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
During our Second Annual Open Meeting on May 18, 2018 our Director, Alina Semo, shared a preview of what you can expect from OGIS during the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, including event dates, upcoming reports and other exciting news. We hope you will mark your calendars for several upcoming events we will be … Continue reading Mark Your Calendars
On April 17, 2018 the 2016-2018 Term of the FOIA Advisory Committee wrapped up its work by approving its Final Report and Recommendations. The report is the culmination of two years of work by individuals with particular FOIA expertise inside and outside of government who were able to develop consensus solutions to some of the … Continue reading Final Report and Recommendations of the 2016-2018 FOIA Advisory Committee Released
Don’t forget to register to join us for the Second Annual OGIS Open Meeting on Friday, May 18th from 10 a.m. to noon. This is your opportunity to learn more about our activities, hear from members of the FOIA Advisory Committee, and share your views! After welcoming remarks from Deputy Archivist of the United States … Continue reading Time is Running Out: Register Today for the Second Annual OGIS Open Meeting!
As we wrote about in our Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Annual Report, our agency compliance assessment process recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to administering FOIA—each agency’s records are unique and as such, management of the FOIA process differs. We have observed that successful FOIA programs share three general characteristics: they manage their resources … Continue reading Five Ways Agencies are Improving FOIA Compliance
Did you hear that we are currently accepting nominations for the 2018-2020 Term of the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee? Who should be nominated? We are looking for agency FOIA professionals and nongovernment members who are interested in working to improve the administration of FOIA. From the government, we are looking for representatives from both Cabinet-level … Continue reading Volunteer to Improve the Administration of FOIA
Registration is now open for our Second Annual Open Meeting on Friday, May 18, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives. The purpose of the meeting is to provide the public with an update on OGIS’s activities, and give interested persons an opportunity to present oral … Continue reading Don’t Miss Our Second Annual Open Meeting: May 18, 2018
Registration is now open for our May 8 Dispute Resolution Skills for FOIA Professionals training session. Space is limited and seats fill up fast, so make sure you act now to reserve your spot for this free training! We ask that you register with your government email address and tell us your agency—we want to … Continue reading Time to Register for Our May 8th Dispute Resolution Skills Training Session!
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