Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act Preliminary Survey Report Guidance

By March 31, 1999, each agency must provide information to the Chair of the Interagency Working Group in accordance with the February 22, 1999, memorandum from the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the associated initial agency guidance. Each agency should survey its records to identify those bodies of records that "can reasonably be believed to contain information" responsive to the act. The survey is intended to determine the magnitude of the effort at its outset and to provide a baseline to measure subsequent progress. It is not expected at this point that agencies will have specifically identified all records covered by the act. Rather, the survey will identify the universe of records that must be searched for responsive records. Reports on the survey should be addressed to Michael J. Kurtz, Chair, Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group, c/o:

At a minimum, each agency should provide the following information about each body of records that must be searched for responsive records. If necessary, submissions or portions thereof may be security classified:

1. The component or activity that created the records.
2. Identify Collection/File/File Series/Record Group.
   (Provide the most specific identification possible consistent with inclusiveness. e.g: IRR Files, Class 64 FBI Files, Army JAG War Crimes Branch Files.)
3. Identify the type(s) of records included.
   (case files, cables, raw intelligence, intelligence reports, correspondence, etc)
4. Provide the datespan of the Collection/File/File Series/Record Group.
5. Provide the volume (in number of pages) of the Collection/File/File Series/Record Group:
   (The volume to be screened in order to identify relevant records. 2500 pages per cubic foot.)
6. Describe anticipated problems, if any, in subsequent identification of relevant records.

In Addition:

• Each agency should provide the name and contact information of an agency official who can answer specific questions about the records.
• Each agency should provide an estimate of the budget and personnel resources and the time necessary to comply with the act.
• Each agency should provide a description of the search strategy employed for this survey and a list of special search terms used (operation code names, for example) to be shared.