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

• 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

• 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

• 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

T H A N K Y O U

Mic ha e l Ra vnitzky mike ra v@ ve rizo n.ne t