Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Daily Archives: March 4, 2015

A New Suite of FOIA Training Resources for all Federal Employees

DOJ: “The Office of Information Policy has developed new FOIA resources designed to train all levels of the federal workforce to understand their FOIA responsibilities. These new resources were developed as part of our commitments in the U.S. Second Open Government National Action Plan, as well as the Department’s Open Government Plan 3.0. We are pleased to invite you to a presentation on Thursday, March 12th marking the rollout of these important new tools.  A proper understanding of the FOIA, including the correct application of the statute’s provisions and the President’s and Attorney General Holder’s 2009 FOIA Memoranda, is the first step toward any successful FOIA operation. As a key part of fulfilling our responsibility to encourage government-wide compliance, every year OIP provides and participates in various FOIA training programs across the government. Embracing the importance of FOIA training, many agencies have also reported on their own robust FOIA training efforts in their Chief FOIA Officer Reports. While these training efforts often focus on agency FOIA professionals, it is important that all federal employees have access to resources that help them understand their FOIA responsibilities. As Attorney General Holder emphasized in his 2009 FOIA Guidelines, “FOIA is everyone’s responsibility.”  OIP’s new collection of training tools are designed to help ensure that these important resources are available for all federal employees — from the senior executive, to the everyday employee whose records might become subject to the FOIA, to the FOIA professionals responsible for processing records for disclosure. The new training tools being released include:

  • A brief video from the Director of OIP aimed at senior government executives, providing a general overview of the FOIA and emphasizing the importance of their support to their agency’s FOIA program;
  • An in-depth e-Learning training module specifically designed for FOIA professionals which addresses all the major procedural and substantive requirements of the law, as well as the importance of customer service;
  • A separate e-Learning training module for the everyday federal employee that provides a primer on the FOIA and highlights ways in which they can assist their agency in administering the law; and
  • An infographic that can serve as a resource on FOIA basics for all employees new to the federal workforce.”

SIGAR Publishes Newly Declassified Data

POGO – “This week, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released a supplement to its January 2015 quarterly report to Congress. The supplement comes after the Pentagon’s change of heart about keeping secret a large quantity of data about the Afghan military and police. As SIGAR reported in January, the U.S. has spent… Continue Reading

Most Say Government Policies Since Recession Have Done Little to Help Middle Class, Poor

Pew – Partial Recovery Seen in Jobs, Household Incomes: “The public makes sharp distinctions about which groups have benefited – and which have not – from the economic policies the government has put in place since the start of the recession. Majorities say that large banks, large corporations and the wealthy have been helped a… Continue Reading

Annual Report to Congress: Federal Information Security Management Act

Annual Report to Congress, February 27, 2015: “As cyber threats continue to evolve, the Federal Government is embarking on a number of initiatives to protect Federal information and assets and improve the resilience of Federal networks. OMB, in coordination with its partners at the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and… Continue Reading

Economic Census Reveals Sharp Growth in Value of Shipments for Oil and Gas Extraction Industry

“The U.S. Census Bureau released figures today from the Economic Census showing that the value of shipments for the nation’s crude petroleum and natural gas extraction (NAICS 211111) industry climbed 28.9 percent between 2007 and 2012, despite only an 8.5 percent increase in the number of establishments over the same period. Value of shipments rose… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Defense Science and Technology, Drug Shortages, Government Efficiency and Effectiveness, Healthcare.gov, Indian Irrigation Projects, Motor Carrier Safety, Whistleblower Protection

Defense Science and Technology: Further DOD and DOE Actions Needed to Provide Timely Conference Decisions and Analyze Risks from Changes in Participation, GAO-15-278: Published: Mar 4, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 4, 2015. Drug Shortages: Better Management of the Quota Process for Controlled Substances Needed; Coordination between DEA and FDA Should Be Improved, GAO-15-202: Published: Feb… Continue Reading

DOJ Announces Findings of Two Civil Rights Investigations in Ferguson, Missouri

News release: “The Justice Department announced the findings of its two civil rights investigations related to Ferguson, Missouri, today.  The Justice Department found that the Ferguson Police Department (FPD) engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution.  The Justice Department also announced that the… Continue Reading

Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District – 3/4/2015

Beige Book – “Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicate that economic activity continued to expand across most regions and sectors from early January through mid-February. Six Districts noted that the local economy expanded at a moderate pace since the prior reporting period. Activity rose modestly in Philadelphia and Cleveland, while it increased slightly… Continue Reading

WSJ – Takeaways from the 2009 Fed Transcripts

WSJ.com – “Federal Reserve officials spent 2009 worrying about the worst U.S. economic downturn they had seen in their lives, the weakness of the nascent recovery and the uncertainties surrounding their policy options. The transcripts released Wednesday of their policy meetings that year add some interesting new details to this picture, though no big surprises. We pored through them so… Continue Reading