GAO: Agencies Need to Take Further Steps to Address FOI Request Backlog

 Homeland Security Today, Mar. 13, 2018

A GAO report found that federal agencies still need to implement some of their Freedom of Information Act requirements, which is holding back transparency and accountability in government operations.

FOIA requires federal agencies to provide the public with access to government records and information based on the principles of openness and accountability in government. In the last nine years, federal agencies subject to FOIA have received about six million requests.

Eighteen of the agencies reviewed had backlogs of varying sizes, with the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State and National Archives and Records Administration having backlogs of over 1000 or more requests between 2012 and 2016. These four agencies had the largest backlogs, which they attributed to increases in the number and complexity of FOIA requests. However, all four agencies lacked plans to implement best practices and  reduce the backlog to a more manageable level. GAO stated that: “Without a more consistent approach, agencies will continue to struggle to reduce their backlogs to a manageable level, particularly as the number and complexity of requests increase over time. As a result, their FOIA processing may not respond effectively to the needs of requesters and the public.”

Read more here.