Cheers for a National FOIA Portal

Almost five and a half years ago we at OGIS recommended to Congress that the development of a governmentwide FOIA web portal could improve public access to government information. Now, thanks to ongoing collaboration between the Office of Management and Budget (OMB and the Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and … Continue reading Cheers for a National FOIA Portal

Agencies Using Technology to Provide Estimated Dates of Completion

Providing estimated dates of completion can be a challenge—but it’s also the law. As we’ve previously noted, Congress amended FOIA in 2007 to require agencies to provide requesters with estimated dates of completion when asked.  We think that estimated dates of completion are so important that we analyze their use as part of our agency … Continue reading Agencies Using Technology to Provide Estimated Dates of Completion

FOIA Gets an Online Makeover for its 49th Birthday!

Just days after FOIA celebrated its 49th birthday on July 4, the Department of Justice's Office of Information Policy (OIP) announced a pilot project aimed at improving government transparency by making almost all records released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) available to anyone online. FOIA offices in seven agencies, including the Office of General … Continue reading FOIA Gets an Online Makeover for its 49th Birthday!

Open Government: We Need Your Ideas!

We’re thrilled with the attention that FOIA is receiving in Open Government efforts, such as the National Action Plan. The National Archives and Record Administration (NARA), OGIS’s parent agency, is setting its own open government priorities for 2014-2016 in its third Open Government Plan, and we want to hear what you think. You can take … Continue reading Open Government: We Need Your Ideas!

Forecast: Innovation Ahead

Did you check the forecast this morning to see if you should grab an umbrella before you headed out the door? If so, did you know that information collected and distributed by the government helped you to stay dry? Many familiar technologies are built using government data sets, including the National Digital Forecast Database and … Continue reading Forecast: Innovation Ahead