2006 Annaul FOIA Report v2 R2GVJ9 0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR
2006 Annaul FOIA Report v2 R2GVJ9 0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR
2006 Annaul FOIA Report v2 R2GVJ9 0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR
I. Basic Information
A. If you have questions about the report, or if you would like a paper copy of it,
contact:
Sharon V. Lighton
General Services Administration (XA)
Washington, DC 20405
(202) 501-2262
B. If you would like to access this report on the Internet, click on the link below and
select 2006 FOIA Report.
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/programView.do?pageTypeId=8199&ooid=11388&pro
gramPage=%2Fep%2Fprogram%2FgsaDocument.jsp&programId=10155&channelId=-
13641
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?CONTACT_ID=FOIA&CONTA
CT_TYPE=GROUP&contentType=GSA_CONTACTS
If you would like to access the GSA external regulations, they are available at 41
CFR Part 105-60. To view them electronically, click on:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/41cfr105-60_01.html
C. GSA will release information in response to requests under the FOIA unless an
exemption applies and GSA has a compelling reason to invoke the exemption.
Even if the information falls clearly within an exemption, GSA will disclose it
unless the Government or some other person would suffer harm if it is disclosed.
Exemptions 2 through 7 may apply to GSA records.
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1. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(2): second statutory exemption. Generally, Exemption 2
covers purely internal operational material, such as procedures for processing
promotions. Exemption 2 applies when the disclosure of the information would
lead to or risk circumvention of statutes and agency regulations, such as when
disclosing a job crediting plan would allow candidates to tailor their applications
in such a way as to obtain unfair advantage in selections. This exemption may
also be applied to records or documents relating to building protection and
security.
2. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3): third statutory exemption. The primary Exemption 3 statute
that applies to GSA records is the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 1997, 41 U.S.C. 253(b). This statute provides that proposals in a
competitive procurement may not be disclosed under FOIA. The legislation
excepted the winning proposals set forth or incorporated by reference in an
awarded contract. The Procurement Integrity Act (41 U.S.C. 423 (a)) also
prohibits the release of "contractor bid or proposal information or source selection
information before the award of a Federal agency procurement contract to which
the information relates."
3. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4); fourth statutory exemption. GSA may withhold commercial
or financial records submitted to the Government by a person (e.g., a business),
if release of the information would involve a substantial risk of competitive injury
to a business which directly or indirectly furnished information to GSA or when
release would impair the Government's ability to obtain this information in the
future. Lease files are especially likely to contain information protected from
release under this exemption. Correspondence from prospective lessors
frequently reveals information regarding the manner in which a prospective
lessor operates or manages its building, which, if released, could be
commercially harmful to the lessor in subsequent leasing actions for non-
Government space within the building. Examples of proprietary business
information that may qualify for this exemption include:
a. Private business sales statistics.
b. Technical designs.
c. Research data.
d. Non-Federal customer and supplier lists.
e. Overhead and operating costs.
f. Non-public financial statements.
g. Resumes of company employees.
h. Names of consultants and subcontractors.
i. Details of production or quality control systems information.
j. Internal operating procedures and staffing patterns.
4. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5): fifth statutory exemption. Records that may be withheld
under the fifth statutory exemption include predecisional agency memorandums
that reflect and describe the agency's decisionmaking process and predecisional
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documents generated by the Government in the process leading up to the award
of a contract.
a. Records that are part of GSA's decisionmaking process. When screening
records for documents that should be withheld under the fifth statutory
exemption, GSA will ask whether the document is predecisional and whether
it reflects the deliberative process (makes recommendations or expresses
opinions or advice). Examples of typical predecisional, deliberative material
are drafts and internal memoranda expressing an opinion on a proposed
policy or course of action. Predecisional material can retain its exempt status
even after the final decision is made. GSA will disclose material of a purely
factual nature that can be reasonably extracted from exempt material unless
the factual material is exempt under some other criteria.
b. Records that are generated by the Government in the process leading up to
the award of a contract. GSA may withhold records under the fifth statutory
exemption if disclosure would cause commercial harm to the Government;
e.g., place the Government at a competitive disadvantage in preaward
negotiations. Examples include realty appraisals generated by the
Government in the course of soliciting buyers for Government property and
Government cost estimates. Some of these documents may lose their
exempt status after award if the potential for commercial harm no longer
exists. Other documents, such as cost estimates, may continue to qualify for
withholding if disclosure is likely to harm a similar ongoing procurement
action.
c. Records that contain other legally recognized privileges. GSA may withhold
records that are covered by attorney-client privilege or that may be classified
as attorney work products.
5. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6): sixth statutory exemption. GSA's primary consideration in
invoking the sixth statutory exemption under FOIA is protecting the privacy of the
person who is the subject of a requested file. The public interest in disclosure
must be balanced against personal privacy interests that may be invaded by
disclosing the record. GSA will determine whether to release personal
information under this exemption or when applying the personal privacy
exemption for law enforcement records (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(7)(c)) by using a four-
step process:
a. Is an identifiable personal privacy interest involved? If there is none, this
exemption does not apply.
b. Is a public interest involved; e.g., would disclosure benefit the general public
in light of content and context of the information? If there is no general public
interest to be served by disclosure, the personal information should be
protected.
c. Does the identified public interest qualify for consideration; e.g., is it an
interest which would shed light on the agency's performance of its statutory
duties? If disclosure of requested information would not serve this interest,
the personal privacy interest should be protected.
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d. Where an identifiable personal privacy interest and qualifying public interest
are present, which is greater? If the privacy interest is greater, the
information should be withheld. If the public interest is greater, this exemption
does not apply.
6. 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(7): seventh statutory exemption. The seventh statutory
exemption allows agencies to withhold law enforcement records in order to
protect the law enforcement process from interference. In GSA this exemption is
invoked primarily by the Inspector General.
B. Basic terms:
2. Initial request. A request to a federal agency for access to records under the
Freedom of Information Act.
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7. Simple request. A FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing
places in its fastest (non-expedited) track based on the volume and/or complexity
of records requested.
11. Denial. An agency decision not to release any part of a record or records in
response to a FOIA request because all the information in the requested records
is determined by the agency to be exempt under one or more of FOIA
exemptions.
12. Time limits. The time period in the Freedom of Information Act for an agency to
respond to a FOIA request is ordinarily 20 working days from a proper receipt of
a "perfected" FOIA request.
13. "Perfected" request. A FOIA request for records which adequately describes
the records sought, which has been received by the FOIA office of the agency or
agency component in possession of the records, and for which there is no
remaining question about the payment of applicable fees.
15. Median number. The middle, not average, number. For Example, of 3, 7, and
14, the median number is 7.
16. Average number. The number obtained by dividing the sum of a group of
numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group. For example, of 3, 7, and 14,
the average number is 8.
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1. Used to withhold the proposal of unsuccessful bidders and certain information in
contract proposals.
2. Pertinent Litigation:
3. Number of denials: 23
(1) Exemption 1: 1
(2) Exemption 2: 36
(3) Exemption 3: 11
(6) Exemption 6: 39
(13) Exemption 8: 0
(14) Exemption 9: 0
a. No records: 79
b. Referrals: 35
d. Fee-related reason: 32
h. Duplicate request : 7
i. Other (specify): 11
- Requester failed to provide requested clarification
A. Numbers of appeals
B. Disposition of appeals
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a. Number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each exemption
once per appeal)
(1) Exemption 1: 0
(2) Exemption 2: 4
(3) Exemption 3: 1
(4) Exemption 4: 7
(5) Exemption 5: 7
(6) Exemption 6: 2
(13) Exemption 8: 0
(14) Exemption 9: 0
a. No records: 3
b. Referrals: 0
c. Request withdrawn: 1
d. Fee-related reason: 1
i. Other (specify): 0
A. Staffing levels
2. Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties (in total work-
years): 17*
X. Fees
*These figures do not fully portray GSA's work year investment in FOIA activities.
GSA's FOIA program is decentralized; the agency relies on the program officials who
maintain the records to respond to requests. Therefore, every GSA employee may be
responsible for FOIA related work at some time.
A copy of GSA’s FOIA regulations, including the fee schedule may be found at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/41cfr105-60_01.html
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A. Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement plan (if
applicable)
On November 1, 2006 GSA updated its improvement plan making three additions:
1. The first, on page 11, added specific steps to establish and implement
procedures to reduce FOIA request processing times and backlogs across the
agency once the tracking system is in place. This addition adds two steps that
will help reduce backlog.
2. The agency adjusted the date to increase Central Office Staffing to May 1, 2007
due to organizational realignments that need to take place.
3. On page 16, GSA added Improvement Area # 12. This addition added specific
steps to establish and implement procedures to reduce backlogs across the
agency per DOJ’s recommendation.
The agency identified 12 areas for improvement in its plan. The complexity of
accomplishing each area varied greatly, as did the number of milestones required to
complete each area. The agency identified 28 total steps that needed to be
accomplished by January 31, 2007. The agency was successful in meeting all steps.
The major improvement identified in the plan is the use of an agency wide tracking
system. The initial date for the FOIA officers to start using it was December 31, 2006.
