Archive for March, 2012
Difficult Conversations, Part 1: Interests vs. Positions
As part of providing mediation services to resolve FOIA disputes, we OGIS staffers regularly have conversations that can be characterized as “difficult.” We listen to FOIA requesters who are furious about delays or denials. We also hear from agency FOIA professionals who are defensive about agency practices or frustrated by overly persistent requesters. Thanks to [...]
Posted by Carrie McGuire on March 28, 2012, under About OGIS.
Comments: 3
OGIS Information Technology Solutions: Technology can make a difference
This week’s guest blogger is Gery Huelseman, Principal Technical Advisor to the Air Force’s Knowledge Ops Branch, National Air & Space Intelligence Center and key member of the OGIS-facilitated FOIA Information Technology Working Group. IT Working Group members will occasionally use the FOIA Ombudsman to share their thoughts on technology solutions. Do you need to [...]
Posted by Carrie McGuire on March 21, 2012, under Best practices, IT Solutions.
Comments: none
Tidying Up
While Sunshine Week provides many opportunities to celebrate open government achievements, it also provides the perfect context to reflect upon changes that could improve FOIA. Think of it as a little spring cleaning. Since opening in September 2009, we’ve worked with agencies and requesters on more than 1,500 FOIA matters, giving us a unique perspective [...]
Posted by Carrie McGuire on March 14, 2012, under About FOIA, About OGIS.
Comments: none
Striving for Perfect Pitch: OGIS and Agencies’ Administrative Processes
Since opening in late 2009, we’ve received requests for assistance from requesters and agencies at every stage in the FOIA process. We’ve heard from requesters planning to sue within days of contacting us and we have heard from agencies asking for help communicating with just such a FOIA requester. While we do our best to [...]
Posted by Carrie McGuire on March 7, 2012, under About OGIS.
Comments: none