FOIA Self-Assessment Toolkit Now Available
Dep't of Justice, Office of Info. Pol'y, Sept. 12, 2017
At its final Best Practices Workshop for this summer, OIP previewed its new FOIA Self-Assessment Toolkit as a resource for agencies to use when assessing their administration of the FOIA. OIP has encouraged agencies to conduct self-assessments to review and improve their FOIA program. In their Chief FOIA Officer Reports, many agencies reported conducting self-assessments using methods such as reviewing their workflows and Annual FOIA Report data. By examining their procedures, practices, and results, agencies can improve their FOIA administration by, for instance, streamlining request processing, identifying new ways to use technology, and increasing proactive disclosures.
The FOIA Self-Assessment Toolkit consists of 13 modules, each focusing on a distinct aspect of the FOIA process, such as Initial Mail Intake, Adjudicating Requests for Expedited Processing, Searching for Responsive Records, Requester Services, FOIA Reporting, and FOIA Websites. Each module contains various milestones to help agencies evaluate their FOIA program and identify areas for improvement. At the end of each module, OIP offers best practices and guidance covering the topic.
Read more here.