OGIS Recommendations and Best Practices for Agencies
OGIS periodically conducts independent, systematic reviews of agencies to evaluate their compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552(h)(2). These reviews assess agencies FOIA operations, programs, and policies, and include recommendations and best practices. Although each recommendation or best practice is targeted at a specific agency (e.g., National Archives, U.S. Postal Service, etc.) other agencies may find them helpful to inform their policies and procedures. The tables below are arranged by category and include over 125 recommendations to aid federal agencies with FOIA compliance. The full list of the 14 agency reports is here.
Below are OGIS definitions of best practice and recommendation. In addition definitions are provided for the table category labels: "COMMUNICATION," "MANAGEMENT," and "TECHNOLOGY."
Best Practice: Methods that OGIS has observed work well in many FOIA programs.
Recommendation: A course of action suggested by OGIS to help an agency comply with the FOIA statute, Department of Justice guidance or other authority, or to help an agency avoid disputes that could lead to litigation.
Table 1: Communication Recommendations from Agency Compliance Reports - Agency Recommendations*
COMMUNICATION: The transmission of information between a FOIA requester and a federal agency; could be written, such as an initial FOIA response letter, or verbal, such as a telephone call to discuss narrowing the scope of a request.
*Please note the table headers are sortable, click on the table header (blue box) to sort each column in alphabetical order. Use the Ctrl+F function to search the page and table using specific terms.
| Best Practice or Recommendation | Source | Date Published | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providing callers with information about how to contact the agency’s general assistance hotline can reduce misdirected calls to the FOIA program. | Compliance Review of U.S. Postal Service FOIA Program | 08/22/2018 | Best Practice |
| Include a description of the request and tracking website link in acknowledgement letters. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should edit template letters to include: An explanation of deficiencies that cause a request not be processed; Information about the search; Information about exemptions, including what they mean; A page count of material released or withheld. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should send a link to the open investigations database to all requesters who seek investigative records. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| CFPB FOIA should create a formal feedback loop to ensure requests are properly processed at the initial request stage and to reduce the number of appeals remanded for further processing. | Compliance Review of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FOIA Program | 08/15/2017 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should limit the use of “still interested” letters in accordance with Office of Information Policy guidance. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should consider adding to helpspanish.cbp.gov webpage information about the FOIA program in Spanish. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| Communicate regularly with requesters to update them on estimated dates of completion, status in the queue, and ask for change in address, if applicable. (These are not “still interested” letters). | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should regularly communicate with requesters about the status of requests, particularly regarding the oldest cases. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| Revise final response template to: Include appeal rights when request granted in full; Remove CFR references; Edit descriptions of regulations so they are in plain language; and Include search terms when applicable. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should create templates which include brief descriptions of the FOIA exemptions the Coast Guard uses most often. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should revise template letters so the letters use plain language and less jargon. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should review CBP forms and templates for plain language. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should develop template letters that provide an explanation for why certain material is covered by an exemption. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| OGIS recommends that USPS create template letters and standard language written in plain language so that they are easily understood by requesters. | Compliance Review of U.S. Postal Service FOIA Program | 08/22/2018 | Recommendation |
| Education must update its template letters and standard language to comply with the statute. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 09/25/2019 | Recommendation |
| Provide requesters with an estimated date of completion based on FEMA’s annual statistics. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should alert requesters that they will receive a response from multiple offices, when applicable, or ensure that a response indicates that it is an interim or final response from a particular district. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should delete from the appeal template language which informs the requester that the Coast Guard cannot provide an estimated date of completion. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should include all tracking numbers associated with a remanded request, including the newly assigned tracking number as well as the original tracking number. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should discuss improving the efficiency of referrals from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to USSS. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should include the total number of pages released in final responses once FOIA tracking and processing system is fully functional. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| ICE should cite in response letters to requesters which Exemption 3 statute the agency is relying on to withhold information. | Compliance Review of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FOIA Program | 10/18/2016 | Recommendation |
| ICE should provide requesters with at least 30 working days to respond to a still interested inquiry as per DOJ guidance and confirm with the requester in writing if a request is closed as a result of a discussion. | Compliance Review of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FOIA Program | 10/18/2016 | Recommendation |
| Education must comply with FOIA by providing estimated dates of completion to requesters who seek such information. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 09/25/2019 | Recommendation |
| State in the Electronic Reading Room that additional records released under FOIA are available on FOIAonline. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| Educate requesters in initial responses about exemptions and why they still apply to particular records. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should add a brief explanation of the exemptions to the FOIA response checklist. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should add language to the standard email which acknowledges requests: highlight the checklist and the need for a response; include contact information for the office. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| USCIS should add appropriate contact information for USCIS FOIA to the online FOIA tracking page. | Compliance Review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service FOIA Program | 02/09/2018 | Recommendation |
