Collaborating with NGOs

From its inception, OGIS has enjoyed the support and interest of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), primarily nonprofit Open Government groups in Washington, DC, that made creation of a Federal FOIA ombudsman's office a high priority when Congress began considering amending FOIA in 2004. The groups lobbied hard to keep the ombudsman provision in the legislation as it moved through Congress, and even after the OPEN Government Act of 2007 was signed into law, they continued advocating for the resources and attention needed to open and operate OGIS.

In 2008 and 2009, NGO FOIA advocates met among themselves to suggest strategies for OGIS and discussed the Office in meetings with other stakeholders including OIP and the White House. These NGO groups were quick to contact Director Nisbet early on, beginning a regular series of informal meetings that continues today. The NGOs regularly contact OGIS with informal observations or questions, but they also have come to OGIS for formal assistance with FOIA requests. About two dozen of OGIS's cases in its first year were from members of this active requester community. These interactions give the NGOs the opportunity to see how OGIS works to resolve disputes and to provide helpful feedback and suggestions to help OGIS in continuing to perfect its practices and procedures.

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