The Federal News Network (FNN) recently wrote that federal agency workforces haven’t been able to keep up with the increasing numbers of Freedom of Information Act requests because not enough employees work in FOIA offices. Alina Semo, the director of the Office of Government Information Services…
How can those at the sharp end of responding to public record disclosure and freedom of information requests benefit from the technologies and approaches used by eDiscovery specialists? In this article, we will discuss how agencies can reduce their request backlog and the risks associated –…
Take the risk out of redaction
Disclosing information requested under the Freedom of Information Act or state public records laws is already a tricky business. The use of improper redaction techniques now makes it incredibly risky, too. Agency personnel struggle to find the perfect balance between the public’s right to…
FOIA: a digital age challenge for an industrial age process
Numerous oversight agencies and authorities have released directives and reports recommending that government agencies adopt modern technologies to meet today’s FOIA challenges. However, many federal agencies remain burdened with antiquated or inadequate technology tools, and they continue to…
Automation is just one way to accelerate responses to Public Records Requests
The Information Governance Initiative points out that “There is a deep connection between improving electronic recordkeeping practices throughout government and improving public access to government records through the mechanism of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).”
eDiscovery technology ends the FOIA bottleneck
Every year, the number of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to U.S. federal government agencies increases. State, county, and city governments are also inundated with requests for information about their activities that the public has a right to know. Meanwhile, certain information must be…
Public Records Requests: time to reflect on the process
The Constitutional pledge that the United States of America be governed “for the people, by the people” is honoured every time a federal or state agency satisfies a Public Records Request (RPP). As is inevitable, the magisterial simplicity of the Constitution is complex to work out in practice, and…
5 Keys areas FOIA personnel must address when vetting new technology
The 2012 Managing Government Records Directive (M-12-18) instructs federal agencies to establish and maintain appropriate recordkeeping and records management practices while transitioning completely to electronic systems capable of meeting 21st-century demands.
Public Records Requests: why IT doesn’t have to be the problem
The role of IT in fulfilling Public Records Requests (PRRs) is as difficult as it is unenviable. IT is not in charge of the process, but arguably carries out the brunt of the work. We all know that this workload is increasing, and getting trickier to do effectively – that is to say, according to…
