Selective Service System
Freedom of Information Act Report/Improvement Plan
Pursuant to Executive Order 13392
June 2006
I. Basic Information Regarding Plan:
A. Name, title, address,
and telephone number of person to be contacted with questions
about the report:
Richard S. Flahavan, Chief
FOIA Officer, Selective Service System National Headquarters,
Arlington, VA 22209-2425,
(703) 605-4100.
B. Electronic address for
report may be obtained by accessing the Selective Service
System (SSS) Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.sss.gov.
C. A paper copy of this
report can be obtained by writing to the SSS FOIA Requester
Service Center at the address in I.A. above, or by downloading
a copy from the Internet site listed in subparagraph B.
above.
II. Nature of SSS
FOIA Operations:
A. SSS is a small independent
agency of the federal Executive Branch, operating with permanent
authorization under the Military Selective Service Act (50
U.S.C. App. 451 et seq.), to serve the emergency manpower
needs of the Department of Defense if conscription becomes
necessary. The Agency remains ready to implement a draft
of untrained manpower or health care professionals if directed
by the Congress and the president to do so in a national
crisis. Its statutory mission also includes being ready
to administer an alternative service program, in lieu of
military service, for men classified as conscientiously
opposed to any form of military service.
B. Information relevant
to SSS programs and policies is available through the SSS
website at www.sss.gov. Additionally, the Agency responds
annually to thousands of written, telephonic and email requests
for general SSS information, registration information specific
to an individual, and historical data all of which is outside
the formal FOIA program.
C. The SSS FOIA program
is operated on a day-to-day basis in a professional and
efficient manner by the Chief FOIA Officer. This individual
manages the FOIA Requester Service Center which received
25 requests during the last reporting period, FY 2005. 100%
were responded to, averaging six days to process, and 0%
were denied or appealed. FOIA requests are scanned and forwarded
to the appropriate office for action. SSS is pleased to
report that it does not have a backlog of FOIA requests.
III. Areas Selected
for Review:
A. Affirmative Disclosure
B. Proactive Disclosure
C. Overall Website Improvement
D. Improvement of FOIA Reference Guide
E. Acknowledgments
IV. Review Results:
A. 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.
B. 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.
V. Areas Selected
for Improvement:
A. Affirmative Disclosure
B. Proactive Disclosure
C. Overall Website
Improvement
-
Goal.
Evaluate the look, feel, and content of the SSS website
based upon user feedback and contractor input, always
mindful of relevant data and ease of navigation by the
public.
-
Actions.
-
Review periodically
the SSS website to identify sections warranting
update.
-
Assess visual
presentation of website, in consultation with SSS
webmaster, and employ format changes to better assist
potential requesters.
-
Monitor public/user
feedback to foster clarity and user-friendly site.
-
Milestones.
-
Complete Action
1 quarterly (30 Sep 06, 31 Dec 06, 31 Mar 07, 30
Jun 07, 30 Sep 07)
-
Complete Action
2 as necessary, but at least annually
-
Accomplish Action
3 as feedback is provided
-
Measures.
-
Compare completion
of actions to milestone dates.
-
Appropriate adjustments
are tracked and applied as they become known to
FOIA staff.
D. Improvement
of FOIA Reference Guide
- Goal. Rewrite and post
on SSS website an FOIA Reference Guide to increase public
awareness of FOIA processing.
- Actions.
- Benchmark other federal agency examples
of FOIA Reference Guides.
- Author a FOIA Reference Guide tailored
to the SSS FOIA program incorporating government-wide
best practices.
- Load Reference Guide on FOIA pages
of SSS website.
- Milestones.
- Complete Action 1 by 15 Sep 06
- Finish Action 2 by 31 Oct 06
- Accomplish Action 3 by 15 Dec 06
- Measures.
- Compare completion of actions to
milestone dates.
- Annual review of Reference Guide
for currency.
VI. Summary:
While the processes currently
utilized by SSS to implement FOIA are efficient, we recognize
that opportunities exist for enhancing services provided to
the public. Based upon our previous efforts and those envisioned
in this plan, the Selective Service System will be postured
better to maximize the quality of service it provides under
FOIA and thereby ensure expanded customer satisfaction.
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