https://giphy.com/gifs/usnationalarchives-space-nasa-apollo-11-kvl2YhR110qsBrHid2 From National Archives Identifier 649447 Later this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin migrating to a new FOIA system and anticipates temporary delays in responding to requesters while launching the new system. According to the DHS FOIA website, the migration to a new system will be staggered across DHS processing centers … Continue reading FOIA Improvements at the Department of Homeland Security
Category: Customer service
OGIS Publishes Results of FOIA Compliance Self-Assessment Survey
When Agency Records Officers and Chief FOIA Officers work in harmony, FOIA works better. National Archives ID: 535858 The COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on FOIA processing and the use of e-discovery are among the topics in our latest report, Assessing Freedom of Information Act Compliance through the 2020 National Archives and Records Administration’s Records Management Self-Assessment. … Continue reading OGIS Publishes Results of FOIA Compliance Self-Assessment Survey
OGIS Publishes Issue Assessment on First-party Requests
Each day, people seeking records about themselves use the FOIA process to obtain their records as they navigate health care, employment, immigration, law enforcement or other issues that intersect in some way with the federal government. A government-wide look at what are known as “first-party requests” shows that the records requesters seek about themselves fall … Continue reading OGIS Publishes Issue Assessment on First-party Requests
New Paper Outlines Best Practices for Processing Video Records
If the government produces a record, requesters will want it. That is according to a new paper published by the Video Redaction Working Group of the Chief FOIA Officers Council's Technology Committee, which describes ways that agencies can meet this challenge when processing requests for video records such as law enforcement body camera footage, security … Continue reading New Paper Outlines Best Practices for Processing Video Records
OGIS Publishes COVID-19 FOIA Website Review Follow-up
Medical Department - Influenza Epidemic 1918 - Masks for protection against influenza. Traffic "cop" in New York City wearing gauze mask (National Archives ID: 45499301) OGIS is pleased to announce publication of our latest report which examines whether agencies are following the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Information Policy (OIP) guidance encouraging them to … Continue reading OGIS Publishes COVID-19 FOIA Website Review Follow-up
OGIS Publishes Assessment on Posting to FOIA Websites
Main Reading Room, Helsinki Information Library(National Archives ID: 23932377) This post was written by Meredith Doviak, Community Manager of the National Archives Catalog, who conducted this assessment on temporary assignment to OGIS as part of a National Archives and Records Administration Cross-training Program. OGIS is pleased to announce our latest issue assessment examining the methods … Continue reading OGIS Publishes Assessment on Posting to FOIA Websites
October Observances
Crisp breezes, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and...customer service? October brings several recognized days that are central to OGIS’s role as the FOIA Ombudsman. First, we wish you a very happy Ombuds Day! Tomorrow, October 8, 2020, is officially recognized by the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association (ABA) as Ombuds Day. This … Continue reading October Observances
Recap: Recent OGIS/CDC Webinar on Requests for COVID-19 Records
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted agency FOIA programs in various ways– some of which we have discussed previously in this space, and others that were addressed in recent Department of Justice Office of Information Policy guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has seen a staggering increase in its FOIA caseload in the … Continue reading Recap: Recent OGIS/CDC Webinar on Requests for COVID-19 Records
OGIS Publishes Results of COVID-19 FOIA Website Review
Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) websites are more likely than not to be silent on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting agency FOIA processing. A majority of federal FOIA websites – 62.6 percent – reviewed by the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) in May and early June do not alert requesters to changes … Continue reading OGIS Publishes Results of COVID-19 FOIA Website Review
COVID-19 and FOIA: DOJ Releases New Guidance
On May 28th, the Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy (OIP) posted Guidance for Agency FOIA Administration in Light of COVID-19 Impacts. Here are some highlights: Agencies’ legal obligations under the FOIA continue even as agencies are working during COVID-19. All of FOIA’s statutory time limits continue to apply during workforce adjustments. Agencies have … Continue reading COVID-19 and FOIA: DOJ Releases New Guidance
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