Missed Opportunities for FOIA Improvement Highlighted in New CJOG Report

A new report from the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, issued on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act, found that federal agencies and departments have made little, if any, progress in responding to FOIA requests, despite an executive order to improve service.

The report, "An Opportunity Lost," analyzed the FOIA performance of 25 federal agencies and departments. What it found was in stark contrast to a June report from the Justice Department that cited "remarkable improvements."

"The Justice Department analysis was based on the agencies' own performance goals," explained CJOG Coordinator Pete Weitzel. "The CJOG report used the agencies' own congressionally mandated FOIA response reports, which we believe is a truer test of actual performance in handling requests."

Several agencies did achieve significant backlog reductions, but overall, the CJOG analysis suggested, the principal factor in bringing down the backlog was a sharp decline in new requests, taking substantial pressure off the agencies. In 2007 the agencies reviewed received the fewest new requests since reporting began in 1998.

The CJOG analysis found reductions in FOIA personnel and spending, fewer information grants and lengthy delays. One area that saw quicker response time was administrative appeals: the majority of agencies responding to such appeals said "no" more quickly.

The complete CJOG study, including a variety of tables showing both full 2007 results and comparisons by reporting categories, can be found at www.cjog.net.