FOIA requests to Air Force can now be made online
From Sunshine Review
August 19, 2009 Air Force information is now easier to access, thanks to Scott's Air Force Network Integration Center (formerly Air Force Communications Agency) who have developed an online way to automate FOIA requests.[1]
[edit] Freedom of Information Act requests
Scott's Air Force Network Integration Center is under the direction of the Air Staff FOIA Functional Advocate. The Air Force has 20 business days to return the information after the FOIA request is made, which used to be a hard deadline to make because there were so many requests coming in.
The Office of Warfighting Integration and the Chief Information Officer instructed the AFNIC to start up a Web-based application allowing online FOIA submissions. The $5 million, five-year online FOIA (eFOIA) program supports as many as 750 Air Force FOIA Managers. The new system can process an average of 10,000 cases annually.[1]
[edit] Benefits
The eFOIA system should make the retrieval process quicker and records more accessible.
Citizens can request information through an online form as well as look through an online reading room library of previously-released documents. This will reduce public requests because the information the requester is seeking may have been previously requested.
The eFOIA system is called FOIAXpress. It includes an advanced electronic redaction toolset to improve search, retrieval, and reference and compliance reporting. The information can also be returned to the requester via the Internet.
"It was a joint effort with engineers, computer programmers, project managers, contractors, and budget officials from across the Air Force," said Rick Jolly, AFNIC project leader. "This multifaceted cross-organizational group accomplished a tremendous feat in a short amount of time by delivering a 21st century automated FOIA capability. This will provide releasable information to US citizens as required by law in a timely manner."
The new eFOIA system will help ensure that the Air Force will be in full compliance with the Open Government Act of 2007, the Jan. 21 Presidential FOIA Memorandum, and the March 19 U.S.[1]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Air Force FOIA requests can now be made online," Air Force Space Command, 19 August 2009
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