FREEDOM
OF INFORMATION ACT
ANNUAL REPORT
FY2006
I. Basic Information Regarding Report
A.
Name, title, address, and telephone number of person(s)
to be contacted with questions about the report.
Paula
D. Sweeney, Records Manager
Selective Service System
Arlington, VA 22209-2425
Telephone: 703-605-4046
B.
An electronic copy of the report may be obtained by accessing
the Selective Service System Home Page at the following
address:
www.sss.gov
C.
A copy of this report in paper form may be obtained by requesting
a copy in writing to the address stated in I.A. above.
II.
How to Make a FOIA Request
A.
Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all individual
agency components and offices that receive FOIA requests.
Paula
D. Sweeney, Records Manager
Selective Service System
Arlington, VA 22209-2425
Telephone: 703-605-4046
B.
Brief description of the agency’s response time ranges.
The
Selective Service’s response time ranges from 1 to
20 days depending on the complexity of the request.
C.
Brief description of why some requests are not granted.
Requests
which are not granted are usually denied because no records
are available.
III.
Definitions of Terms and Acronyms Used in the Report (to be
included in each report)
A.
Agency-specific acronyms or other terms.
N/A
B.
Basic terms, expressed in common terminology.
1.
FOIA/PA Request – Freedom of Information/Privacy Act
request. A FOIA request is generally a request for access
to records concerning a third party, an organization, or
a particular topic of interest. A Privacy Act request is
a request for records concerning oneself; such requests
are also treated as FOIA requests. (All requests for access
to records, regardless of which law is cited by there requester,
are included in this report.)
2.
Initial Request – a request to a federal agency for
access to records under the Freedom of Information Act.
3.
Appeal – a request to a federal agency asking that
it review at a higher administrative level a full denial
or partial denial of access to records under the Freedom
of Information Act, or any other FOIA determination such
as a matter pertaining to fees.
4.
Processed Request or Appeal – a request or appeal
for which an agency has taken a final action on the request
or the appeal in all respects.
5. Multi-track processing – a system in which simple
requests requiring relatively minimal review are placed
in one processing track and more voluminous and complex
requests are placed in one or more other tracks. Requests
in each track are processed on a first-in/first-out basis.
A requester who has an urgent need for records may request
expedited processing (see below).
6.
Expedited processing – an agency will process a FOIA
request on an expedited basis when a requester has shown
an exceptional need or urgency for the records which warrants
prioritization of his or her request over other requests
that were made earlier.
7.
Simple request – a FOIA request that an agency using
multi-track processing places in its fastest (nonexpedited)
track based on the volume and/or simplicity of records requested.
8.
Complex request – a FOIA request that an agency using
multi-track processing places in a slower track based on
the volume and/or complexity of records requested.
9.
Grant – an agency decision to disclose all records
in full in response to a FOIA request.
10.
Partial grant – an agency decision to disclose a record
in part in response to a FOIA request, deleting information
determined to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA’s
exemptions; or a decision to disclose some records in their
entireties, but to withhold other in whole or in part.
11.
Denial – an agency decision not to release any part
of a record or records in response to a FOIA request because
all the information in the requested records is determined
by the agency to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA’s
exemptions, or for some procedural reason (such as because
no records is located in response to a FOIA request).
12.
Time limits – the time period in the Freedom of Information
Act for an agency to respond to a request (ordinarily 20
working days from proper receipt of a “perfected”
FOIA request).
13.
“Perfected” request – a FOIA request for
records which adequately describes the records sought, which
has been received by the FOIA office of the agency or agency
component in possession of the records, and for which there
is no remaining question about the payment of applicable
fees.
14. Exemption 3 statute – a separate federal statute
prohibiting the disclosure of a certain type of information
and authorizing its withholding under FOIA subsection (b)(3).
15.
Median number – the middle, not average, number. For
example, of 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7.
16.
Average number – the number obtained by dividing the
sum of a group of numbers by the quantity of numbers in
the group. For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the average number
is 8.
IV.
Exemption 3 Statutes
A.
List of Exemption 3 statutes relied on by agency during
current fiscal year.
1.
Brief description of type(s) of information withheld under
each statute.
N/A
2.
Statement of whether a court has upheld the use of each
statute. If so, then cite example.
N/A
V.
Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests
A.
Numbers of initial requests.
Total
of the numbers in lines 1 and 2, minus the number in line
3 should equal the number in line 4.
1.
Number of requests pending as of end of preceding fiscal
year. 0
2. Number of requests received during current fiscal year.
10
3.
Number of requests processing during current fiscal year.
10
4.
Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year.
0
(Enter this number also in Line VII.B.1.)
B. Disposition of initial requests.
1.
Number of total grants 9
2.
Number of partial grants 1
3.
Number of denials 0
a.
number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each
exemption once per request)
(1)
Exemption 1 0
(2)
Exemption 2 0
(3)
Exemption 3 0
(4)
Exemption 4 0
(5)
Exemption 5 0
(6)
Exemption 6 1
(7)
Exemption 7 (A) 0
(8)
Exemption 7 (B) 0
(9)
Exemption 7 (C) 0
(10)
Exemption 7 (D) 0
(11)
Exemption 7 (E) 0
(12)
Exemption 7 (F) 0
(13)
Exemption 8 0
(14)
Exemption 9 0
4.
