Dispute Resolution: It's a Team Sport
Nat'l Archives & Records Admin., The FOIA Ombudsman, June 14, 2017
As we have discussed before, OGIS is not the only entity that requesters can go to for help with the FOIA process. In fact, agencies were directed to create FOIA Requester Service Centers and appoint FOIA Public Liaisons in December 2005 – about two years before passage of the bill that created our office.
Since we opened our doors to assist FOIA requesters in September 2009, we have worked closely with FOIA Public Liaisons to ensure our customers have the information they need to help resolve FOIA disputes. For example, we have turned to FOIA Public Liaisons to provide us with estimated dates of completion, information about their agencies’ record-keeping systems, and much more.
Now, thanks to a question that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Information Policy (OIP) included in the latest version of agency Chief FOIA Officer Reports, we have an even better understanding about how agency FOIA Public Liaisons assist the public with the process.
Read more here.