skills Training Session
The Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council met on October 4th to discuss the Final Report and Recommendations issued by the 2016-2018 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee and related guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy (OIP). What follows are a few highlights from the presentation: Archivist of the United … Continue reading Wrap Up of October CFO Council Meeting
Did you know that October is Conflict Resolution Month? While we at OGIS believe that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is important every month, we are also happy to have an excuse to highlight our ADR activities. OGIS’s Mediation Program We offer dispute resolution services, including mediation and other informal processes such as facilitation or conciliation, … Continue reading Happy Dispute Resolution Month from OGIS!
The Chief FOIA Officers Council will meet on October 4, 2018, at 10 a.m. in the William G. McGowan Theater, and this meeting is open to the public. If you want to attend in person, please register using Eventbrite. If you cannot attend in person, feel free to join us via livestream. The Chief FOIA … Continue reading Register to Attend the October 4 Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting
The third term of the FOIA Advisory Committee met for the first time on September 6, 2018, at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero and FOIA Advisory Committee Chairperson Alina M. Semo welcomed the Committee members, who introduced themselves and shared why they joined the Committee. The … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee Sets Its 2018-2020 Agenda
If you did not get a chance to register to attend the first meeting of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee’s 2018-2020 term, don’t despair! You can still join us on September 6, 2018 in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. via our livestream. This will be … Continue reading Join Us Online for the Inaugural Meeting of the 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee
Accessing immigration records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does not have to be a confusing process. You can learn more about the types of immigration records held by various agencies and how to use FOIA to access these records by joining us for a special forum presented by OGIS and U.S. Citizenship and … Continue reading Learn about Using FOIA to Access Immigration Records
Yesterday we published our analysis and observations of FOIA compliance issues based on the responses to FOIA questions included in the 2017 Records Management Self-Assessment (RMSA). This report is the result of our continued collaboration with the Chief Records Officer (CRO) of the United States Government to gather government-wide information about FOIA policies and procedures. … Continue reading 2017 FOIA Compliance Self-Assessment Survey Results Now Available
We are very pleased to announce the publication of our first advisory opinion and a companion Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) compliance assessment on written communication with requesters. Both documents look specifically at the importance of clear communication to requesters: providing requesters with a clear understanding of the resources available to them as they navigate … Continue reading OGIS Releases Advisory Opinion and Compliance Assessment on Communication with Requesters
Last week our Attorney Advisor, Sheela Portonovo, attended the 2018 Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Conference to share best practices for successfully navigating the FOIA process. Below is a brief summary of the major issues with the FOIA process we regularly hear about from reporters (and others), and some of the tips she shared. Issue … Continue reading OGIS Shares FOIA Tips at IRE Conference
