Immigration records offer a wealth of valuable information for immigrants, genealogists, journalists, academic researchers and others. However, several agencies maintain immigration records, so finding them can challenge even the savviest FOIA requester. Join agency representatives and requesters for an OGIS Forum on immigration records on Wednesday, May 23, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. This event, … Continue reading Upcoming OGIS Forum: Immigration Records
The following guest post is from Ryan Alfred, co-founder and president of BrightScope, a financial data and analytics company, launched in January 2009. Mr. Alfred spoke at the March 30, 2012 Smart Disclosure summit, hosted by the National Archives and the White House, about his experiences using FOIA. By including his post on the FOIA … Continue reading FOIA Helps Shine a Light on Retirement Plans
The following post is from OGIS Director Miriam Nisbet: The Freedom of Information Act directs OGIS to recommend “policy changes to Congress and the President to improve the administration” of FOIA. Since late 2009 when OGIS opened as part of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Office has looked for and shared ways to … Continue reading Improving FOIA
Have you ever wondered why it takes so long for an agency to find responsive records after you make a FOIA request? After all, isn’t there a “Government Google” that allows an agency to search its records with a few keystrokes? Or, have you received a FOIA fee estimate in the thousands of dollars because … Continue reading Searching for Answers about Record Searches?
Ever had one of those weeks when your car has a flat, the dog escapes and you get a call from your bank because your credit card number was stolen? We’ve had a couple weeks like that at OGIS regarding publishing online our 2012 report on our second full year. But never mind all that … Continue reading Extra Extra: Read All About Us!
Describing the scope of a FOIA request -- and on the agency’s side, interpreting the scope of that request -- often feels like more art than science. Requesters naturally describe requests in expansive terms to be sure that they don’t exclude potentially valuable information. On the other hand, agency FOIA staffers often feel like they … Continue reading Scoping Out a Successful FOIA Request
In last week’s post we discussed the difference between positions and interests. In brief, positions are what an angry person presents during a confrontation; interests are the secret, unmet needs that anyone in a dispute may be reluctant to share. We also learned that the only way to move toward a resolution is to discuss … Continue reading Difficult Conversations, Part 2: How do we get there from here?
As part of providing mediation services to resolve FOIA disputes, we OGIS staffers regularly have conversations that can be characterized as “difficult.” We listen to FOIA requesters who are furious about delays or denials. We also hear from agency FOIA professionals who are defensive about agency practices or frustrated by overly persistent requesters. Thanks to … Continue reading Difficult Conversations, Part 1: Interests vs. Positions
This week’s guest blogger is Gery Huelseman, Principal Technical Advisor to the Air Force’s Knowledge Ops Branch, National Air & Space Intelligence Center and key member of the OGIS-facilitated FOIA Information Technology Working Group. IT Working Group members will occasionally use the FOIA Ombudsman to share their thoughts on technology solutions. Do you need to … Continue reading OGIS Information Technology Solutions: Technology can make a difference
While Sunshine Week provides many opportunities to celebrate open government achievements, it also provides the perfect context to reflect upon changes that could improve FOIA. Think of it as a little spring cleaning. Since opening in September 2009, we’ve worked with agencies and requesters on more than 1,500 FOIA matters, giving us a unique perspective … Continue reading Tidying Up
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