The agency met that important milestone and is now tracking requests through a central
database. With the use of this tracking system, the agency will be able to start
reviewing reports, which will be the beginning of establishing benchmarks for
improvement.
The Improvement Plan has been very successful in increasing communication among
the FOIA officers. The conference calls and tracking system are adding to a greater
sense of community and, in time, will move FOIA requests through the agency faster.
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None
GSA was mentioned five times in DOJ's 33-page report on Improving Agency Disclosure
of Information. The agency was highlighted three times with regard to its plan and
policies, including:
o Under the FOIA Request and Status Tracking section, GSA was singled out for
creating a plan to improve tracking responses;
o GSA was praised for creating a "Best Practices Pamphlet" for politeness and
courtesy. (The report highlighted this as an "exemplary step.")
o The agency was praised for its intent to create an acknowledgement response
card, described in the report as a "novel idea."
The agency in late January revised its acknowledgment card to a second version. The
previous version was not FOIA specific enough. This new card is now being used.
The nine exemptions to the FOIA authorize federal agencies to withhold information
covering: (1) classified national defense and foreign relations information; (2) internal
agency rules and practices; (3) information that is prohibited from disclosure by another
federal law; (4) trade secrets and other confidential business information; (5) inter-
agency or intra-agency communications that are protected by legal privileges; (6)
information involving matters of personal privacy; (7) records or information compiled for
law enforcement purposes, to the extent that the production of those records (A) could
reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings, (B) would deprive a
person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication, (C) could reasonably be
expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (D) could
reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of a confidential source, (E) would
disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions,
or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or (F)
could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual;
(8) information relating to the supervision of financial institutions; and (9) geological
information on wells.
F. Additional statistics:
1. Time range of requests pending, by date of request (or, where applicable, by
date of referral from another agency): October 11, 2006 to January 31, 2007
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U.S. General Services Administration
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Part A: Nature of Agency’s FOIA Operations1
Currently, the FOIA Requestor Center works with the Regions and other GSA offices to
coordinate responses to the requests it receives. Every Region, Service, and Staff
Office has a point of contact who is responsible for obtaining the information that is
needed to meet the request. This includes that point of contact working with the
respective program office to obtain the information. The Center pushes the process
along through these organizations to ensure the requests are answered appropriately.
All appeals are sent to the Central Office for review.
As requested by the Department of Justice (DOJ), GSA prepares an annual FOIA report
that includes data from Central Office and 11 geographic Regions. For FY 05, the
annual report included the following information:
GSA’s FOIA backlog is minimal. Historically, GSA has monitored its backlog by working
with the Regions to collect the information when needed since there is no agency-wide
tracking system. In addition, consistency in the responses is a challenging issue in a
decentralized FOIA environment. Since FOIA responses are distributed from 12 different
locations, there is no way to know if a denial in one Region would not be partial or full
disclosure in another region.
All of these factors create a void in the agency’s ability to understand how effective and
efficient it is in meeting the FOIA guidelines. GSA will not know its deficiencies until a
1
This report and plan does not address FOIA requests sent to GSA’s Office of Inspector General
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mechanism is put in place to capture all of that information and measure it against
benchmarks.
The following addresses the 27 areas of review identified in the guide issued by the
Department of Justice's Office of Information and Privacy for Executive Branch
Agencies:
Historically, GSA has had limited commonality among requests. GSA is evaluating
whether to create a page on gsa.gov, where common requests could be stored for six
months.
Due to the diverse operations of GSA, decentralized businesses processes, and the
wide range of FOIA requests, it is not an effective use of resources to place documents
on-line prior to the receipt of a request.
GSA.gov, GSA’s website, has a direct link on its homepage to the four FOIA pages.
There is basic FOIA contact information by state (corresponding to GSA’s geographic
Regions and Central Office). FOIA requests can be submitted electronically using an
on-line form on the EFOIA page. GSA Central Office receives about 90 percent of its
FOIA requests electronically (via email or EFOIA). The FOIA section of the website
includes GSA’s rules for the public regarding FOIA, a link to DOJ’s Public Law
information, annual GSA FOIA reports (dating back to 1999), the Public Information
Handbook—a guide to filing FOIAs at GSA, a link to DOJ’s “Your Right to Federal
Records”—a citizen’s guide to accessing federal records, and a list of Frequently Asked
Questions regarding GSA FOIA requests.
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4. Improvement of agency's FOIA Reference Guide.
