The Federal government is back in business, and so are we! OGIS stands ready to assist FOIA requesters and Federal agencies with their FOIA disputes. We look forward to hearing from you.
Category: Ombudsman
Shutdown
Due to the Federal government shutdown, the Office of Government Information Services and the National Archives are closed. We are unable to post to the FOIA Ombudsman during this closure. All National Archives facilities are closed, with the exception of the Federal Records Centers and the Federal Register until the Federal government reopens. We hope to see you soon.
Meeting Our Challenges
This post was written by Miriam Nisbet, former Director of the Office of Government Information Services We’ve made no secret of how proud we are of all that OGIS has accomplished in its four years. We have assisted hundreds of FOIA requesters and dozens of agencies by resolving FOIA disputes that might otherwise have gone to … Continue reading Meeting Our Challenges
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?
Making “Publicly Available” Records Available
As the government strives to find ways to improve FOIA, proactive disclosure seems to be one strategy that everyone agrees on; if agencies make more information publicly available, people will not need to make FOIA requests for those records. In many cases, this strategy has worked. Thanks to efforts like data.gov and agencies’ FOIA libraries, … Continue reading Making “Publicly Available” Records Available
A Model FOIA Reg
As we’ve written before, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires agencies to have regulations that specify a fee schedule, designate agency components to receive requests and provide for expedited processing. Beyond those requirements, regulations should be a GPS, of sorts, to help both agency FOIA professionals and requesters navigate the FOIA process. Our parent … Continue reading A Model FOIA Reg
The Department of State launches a new FOIA site
The Department of State received nearly 19,000 FOIA requests in fiscal year 2012 – clearly, people are interested in the agency’s records! To better satisfy the needs of the public, the department has launched a new FOIA website (available at www.foia.state.gov). State designed the website with researchers in mind. It makes already-public information easier to … Continue reading The Department of State launches a new FOIA site
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
Death breathes new life into some records
We’ve written before about the careful balancing act that Federal agencies must perform when they consider requests for records that contain information about an individual other than the requester—those who work for the government and those who don’t. In most cases, such third-party information will be withheld under Exemption 6 (and possibly Exemption 7(C) if … Continue reading Death breathes new life into some records
FOIA Solutions: Little things mean a lot
The Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy (OIP) hosted a Freedom of Information Act Administrative Forum on June 5, 2013, giving FOIA professionals – particularly FOIA Public Liaisons – a chance to discuss the issues they face. As with many discussions in this budget climate, the conversation inevitably turned to how to do more … Continue reading FOIA Solutions: Little things mean a lot
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