Join us in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. on September 6, 2018 for the first meeting of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee’s 2018-2020 term. At this meeting, the Committee will kick off its work and will happily receive your thoughts on the greatest challenges to … Continue reading Registration is Open for the Inaugural Meeting of the 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee
We are very happy to announce that Martha Murphy has joined our staff as the office’s Deputy Director. Ms. Murphy will play a critical role in our ongoing work to resolve FOIA disputes, assess and improve agency compliance with the statute, and educate the public about FOIA. Ms. Murphy has a broad range of experiences … Continue reading OGIS Welcomes New Deputy Director
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
Earlier this week we published the agenda for the upcoming July 19 meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council. The Chief FOIA Officers Council -- co-chaired by OGIS and the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy (OIP) -- was created by Congress to develop recommendations to increase agency compliance and efficiency and to share … Continue reading Agenda for July 19 Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting Published
Registration is now open for the upcoming Chief FOIA Officers Council meeting on July 19, 2018 beginning at 10 am (EST). If you cannot join us in person, you can watch the livestream via the National Archives’ YouTube Channel. The Chief FOIA Officers Council is co-chaired by OGIS and the Department of Justice Office of Information … Continue reading Registration is Open: Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting and CDC FOIA Requester Webinar
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
We sometimes hear from FOIA requesters and agency personnel who are confused about why a FOIA request for records at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is not processed by NARA. The answer has to do with whether the federal agency or NARA has legal custody of the records, and requires a brief explanation. … Continue reading FOIA and NARA’s Federal Records Centers
Each year we include a few case studies in our Annual Report to highlight the way that we can help assist FOIA requesters and agencies in resolving FOIA disputes. Today, we want to share one of the case studies from our Fiscal Year 2017 Report that shows how U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provided … Continue reading Highlighting Great Customer Service at USCIS
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