| Publicizing what information USPS will not release may reduce the number of requests, and free up resources to improve responsiveness to complex requests. | Compliance Review of U.S. Postal Service FOIA Program | 08/22/2018 | Recommendation |
| Include in the FOIA Reference Guide information about OGIS and a requester’s right to come to OGIS as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation and about FOIAonline. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| Post a searchable PDF version of NARA’s FOIA regulation. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Add language to FOIA website directing requesters to call the general number to track requests. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should proactively communicate with requesters and alert them to the status of their requests. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| Continue to work on creating a standard language bank to explain, in plain language, some of NARA’s FOIA and other related processes as well as exemptions. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| Revise template letters and create a bank of standard language that explains, in plain language, the processing queues, fee policies, and exemptions. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| NRC should review and update its communications with requesters, including its acknowledgements, responses, FOIA Desk Guide, and FOIA website to ensure they are up-to-date, written in plain language and include all relevant information so that requesters can more easily understand the agency’s FOIA process and actions on requests. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| Simplify potentially confusing alphanumeric FOIA tracking numbers. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Corresponding with requesters using the requester’s preferred method of communication is good customer service. | Compliance Review of U.S. Postal Service FOIA Program | 08/22/2018 | Best Practice |
Table 2: Management Recommendations from Agency Compliance Reports - Agency Recommendations*
MANAGEMENT: How an agency administers, regulates and manages its FOIA resources, both human and fiscal.
*Please note the table headers are sortable, click on the table header (blue box) to sort each column in alphabetical order. Use the Ctrl+F function to search the page and table using specific terms.
| Best Practice or Recommendation | Source | Date Published | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consider creating a way for requesters to check the status of their appeals. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 |
Recommendation |
| Direct appeals staff to include information about mediation services offered by the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) in its final appeal response letters | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should create a plan to centralize the Coast Guard’s FOIA process. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should continue to streamline FOIA processes and add quality control measures to further improve the program: check all requests for duplicates at the triage stage; evaluate processes for emerging bottlenecks; and continue to redirect resources as necessary. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should discuss with the Privacy and Diversity Office options for managing both the backlog and incoming requests and ensuring proper staffing levels in the coming years. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should create a formal data-driven backlog reduction plan. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| ICE may wish to develop a process to electronically transmit misdirected FOIA requests to USCIS. | Compliance Review of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FOIA Program | 10/18/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should ensure all requests for fee waivers and expedited processing are in accordance with DHS regulations. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should update USSS Standard Operating Procedures to reflect process for responding to first-party requests with no responsive records. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| Expand training opportunities to include more DOJ workshops and conferences, seminars, and trainings by other agencies, professional organizations, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations; a particular emphasis should be on the Attorney General Guidelines for FOIA, specifically the harm analysis for Exemption 5. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should Create at-a-glance procedures for processing FOIA requests for personnel for which processing FOIA is a collateral duty. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should create clear standard operating procedures for the FOIA process by updating the Coast Guard FOIA manual. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should expand the Coast Guard’s training curriculum to include privacy laws, DHS FOIA regulation, and DHS online training. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should add the FOIA learning modules released by the DOJ in March 2015 to the CBP’s online employee training hub. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should develop a training schedule to ensure the staff has appropriate training as they gain additional responsibilities. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should adopt management controls and continue working towards using metrics in employee performance goals. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| Education should use data to set goals for the numbers of cases closed and pages reviewed by each FOIA processor. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 09/25/2019 | Recommendation |
| Education should incorporate FOIA performance standards into performance plans for all employees with FOIA responsibilities. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 9/25/2019 | Recommendation |
| Consider reinstating a memorandum of understanding with the United States Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge program to process FOIA appeals. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 9/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Create a triage process that queues complex and simple requests based on the number of responsive pages or the topic of the request. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 9/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Discuss with FEMA leadership and DHS Privacy Office staffing challenges during disaster responses and create a contingency plan for meeting those challenges. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Improve records management practices in regard to storage of FOIA documents and ensure the agency has a complete administrative record for each FOIA case. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Track volume of records processed and use volume as a management and oversight control tool. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should consider using the Coast Guard’s own Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) program for processing appeals. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should evaluate the policy regarding what responses must be reviewed by the Office of General Counsel. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should continue to work with the Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) to reduce the number of requests OCC reviews. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the entire FOIA process. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should monitor the number of cases closed and volume of pages reviewed by each processor and set data-driven goals to reduce the backlog and increase timeliness. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should study the Coast Guard’s ability to access records housed on Department of Defense servers. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should continue beyond FY 2016 the inter-agency agreement in which USCIS processes CBP records contained in Alien, or A-Files. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should continue managing resources by developing a method for monitoring the number of pages processed and ensuring more timely processing of complex requests. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should develop a strategy to improve communication and promote cross-training between CBP FOIA and the Appeals offices. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should continue to work with the Office of Chief Counsel to improve the quality of initial searches . | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| CFPB FOIA should continue to engage high-level CFPB officials and highlight the importance of compliance with FOIA and a high degree of cooperation between staff in the FOIA office and the program offices. | Compliance Review of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FOIA Program | 08/15/2017 | Recommendation |
