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!
A little over a month ago, 18F—the digital services shop at the General Services Administration that’s modeled after tech-sector start-ups—released openFOIA. This website gives requesters a central location to learn how to make Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to any of the 100 federal departments and agencies that process public requests for records. The … Continue reading Where Can I Get Basic FOIA Facts?
As we’ve previously mentioned, two subcommittees of the FOIA Advisory Committee -- Oversight and Accountability, and Fees -- have developed surveys to learn more about the areas they are examining. These surveys were recently sent to FOIA Public Liaisons (FPLs) and Federal FOIA professionals across the government. The purpose of the FPL survey is to … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee Surveys: Examining the FOIA Landscape
As we’ve noted previously, the United States is a part of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global effort to make governments more open and accountable to the public. Countries that participate in OGP are required to develop and carry out action plans that include concrete commitments to make the government—you guessed it—more open. These … Continue reading How Would You Modernize FOIA?
Do you love the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and want to help improve it? If so, read on – there may be a role for you on the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee! We hope you already know that the Committee is a diverse group of FOIA experts from inside and outside the government who share … Continue reading FOIA Needs YOU: Apply Today for the FOIA Advisory Committee
Do you find yourself locked in disputes with FOIA requesters (or agency colleagues)? Would you like to learn constructive ways to resolve or avoid disputes in the future? OGIS will present a training session designed to help FOIA professionals develop dispute resolution skills on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at the Archives building on Constitution Ave … Continue reading Dispute Resolution Skills for FOIA Professionals Training Session: June 24, 2015
It’s easy for requesters and agencies to agree that administrative appeals are an important part of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. It’s not as easy for agencies and requesters to agree on what warrants an appeal. FOIA requires an agency to notify requesters of their right to appeal “any adverse determination” (5 USC … Continue reading (FOIA) Appeal is in the Eye of the Beholder
There are few things in the federal government that do not go by a three letter acronym—or, in government-speak, a TLA. As we at OGIS (that’s the Office of Government Information Services!) are keenly aware, though, government acronyms are not limited to three letters—and they can refer to a wide variety of things. One acronym that … Continue reading What the Government’s Alphabet Soup Means for You
OGIS’s Acting Director, Nikki Gramian, took a turn in the big chair before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 6 to update the panel on OGIS’s activities over the last year. The hearing also included testimony from Director of the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy Melanie Pustay; State Department Chief FOIA Officer Joyce … Continue reading OGIS Acting Director Testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee
Thirty-three information commissioners—a.k.a freedom of information ombudsmen—from 25 countries gathered April 21-23 for the 9th International Conference of Information Commissioners to discuss transparency issues and share successes and challenges. It was a great honor to represent OGIS at the conference, hosted by the Chilean Transparency Council, in Santiago, Chile. Among the themes of the conference, … Continue reading Thinking globally
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