Currently, there is no centralized database to store and track FOIA requests. Each
Region uses different forms of tracking systems. This results in the inability to
accurately track the types or status of responses throughout the agency or analyze the
similarities among requests. It is also difficult to determine the time it takes to respond
or track the money spent on responding. Since GSA does not have a universal coding
system to track FOIA requests, each Region has its own numbering or coding system to
organize the requests. The bulk of the agency’s plan centers on improving this issue.
Currently, the agency does not use an automated system to scan, redact, and process
FOIA requests. Due to the limited number of FOIA requests and the agency’s
decentralized process, this system is not required.
The agency has two ways to receive FOIA requests electronically. The first allows
requestors to complete an online FOIA request form on gsa.gov. The second allows a
requestor to send an email to the Regions or Central Office. GSA has also set up
gsa.foia@gsa.gov as an email address for requestors to submit FOIA requests. The
agency provides an automated email response that sends an acknowledgment to the
requestor after they submit a request electronically, using the online form.
8. Multi-track processing.
GSA currently does not use a multi-track process, with the exception of expedited
processing on a limited scale as discussed below. GSA responds to FOIA requests on
a first-come, first-served basis. The FOIA officers contact requestors if there is a need
for additional information. To date, this has served the agency well.
9. Troubleshooting of any existing problems (even minor ones) with existing request
tracking.
The agency can not identify case-by-case problems without a tracking system.
Although there are certain times when the agency has a backlog, all backlogged FOIA
requests are assigned to FOIA officers who are aggressively working on them. The
decentralized nature of GSA and the broad range of types of requests create delays in
responses which are usually met a few business days after the required date. A data
call on June 1, 2006, revealed one Region where there was a substantial backlog as a
result of one of the key contacts having left the agency. A new associate has been
assigned to work the requests and is currently addressing them.
13. Politeness/courtesy.
The agency does not have a set of guidelines or best practices that address politeness
or courtesy.
Communication with requestors is limited to five types. The first is the response to the
request. The second is clarification for additional information by traditional mail,
telephone, or email. The third is a notification of the costs associated with the request
by asking if the requestor is willing to pay for the costs associated with the request. The
fourth is an update on the status of the request. The fifth is the electronic
acknowledgment letter notifying the requestor the agency received the request.
FOIA officers rarely receive questions from requestors on the responses. This implies
that the information provided is clear and concise and does not require any additional
clarification.
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15. Acknowledgment letters.
GSA’s referrals are minimal and do not require an improved system to handle.
GSA’s consultations are minimal and do not require an improved system to handle.
In general, GSA has few problems communicating with the program personnel. GSA
does lack a key contact list that highlights all of the Regional program people that
handle FOIA requests. When those employees leave the agency or change work
responsibilities, there is no communication process notifying other FOIA personnel of
the change.
Rarely does GSA request ideas for improvement from the Regions. Even though GSA’s
FOIA process is decentralized, it has not held an all-agency conference nor developed a
FOIA “community” to exchange ideas.
GSA does not require FOIA officers or personnel to go through special, formalized
training. Historically, training has been at the discretion of the Region or Staff Office.
This creates an inconsistency in employees understanding of FOIA process throughout
GSA.
Due to the decentralized nature of the agency, many employees help to provide the
necessary documentation and to generate the responses. The agency has many
different tools and resources on its intranet site to help employees. Information includes:
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o Fees
o Denials
o Appeals
o Sample Letters
o Sample Denials
• Internal FOIA procedures and FOIA letters, with links to:
o General Requirements and Responsibilities
o Processing Procedures
o Time Limits and Extensions
o Requests for Confidential and Commercial Information
o Fees and Waivers
o Exemptions from Mandatory Disclosures
o Initial Response: Denying Requests in whole or in Part
o Appeals
o Documentation and Recordkeeping Requirements
o Sample Administrative Letters
o Sample Letters: Granting and Denying Initial Requests
o Sample Letters: Granting and Denying Appeals
o Sample Letters: Appeal Responses by Exemption
Some of this information is available to employees via the Intranet site. Some of it
needs to be refreshed and updated. Employees might not be aware of these resources
which are available to respond to the FOIA requests.
21. In-house training on "safeguarding label"/FOIA exemption distinctions.
GSA is not aware of any problems with denying FOIA requests because of “safeguard
labeling.”
GSA has identified 31 primary FOIA contacts. They are the Regional and Staff Office
representatives who are the points of contact for FOIA requests and can coordinate the
responses with the respective program offices. Initially, the FOIA Requestor Service
Center was being staffed by the Central Office FOIA officer, who did not have a backup.
This can create a problem when the officer is absent.
Most FOIA primary contacts are at different grade levels with various levels of
experience. This is currently meeting the agency’s needs.