| CFPB FOIA should Keep CFPB leadership apprised of the need for any additional FOIA assistance to keep up with growing workload. | Compliance Review of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FOIA Program | 08/15/2017 | Recommendation |
| OGIS recommends that USPS meet its goal of creating and implementing the use of templates and standard language that FOIA processors in the field can use to respond to requests. | Compliance Review of U.S. Postal Service FOIA Program | 08/22/2018 | Recommendation |
| Education should track and establish response time performance standards for program office records searches. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 09/25/2019 | Recommendation |
| NRC should provide requesters with appeal rights in full release responses. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| NRC should establish a process to respond more quickly to simple requests such as those that might be answered with publicly available records and those that may result in “no records” responses. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should follow DOJ guidance and DHS practice on the use of “still interested” letters. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| NRC should reform its administrative appeals process to conform with DOJ guidance. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| NRC should update its FOIA regulations, FOIA Management Directive, and FOIA Desk Guide to ensure they are plainly written and reflect current processes and statutory requirements. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| Write a policy or procedure to identify, regularly, records that that should be released proactively. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| Create a policy or procedure to regularly identify records to be posted to the FEMA FOIA website. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Engage FEMA leadership to consider proactively releasing contracts and/or finding ways to identify possibly exempt information in contracts before a request comes in. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Provide training or printed material to Special Access and FOIA and Presidential Library FOIA professionals on when to provide appeal rights | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| NRC should assess and meet the training needs of staff with FOIA duties. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| NRC should train staff on records management procedures for FOIA case files and update its FOIA Desk Guide to include such procedures. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| NRC should use data to develop individual performance standards and metrics and goals for each processor (e.g., numbers of cases closed and pages reviewed) to reduce the backlog and improve timeliness. The agency should also consider incorporating FOIA performance standards into performance plans for all employees, including subject-matter experts, with FOIA responsibilities. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| Write policies and procedures for processing FOIA requests and appeals. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| Consider creating a handout that military service FOIA offices can post in their workspace that clearly communicates which NARA component should receive referrals for military and civilian personnel records. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Record | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Create a strategy to handle processing of requests regarding high-profile current events without stopping processing on other requests. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Discuss strategies with the Office of General Counsel for whether to allow requesters to appeal decisions to withhold information on interim releases. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Explore how OGIS might be able to assist with strategies for closing some of the oldest pending cases. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Provide the FOIA team with clear information regarding the status of the agency’s FOIA regulations. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| When a requester asks for a status update, follow up to ensure agencies complete the estimated date of completion section on the “classified document accountability record.” | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Write letters to other agency Chief FOIA Officers and FOIA Public Liaisons, signed by the Chief FOIA Officer, explaining what Special Access and FOIA does and how it processes archival records within its custody. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Consider streamlining contractor notice procedures to make FOIA processing of contracts more efficient. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should continue discussions with SSI office regarding resolving inefficiencies and duplication of efforts. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should ensure all information in the tracking and processing system is accurate and complete. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| Adopting a standard procedure and method for issuing guidance, as OIP does in issuing government-wide FOIA policy, would improve DHS components’ compliance with FOIA and adherence to DHS FOIA policy. We recommend that the DHS Chief FOIA Officer adopt these practices. When warranted, issues of non-compliance should be raised to higher levels, including to the Secretary’s office. The Privacy Office should also issue additional recommendations or corrective actions as necessary to bring components into compliance with the law and DHS policy. | DHS Chief FOIA Officer Compliance Assessment | 12/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| USCIS should continue to work with its leadership to ensure that the office has sufficient support to keep up with the current volume of requests and reduce its backlog. | Compliance Review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services FOIA Program | 02/09/2018 | Recommendation |
| NRC must comply with FOIA’s statutory mandate by providing estimated dates of completion to requesters upon request. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| Education must update its FOIA regulation to reflect amendments to FOIA as well as the Department’s processes for implementing the substantive and procedural changes. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 09/25/2019 | Recommendation |
Table 3: Technology Recommendations from Agency Compliance Reports - Agency Recommendations*
TECHNOLOGY: Systems that agencies use to accept and track FOIA requests, search for responsive records, review and apply redactions to responsive records, respond to requests and capture annual FOIA data.
