Final Report of the 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee Delivered to the Archivist

Smaller Parcels Quicker Service! (National Archives ID: 44267059) The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) has delivered the Final Report and Recommendations of the 2018-2020 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee to the Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero. The report is the result of two years of hard work by the Committee’s … Continue reading Final Report of the 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee Delivered to the Archivist

Register to Attend Virtual Workshop on FOIA and Technology Best Practices for Agencies!

Young Men and Women in a Workshop (NARA ID: 7403517) The Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy (OIP), and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) invite you to a virtual Best Practices Workshop Series on FOIA and technology on Monday April 20, 2020.  The event is open to Federal employees and contractors who … Continue reading Register to Attend Virtual Workshop on FOIA and Technology Best Practices for Agencies!

New Technology Committee Members Needed

If you are a government Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) professional with an interest in technology and innovation, we need you! In response to a recommendation from the 2016-2018 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee, the Archivist of the United States proposed that the Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council partner with the Chief Information Officer … Continue reading New Technology Committee Members Needed

Chief FOIA Officers Council’s Technology Committee Releases Best Practices and Recommendations

Eagle Release During Migratory Bird Day 2005 (National Archives ID: 166690378) Looking for ways to bolster the use of technology within the FOIA process? Check out a report from the Technology Committee (Committee) of the Chief FOIA Officers Council (Council) to the Council Co-Chairs that discusses FOIA Information Technology (IT) best practices and recommendations. In … Continue reading Chief FOIA Officers Council’s Technology Committee Releases Best Practices and Recommendations

USCIS demos open-source code system

Are you an agency FOIA professional interested in developing an automated processing system? U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites you to a two-hour demonstration of its FOIA processing system at 1:30 p.m. EST Wednesday February 12th. The demonstration will take place at the USCIS Washington, DC office at 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW as well … Continue reading USCIS demos open-source code system

Leveraging Technology in FOIA Searches

Searching for responsive records under FOIA works best when processors cross disciplines to collaborate with technology experts at their respective agencies. An OGIS assessment of the 2019 Chief FOIA Officer (CFO) reports shows that while a majority of agencies report using technology to facilitate efficiency in conducting searches, only about one in five agencies report … Continue reading Leveraging Technology in FOIA Searches

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: There’s an app for that!

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets has come the development of mobile apps for everything, it seems; now you can add FOIA to that list. This week the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the release of its new eFOIA mobile app. The app, the result of a partnership between the DHS Privacy Office … Continue reading FOIA: There’s an app for that!

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!

Reboot your e-records knowledge July 24

It would seem that the use of electronic records would simplify the FOIA process; if agencies don’t have to reproduce and redact paper, that’s got to be easier, right? In reality, electronic records raise lots of questions for FOIA programs. For instance: If a requester asks for electronic copies of paper records -- requiring the … Continue reading Reboot your e-records knowledge July 24