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24. Contracting out/hiring of contract employees.
GSA’s FOIA primary contacts have not identified additional equipment needs other than
the tracking software licenses.
26. Centralization/decentralization.
GSA is very much decentralized in its operations and business processes. With 11
different geographic Regions independently responsible for operating, and information
relating to those operations residing in the Regions, there is no benefit to a centralized
FOIA process. Currently 68 percent of FOIA requests are sent to the Regions, which
imply requestors understand, given the structure of GSA, to request information from
the Regions. Central Office will maintain overall management of the GSA FOIA
Program through the new tracking system.
Currently GSA does not request information or survey requestors in order to find out
what kind of experience the requestor had.
GSA receives about 1,500 FOIA requests annually, which is about average for a
medium-size agency. With very few backlogged FOIA requests, the agency is adequate
in meeting the statutory guidelines, but can improve, among other things, its
understanding of processing times, fees collected, uniformity among responses, and
levels of customer service. Without an agency-wide tracking system, it is impossible to
capture this information and then calculate and set milestones. Once the tracking
system is in place and the agency starts tracking this information, the agency can then
capture all of the necessary information, measure it, create benchmarks against it, and
then measure against those benchmarks. This is identified as a major area to improve
operations.
Incorporating all of these policy, operational, and technological changes will drive the
agency towards meeting the intent of the Executive Order. The agency operations will
be more results-orientated, more citizen-focused, and more customer-service driven.
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Part D. List all areas chosen as improvement areas for agency plan
Improvement Area #1
4. Time Milestones
1. Implement the new tracking system with the ability to flag repetitive requested
documents: 12/31/06
2. Develop a page on gsa.gov, and develop the process to update the site: 2/01/07
3. Begin posting repetitively requested documents: 6/01/07
5. Measurement(s) of Success
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Improvement Area #2
1. Name: Proactive disclosure of information to reduce the number of Task Order FOIA
requests
1. Meet with Task Order employees who answer the FOIA requests
2. Determine what common FOIA requests they receive
3. Out of those requests, determine what information is releasable and what is not
4. Create verbiage to inform requestors on the type of information the agency can
release and what information is not releasable.
5. Post information on gsa.gov
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Improvement Area #3
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• FPDS (Federal Procurement Data System-- central repository of statistical
information on federal contracting)
• FedBizOpps (Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000)
• Schedules e-Library (Schedules and GWAC contract award information)
• NARA /Federal Personnel Records Center
• DOJ’s “Principle FOIA Contacts to Federal Agencies”
• GSA Credit Card list.
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success:
Improvement Area #4
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Improvement Area #5
2. Statement of objective: Close the ten oldest FOIA requests pending each year
1. Review the ten oldest FOIA requests that are pending as of January 1, 2007
and determine the steps need to be taken to complete the processing of these
requests
2. Implement the steps determined need to be taken to complete the processing
of these requests
3. Close these requests
4. During calendar years 2008 and 2009, continue the process described in the
preceding steps
4. Time Milestones
1. Review the ten oldest FOIA requests that are pending as of January 1, 2007
and determine the steps need to be taken to complete the processing of these
requests: 2/01/07
2. Implement the steps determined need to be taken to complete the processing
of these requests: 3/01/07
3. Close these requests: 12/31/07
4. During calendar years 2008 and 2009, continue the process described in the
preceding steps: 12/31/08 and 12/31/09
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Improvement Area #6
1. Name: Develop a best practices pamphlet to create standards for politeness and
courtesy when dealing with requestors
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2. Statement of objective: Increase politeness and courtesy in responding to FOIA
requests
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Improvement Area #7
2. Statement of objective: Inform FOIA requestors that their requests have been
received by the agency
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Improvement Area #8
1. Name: Improve the process by which necessary cooperation is obtained from agency
program personnel by creating a key contact list
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2. Statement of objective: Improve communication throughout the agency by creating
a contact list of all key agency FOIA contacts
1. Ask the Regions, Services, and Staff Offices FOIA contacts for their contacts in
each organization
2. Collect the information and keep it up-to-date
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Improvement Area #9
1. Begin holding bi-monthly conference calls with the GSA FOIA community in the
Regions, Services, Staff Offices, and Central Office
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
1. Name: Increase informal training for employees by providing better online resources
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3. List of all distinct steps planned to be taken:
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
1. Name: Capture information at the Service Center from requestors regarding their
FOIA experience at GSA to drive improvements
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2. Statement of objective: Improve customer satisfaction by sending out satisfaction
surveys to requestors
4. Time Milestones
5. Measurement(s) of Success
Part F. For the entire plan, group the improvement areas into the following time
periods:
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