#ogis

Chef C.C. Polkney and First Anniversary Cake,  War Department. Office of the Chief of Ordnance, 11/4/1943, NARA ID  76507038

Happy 10th Anniversary OGIS!

NARA/OGIS Gov Doc: Building a Better FOIA Process + Freedom of Information Act Resources

This 2018 Report (covering Fiscal Year 2017), is The National Archives’ Office of Government Information Services’ (OGIS) primary opportunity to share observations about the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) across the government and describe ongoing efforts to build a better FOIA process. 


As the first full year in which OGIS operated under the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, FY 2017 was a critical period in our growth and development. The Act significantly expanded OGIS’s visibility in the FOIA process, highlighted OGIS’s crucial role in improving compliance with the statute, and improved our ability to communicate and share our observations with OGIS’s varied stakeholders.

About OGIS: The National Archives (NARA) Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) resource for the public and the government. It reviews and identifies strategies  to  improve  agency  FOIA  compliance, recommends changes to FOIA, and provides FOIA education and guidance. As a neutral party, OGIS helps resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and federal agencies,

More FOIA Resources: 

Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552)

Freedom of Information Act

FOIA Reference Guide

Electronic (FOIA) Reading Room

NARA FOIA Regulations

FOIA Annual Reports

Archive of FOIA Annual Reports

Archive of Chief FOIA Officer's Annual Reports

Quarterly Reports FY 2013 to Present

Department of Justice FOIA Guidance

Privacy Program Resources

Congressional Hearings & Testimony

Contacts

Archival Fee Schedule

Other FOIA Resources

Principal FOIA Contacts at other agencies 

Preventing FOIA Disputes

By David S. Ferriero | AOTUS Blog

WASHINGTON, August 1, 2018 — In addition to providing services that help Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requesters and Federal agencies in resolving disputes, one of the goals of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is to prevent FOIA disputes from arising in the first place. In line with this goal, OGIS recently issued its first advisory opinion, providing agencies with useful advice on effective communication with requesters to help them navigate through the FOIA process and the resources available to them.

OGIS is the Federal FOIA Ombudsman. The office, created within the National Archives, opened its doors in 2009 to educate the public about FOIA, resolve FOIA disputes, and assess agency compliance with the statute. OGIS’s advisory opinion is based on its observations through its now robust mediation program. OGIS’s mediation program brings the office into contact with a broad range of Federal agencies and requesters at various points throughout the FOIA process. This unique lens enables OGIS to identify common causes of FOIA disputes and identify practices that can help avoid disputes.

The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 requires that agencies let requesters know about the availability of dispute resolution services from agency FOIA Public Liaisons and OGIS at several points in the FOIA process. After the law’s enactment OGIS’ caseload increased significantly.  A common trend noted among several cases was the need for better communication between the agency and the requester.

OGIS’s first advisory opinion takes the communication issues OGIS noted in its individual cases and gathers it together to provides agencies with advice to help better communicate with requesters about the FOIA process: how to preserve their administrative rights to challenge an agency’s decisions, the kinds of assistance they can expect from an agency FOIA Public Liaison and OGIS, and the next steps to take if they need additional assistance with a request. The advisory opinion also provides agencies with specific examples of language and format.

This is an excerpt taken from Armedia.com

USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE THAT ENCOURAGES COMMUNICATION

Armedia FOIA Software Solution integrates one easy-to-use interface for communication for both departments/agencies/colleagues and requesters.

Even more, Armedia FOIA Software Solution provides a multi-track system and automatic status update feature, both of which allow the employees to follow each step of the process and always know their place and task without wondering around.

This feature also allows the requesters to keep up with the progress of their FOIA request and always be informed about the stage their requests are in.

No more forgotten emails, or emails lost in the Spam folder.

AWS-POWERED DATA STORAGE

Armedia FOIA Software Solution relies on the AWS cloud-based storage for all cases and forms. It stores and keeps all request-related records and correspondences according to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements.

Because the records details are stored on the Cloud, we enable FOIA Staff and Records Management Staff to be able to access any bit of information, at any time, from any place, from any internet-ready device.

This way, your agency will be able to work from anywhere, save time, increase productivity and effectiveness, while at the same time, being sure of the safety of records.

EASY SEARCH

The centralized database we just talked about and the Cloud storage, allow for all request-related records to be safely stored in one single place. This feature of Armedia FOIA Software Solution does not only contribute to easier access to records, but it also improves search practices.

Having all records stored in one single place, well organized and structured, allows for FOIA agencies to have an excellent search practice.

An Update on FOIA Improvement

The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) in the National Archives drives improvements to the federal government’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process by serving as a neutral party to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and agencies, and also by reviewing and identifying strategies to improve agency FOIA compliance. By carrying out these dual missions, OGIS is uniquely situated to understand FOIA issues from the perspective of agencies and requesters and make recommendations to improve the FOIA process for all of the stakeholders  As I blogged about last summer, the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 further strengthened and solidified the office’s role as the FOIA Ombudsman.

Since October 1, 2016, OGIS has been contacted by customers for assistance with FOIA requests more than 2,500 times.  These requests for assistance range from simple questions about how the FOIA process works to complex matters involving information that an agency is withholding. Over the same time period, OGIS has also issued targeted recommendations to strengthen the FOIA programs at the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Privacy Office, which has Department-wide responsibility for setting FOIA policy.

OGIS’s dispute resolution and compliance programs are supported and influenced by robust outreach efforts that ensure the office is constantly learning more about our customer’s views and issues with the FOIA process. I recently had the pleasure of helping to kick off a series of OGIS events in the William G. McGowan Theater that reflect the office’s engagement of the community and special role in the FOIA process.