*Please note the table headers are sortable, click on the table header (blue box) to sort each column in alphabetical order. Use the Ctrl+F function to search the page and table using specific terms.
| Best Practice or Recommendation | Source | Date Published | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consider convening a multi-disciplinary task force within the agency to address disparate technology used by the various FOIA programs. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should explain on the CBP website: How users can use the search tool; The advantages of creating an account on FOIAonline to request CBP records. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| Education should establish a partnership between the FOIA Service Center and the Department’s Customer Service and Technology Team to analyze the costs and benefits of moving to a Department-wide system and leverage technology to improve and streamline the Department’s FOIA process. | Compliance Review of U.S. Department of Education FOIA Program | 09/25/2019 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should use the “FOIA” metadata tag for records released under FOIA. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| ICE should comply with Department of Justice guidance encouraging agencies to use a FOIA metadata tag with all posted records released under FOIA. | Compliance Review of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FOIA Program | 10/18/2016 | Recommendation |
| CFPB FOIA should comply with Department of Justice guidance encouraging agencies to use a FOIA metadata tag for all posted records released under FOIA. | Compliance Review of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FOIA Program | 08/15/2017 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should post link to agency’s open investigations database. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should create a system to ensure that released records that are of interest to the public are placed in the public repository. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| CBP FOIA should look at how records can be processed and released in their native formats when requested and incorporate any new processes into standard operating procedures. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection FOIA Program | 03/09/2016 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should improve ability to check the status of requests by updating the FOIA web page to direct requesters to the Requester Service Center to track requests and discussing how to regularly and securely provide data about the status of USSS FOIA requests to the DHS Privacy Office. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should fully implement the Coast Guard’s FOIA processing system. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USCG FOIA should overhaul the Coast Guard FOIA web page, including reviewing all reference material for accuracy and fixing broken links. | Compliance Review of U.S. Coast Guard FOIA Program | 09/25/2015 | Recommendation |
| USSS FOIA should ensure the FOIA branch has sufficient IT support. | Compliance Review of the U.S. Secret Service FOIA Program | 07/27/2016 | Recommendation |
| USPS should continue to look for ways to use technology to lower the administrative burden of the FOIA process. | Compliance Review of U.S. Postal Service FOIA Program | 08/22/2018 | Recommendation |
| NRC should assess its FOIA technology and records management needs and establish a plan to develop a more seamless approach to processing records responsive to FOIA. | Compliance Review of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission FOIA Program | 09/16/2020 | Recommendation |
| USCIS should explore how technology can be used to ensure that records do not need to be re-processed multiple times. | Compliance Review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services FOIA Program | 02/09/2018 | Recommendation |
| USCIS should weigh the costs and benefits of producing machine-readable digitized versions of A-Files that will enable the use of computer-assisted review tools. | Compliance Review of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services FOIA Program | 02/09/2018 | Recommendation |
| Post a complete version of the FY 2013 FOIA Report. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| Post a searchable PDF version of NARA’s updated FOIA regulation. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase I: Operational Records | 09/25/2014 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should fully implement the tracking and processing system. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| Discuss with DHS Privacy Office how records can be processed and released in their native formats using the existing case management software. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should work with the DHS Privacy Office to find a solution that allows records to be processed and released in their native format. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |
| Provide links to the most recently released documents on FOIA Electronic Reading Room or social media platforms. | Assessment of the National Archives and Records Administration’s FOIA Program Phase II: Archival Records | 04/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Overhaul the agency’s FOIA website to help reduce the office’s administrative burden and increase requester knowledge about FOIA. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| Use technology to track volume of records processed. | Compliance Review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency FOIA Program | 09/08/2015 | Recommendation |
| TSA FOIA should continue to refine the online tracking tool so that the estimated date of completion is more accurate. | Compliance Review of the Transportation Security Administration FOIA Program | 01/11/2016 | Recommendation |