Other reasons for nondisclosure (total) 0
a.
no records 0
b. referrals 0
c.
request withdrawn 0
d.
fee-related reason 0
e.
records not reasonably described 0
f.
not a proper FOIA request for some other reason 0
g.
not an agency record 0
h.
duplicate request 0
i.
other (specify) 0 (More information needed to process request)
VI.
Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests
A.
Numbers of appeals.
1.
Number of appeals received during fiscal year 0
2.
Number of appeals processed during fiscal year 0
B.
Disposition of appeals.
1.
Number completely upheld 0
2.
Number partially reversed 0
3.
Number completely reversed 0
a.
number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each
exemption once per appeal)
(1)
Exemption 1 0
(2)
Exemption 2 0
(3)
Exemption 3 0
(4)
Exemption 4 0
(5) Exemption 5 0
(6)
Exemption 6 0
(7)
Exemption 7(A) 0
(8)
Exemption 7(B) 0
(9)
Exemption 7(C) 0
(10)
Exemption 7(D) 0
(11)
Exemption 7(E) 0
(12)
Exemption 7(F) 0
(13)
Exemption 8 0
(14)
Exemption 9 0
4.
Other reasons for nondisclosure (total) 0
a.
no records 0
b. referrals 0
c.
request withdrawn 0
d.
fee-related reason 0
e.
records not reasonably described 0
f.
not a proper FOIA request for some other reason 0
g.
not an agency record 0
h.
duplicate request 0
i.
other (specify) 0
VII.
Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests
A.
Median processing time for requests processed during the
year.
1. Simple requests (if multiple tracks used).
a.
number of requests processed 10
b.
median number of days to process 4.4
2.
Complex requests (specify for any and all tracks used).
a.
number of requests processed 0
b.
median number of days to process 0
3.
Request accorded expedited processing.
a.
number of requests processed 0
b.
median number of days to process 0
B.
Status of pending requests.
Agencies
using multiple tracks may provide numbers of each track,
as well as totals.
1.
Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year
0
(Enter this number from line V.A.4.)
2.
Median number of days that such requests were pending as
of that date
0
VIII.
Comparison with Previous Year(s) (Optional)
Requests
for expedited processing:
1.
Number of requests received: __0_____
2.
Number of requests processed: __0_____
IX.
Costs/FOIA Staffing
A.
Staffing levels.
1.
Number of full-time FOIA personnel 0
2. Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA
duties (in total work-years) .03
3.
Total number of personnel (in work-years) .03
B.
Total costs (including staff and all resources)
1.
FOIA processing (including appeals) $336
2.
Litigation-related activities (estimated) 0
3.
Total costs $336
4.
Comparison with previous year(s) (including percentage of
change)(optional) 0
C.
Statement of additional resources needed for FOIA compliance
(optional) 0
X.
Fees
This
includes charges for search, review, document duplication,
and any other direct costs permitted under agency regulations.
A.
Total number of fees collected by agency for processing
requests 0
B.
Percentage of total costs 0
XI.
FOIA Regulations (Including Fee Schedule)
A
paper copy of the Selective Service System FOIA Regulations
are attached to this report. An electronic copy may be obtained
by accessing the Selective Service System Home Page at the
following address:
www.sss.gov
XII.
Activities under FOIA Improvement Plan
A.
Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement
plan (if applicable)
Not
applicable
B. Report on agency implementation of its plan, including
its performance in meeting milestones with respect to each
improvement area.
SSS
considered the 27 potential improvement areas listed in
Executive Order 13392 Implementation Guidance. Twenty-two
of the potential improvement areas were determined to be
acceptable in current practice based upon performance evaluation
or not warranted for review because of the small number
of requests received by the Agency.
Of
the five areas selected for closer review, one - acknowledgments
- also was determined to be acceptable or not warranted.
Records Officer reports little or no follow-up inquiries
such that current high level of responsiveness obviates
need for separate acknowledgment letters - answer to the
requester was dispatched on average in a mere six days or
less: the acknowledgment would arrive just immediately prior
to the answer itself.
Resulting
from this plan, SSS has achieved its goals of affirmative
disclosure, proactive disclosure, and overall website improvement.
Benefits have been realized. Specifically, an inventory
of Agency documents has led to greater direct public access
online. Further, in the area of proactive disclosure a cleaner,
more searchable website is evolving. And addressing overall
website improvement, public feedback and contractor inputs
have ensured that the SSS website is relevant, anticipatory
, and simple to navigate. In only one area, Improvement
of FOIA Reference Guide, did two actions miss established
milestones.
C.
Identification and discussion of any deficiency in meeting
plan milestones (if applicable).
Only
two planned actions to achieve the goal of Improvement of
FOIA Reference Guide were not accomplished according to
our milestones, 31 Oct and 15 Dec 06. However, management
has re-prioritized and completed Action 2 on 20 Feb 07 and
anticipates completion of Action 3 by 20 Mar 07.
D.
Additional narrative statement regarding other executive
order-related activities (optional)
Not
applicable
E.
Concise descriptions of FOIA exemptions
Over
past year and currently, exemptions #5 (interagency letters
not available by law) and #6 (invasion of personal privacy)
have been utilized.
F. Additional statistics: None
1.
Time range of requests pending, by date of request (or,
where applicable, by date of referral from another agency)
Not
applicable
2.
Time range of consultations pending with other agencies,
by date of initial interagency communication.
Not
applicable
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