A Re q ue ste r s Pe rspe c tive Chie f F OI A Offic e rs Co unc - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A Re q ue ste r’ s Pe rspe c tive Chie f F OI A Offic e rs Co unc il Me e ting July 27, 2017 Mic ha e l Ra vnitzky

F OI A: A K e y Co mpo ne nt o f Our Go ve rnme nt • T a xpa ye r a c c e ss to ta xpa ye r-funde d re c o rds • “T he pub lic ha s the rig ht to kno w” • T ra nspa re nc y b uilds pub lic trust • T ra nspa re nc y pro mo te s e c o no mic va lue • An a ppro pria te c ha nne l to sha re a g e nc y re c o rds • We ll-e sta b lishe d sta tuto ry fra me wo rk • He lps fa c ilita te a ro b ust ne ws me dia • He lpful in ide ntifying a nd c o rre c ting pro b le ms

F OI A: K e y Co mpo ne nt o f Go ve rnme nt (c o nt.) • Ca n he lp e xpla in the impo rta nc e o f a g e nc y pro g ra ms to the pub lic • An o ppo rtunity to e ng a g e c o nstruc tive ly with inte re ste d me mb e rs o f the pub lic • Pro vide s a n a g e nc y with uniq ue insig ht into the pub lic ’ s spe c ific inte re sts in a g e nc y a c tivitie s • Ca n ide ntify fo r a n a g e nc y o ppo rtunitie s fo r pro a c tive pub lic a tio n re c o rds • A ro b ust F OI A pro g ra m he lps a vo id F OI A litig a tio n

Re c e nt Suc c e sse s • F e we r fe e -re la te d dispute s • Mo re re c o rds a re b e ing pro vide d e le c tro nic a lly • Do c ume nt size is le ss o f a n impe dime nt • Gre a te r re c o g nitio n o f a c c e ss to dig ita l re c o rds • Mo re willing ne ss to ma ke disc re tio na ry re le a se s • OGI S a udits b e ne fic ia l in impro ving pro c e sse s

Mo re Re c e nt Suc c e sse s I n the la rg e ma jo rity o f a g e nc ie s: • Re duc e d F OI A re q ue st b a c klo g s • Mo re o utre a c h b y e ma il/ pho ne to c la rify re q ue sts • F OI A Pub lic L ia iso ns he lp re so lve issue s • Be tte r sta tus info rma tio n a va ila b le

Are a s F o r I mpro ve me nt • Re spo nse le tte rs a re o fte n a b rupt o r unhe lpful – e .g ., do n’ t e xpla in the spe c ific ne e d to withho ld • Ag e nc ie s do no t re a c h o ut to re q ue ste rs to c la rify a mb ig uitie s o r po o rly fra me d re q ue sts • So me a g e nc ie s still do n’ t a c c e pt e ma ile d re q ue sts • F a iling to pro vide se g re g a b le re le a sa b le po rtio ns

Mo re Are a s F o r I mpro ve me nt • Se nding la rg e fe e le tte rs witho ut first te le pho ning the re q ue ste r • “No re c o rds fo und” le tte rs tha t la c k e xpla na tio n • L a c k o f a de q ua te tra ining o n e xe mptio n b (5), pa rtic ula rly the de lib e ra tive pro c e ss privile g e • Ro utine de nia l o f fe e wa ive r re q ue sts

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S

F a c ilita te E ng a g e me nt With Ag e nc y Sta ff • Pro vide a pho ne numb e r a nd inc lude a n a g e nc y c o nta c t pe rso n in the re spo nse le tte r • K e e p a g e nc y c o nta c t da ta c urre nt o n F OI A.g o v • Ca ll o r e ma il re q ue ste rs if q ue stio ns a rise • Do n’ t a ssig n the sa me pe rso n to b e b o th the F OI A Offic e r a nd the F OI A Pub lic L ia iso n • Be a r in mind tha t re q ue ste rs do no t typic a lly kno w wha t re c o rds e xist a nd wha t the y a re c a lle d

F o ste r Win-Win So lutio ns • Offe r sug g e stio ns o n ho w to a me nd a pro b le ma tic , a wkwa rd, o r ine le g a ntly fra me d re q ue st • Sug g e st wa ys a re q ue st mig ht b e na rro we d • Disc uss e xc luding pro b le m fie lds fro m da ta se ts • Offe r sa mple s o f vo lumino us da ta a s sta rting po int • T e ll re q ue ste rs wha t is typic a lly a va ila b le / re le a se d • T ra in a sta ff me mb e r to ne g o tia te diffic ult re q ue sts • Use I nte rne t po sting a s a simple r a lte rna tive to se nding re c o rds, whe re a ppro pria te

E nsure a Use r-F rie ndly F OI A Re a ding Ro o m • Do n’ t b e sting y o n po sting re le a se d re c o rds • Org a nize ma te ria l b y sub je c t o r to pic • No “da ta dumps” • Allo w b ro wsing , no t just ke ywo rd se a rc hing • Ge t he lp fro m a lib ra ria n / info rma tio n spe c ia list • E nsure a de q ua te I T suppo rt • Do OCR o n do c ume nts b ut Se c tio n 508 c o mplia nc e sho uld no t b e c o me a n o b sta c le fo r o lde r re c o rds • Cre a te a “wha t’ s ne w” se c tio n • Pe rmit e ma il no tific a tio n fo r ne wly-po ste d ite ms

Cre a te Custo me r-Orie nte d Re spo nse L e tte rs • Pro vide a c usto me r-o rie nte d, huma n-c e nte re d re spo nse – no t a le g a listic o r a dve rsa ria l re spo nse • Avo id writte n re spo nse s tha t a re hype r- te c hnic a l/ dising e nuo us o r pe da ntic • Re c o g nize a nd a c c e pt tha t re q ue ste rs a re o fte n unfa milia r with the a g e nc y’ s re c o rds struc ture • Cla rify a nd b e tte r e xpla in “no re c o rds” re spo nse s • I n no re c o rd re spo nse s, try to me ntio n a mo re pro duc tive ro ute fo r the re q ue ste r • Pro vide spe c ific e xpla na tio ns fo r e xe mptio n b (5)

I mpro ve F e e -Re la te d Co mmunic a tio ns • Pro vide b e tte r sta ff tra ining o n fe e c a te g o rie s • Pro vide b e tte r sta ff tra ining o n fe e c a lc ula tio ns • Pre ve nt ming ling o f se a rc h a nd re vie w fe e s • Be mo re o pe n to fe e wa ive r re q ue sts e ve n whe n the re q ue ste r ha s no t a rtic ula te d e xpla na tio ns we ll • Offe r sug g e stio ns fo r wa ys to re duc e fe e s • Do n’ t se nd la rg e fe e le tte rs witho ut first pho ning the re q ue ste r

Pro duc e Use r-F rie ndly F ile s • Sto p the c o mmo n pra c tic e o f pro duc ing muddy, b lurry, o r o the rwise po o r q ua lity ima g e s • T ra in sta ff ho w to sc a n do c ume nts pro pe rly • Use 300-400 dpi fo r sc a ns whe re ve r po ssib le • Sto p the pra c tic e o f sc a n, print, sc a n, print • Do n’ t pro vide c o lo r sc a ns o f B&W ma te ria l • Do n’ t “lo c k do wn” o r pa sswo rd pro te c t e le c tro nic file s b e ing pro vide d • Do n’ t put la b e ls o n CDs –- the y c a use pro b le ms • Ha ve the c a pa b ility to o utput dig ita l file s

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