Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting Recap

A new webpage cataloging Office of Government information Services (OGIS) recommendations and best practices, a model for analyzing FOIA programs and technology, and an update on an interactive search tool on FOIA.gov were among the matters discussed at the April 25, 2023, meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council.  Missed the meeting? Catch up by … Continue reading Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting Recap

OGIS Launches New Quarterly Reporting

Beginning in fiscal year 2023, OGIS has launched a new reporting graphic that tracks quarterly data and activities. In the past we shared mediation statistics with regard to the number of cases we managed. And while that work continues — we respond to more than 4,000 inquiries a year — it is just as important … Continue reading OGIS Launches New Quarterly Reporting

Register for the April 25 Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting

https://giphy.com/gifs/doors-washington-dc-national-archives-3oz8xN5m2zcnRupgv6 Washington DC Doors by US National Archives via GIPHY. From National Archives Identifier 12065. Plan to attend the next Chief FOIA Officers Council meeting at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 25. The meeting is open to Chief FOIA Officers, FOIA professionals and the public. We invite you to either watch the livestream of the … Continue reading Register for the April 25 Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Bobak Talebian

Bobak Talebian, Director of the Office of Information Policy at the Department of Justice, providing remarks at the March 13, 2023, OIP Sunshine Week program. Photo courtesy of Alina M. Semo. Today we present an interview with Bobak Talebian, Director of the Office of Information Policy (OIP) at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Bobak Talebian

Making Access Happen – Sunshine Week 2023

FOIA Advisory Committee member Alex Howard and OGIS Director Alina M. Semo at the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy’s Sunshine Week program on Monday, March 13, in Washington, D.C (Photo courtesy of Alex Howard) March 12-18, 2023, is Sunshine Week and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) and National Archives and Records … Continue reading Making Access Happen – Sunshine Week 2023

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Michael Heise

Today we present an interview with Michael Heise, Assistant Legal Counsel and FOIA Public Liaison for the FOIA Division in the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and a member of the FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Michael Heise

Mark Your Calendar For Sunshine Week 2023

Make plans to join us as we kick off Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information, with a panel discussion on “Making Access Happen: FOIA at the National Archives” on Monday, March 13, at 1 p.m. ET.  The event will be live-streamed on the National Archives YouTube Channel.    National Archives … Continue reading Mark Your Calendar For Sunshine Week 2023

Call for Nominations: Vacant Non-Government Seat on FOIA Advisory Committee

Colonel (COL) Simmons of the 7th Infantry Division uses field glasses to monitor progress during the joint US Army/Air Force Exercise CALFEX '86 (combined arms live fire exercise). National Archives Identifier 6426854. A resignation from the FOIA Advisory Committee has created a vacancy for which we seek nominations. We are looking for a non-government FOIA expert who has … Continue reading Call for Nominations: Vacant Non-Government Seat on FOIA Advisory Committee

Chief Data Officers Council Meets on Friday, February 10

https://giphy.com/gifs/usnationalarchives-space-nasa-apollo-11-kvl2YhR110qsBrHid2 The Time of Apollo by US National Archives via GIPHY. From National Archives Identifier 649447. The Chief Data Officers (CDO) Council meets publicly on Friday, February 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET to provide updates about its activities and the implementation of the Chief Data Officer role across the government. OGIS Director … Continue reading Chief Data Officers Council Meets on Friday, February 10

FOIA Communication: Keep it Simple!

Dr. Edwin McMillan with mousetrap cigarette lighter atom smasher apparatus (Rube Goldberg inspired). Photograph taken March 21, 1974. XBB743-1774. [Photograph by: Steve Gerber] National Archives Identifier 39146966 Plain language has long been an interest of ours as we have observed that clear, concise and well-organized correspondence smoothes the FOIA process for all. After we put … Continue reading FOIA Communication: Keep it Simple!