I. Basic Information Regarding Report

1. Name, title, address, and telephone number of person(s) to be contacted with questions about the report.

Paula D. Sweeney, Records Manager
Selective Service System
Arlington, VA 22209-2425
Telephone: 703-605-4046

2. An electronic copy of the report may be obtained by accessing the Selective Service System Home Page at the following address:

www.sss.gov

3. A copy of this report in paper form may be obtained by requesting a copy in writing to the address stated in I.A. above.

II. How to Make a FOIA Request

1. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all individual agency components and offices that receive FOIA requests.

Paula D. Sweeney, Records Manager
Selective Service System
Arlington, VA 22209-2425
Telephone: 703-605-4046

2. Brief description of the agency’s response time ranges.

The Selective Service’s response time ranges from 1 to 20 days depending on the complexity of the request.

3. Brief description of why some requests are not granted.

Requests which are not granted are usually denied because no records are available.

III. Definitions of Terms and Acronyms Used in the Report (to be included in each report)

1. Agency-specific acronyms or other terms.

N/A

2. Basic terms, expressed in common terminology.

1. FOIA/PA Request – Freedom of Information/Privacy Act request.  A FOIA request is generally a request for access to records concerning a third party, an organization, or a particular topic of interest.  A Privacy Act request is a request for records concerning oneself; such requests are also treated as FOIA requests.  (All requests for access to records, regardless of which law is cited by there requester, are included in this report.)

2. Initial Request – a request to a federal agency for access to records under the Freedom of Information Act.

3. Appeal – a request to a federal agency asking that it review at a higher administrative level a full denial or partial denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Act, or any other FOIA determination such as a matter pertaining to fees.

4. Processed Request or Appeal – a request or appeal for which an agency has taken a final action on the request or the appeal in all respects.

5. Multi-track processing – a system in which simple requests requiring relatively minimal review are placed in one processing track and more voluminous and complex requests are placed in one or more other tracks.  Requests in each track are processed on a first-in/first-out basis.  A requester who has an urgent need for records may request expedited processing (see below).

6. Expedited processing – an agency will process a FOIA request on an expedited basis when a requester has shown an exceptional need or urgency for the records which warrants prioritization of his or her request over other requests that were made earlier.

7. Simple request – a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in its fastest (nonexpedited) track based on the volume and/or simplicity of records requested.

8. Complex request – a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in a slower track based on the volume and/or complexity of records requested.

9. Grant – an agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a FOIA request.

10. Partial grant – an agency decision to disclose a record in part in response to a FOIA request, deleting information determined to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA’s exemptions; or a decision to disclose some records in their entireties, but to withhold other in whole or in part.

11. Denial - an agency decision to disclose a record in 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 the FOIA’s exemptions, or for some procedural reason (such as because no records is located in response to a FOIA request).

12. Time limits – the time period in the Freedom of Information Act for an agency to respond to a request (ordinarily 20 working days from 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.

14. Exemption 3 statute – a separate federal statute prohibiting the disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its withholding under FOIA subsection (b)(3).

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.

IV. Exemption 3 Statutes

1. List of Exemption 3 statutes relied on by agency during current fiscal year.

1. Brief description of type(s) of information withheld under each statute.

N/A

2. Statement of whether a court has upheld the use of each statute. If so, then cite example.

N/A

V. Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests

1. Numbers of initial requests.

Total of the numbers in lines 1 and 2, minus the number in line 3 should equal the number in line 4.

1. Number of requests pending as of end of preceding fiscal year.    0

2. Number of requests received during current fiscal year.  35

3. Number of requests processing during current fiscal year.  35

4. Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year.     0    

(Enter this number also in Line VII.B.1.)

2. Disposition of initial requests.

1. Number of total grants    34 

2. Number of partial grants  0

3. Number of denials    0   

1. number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each exemption once per request)

(1)   Exemption 1  0

(2)   Exemption 2  0

(3)   Exemption 3  0

(4)   Exemption 4  0

(5)   Exemption 5  0

(6)   Exemption 6  0

(7)   Exemption 7 (A)  0

(8)   Exemption 7 (B)  0

(9)   Exemption 7 (C)  0

(10)  Exemption 7 (D)  0

(11)  Exemption 7 (E)  0

(12)  Exemption 7 (F)  0

(13)  Exemption 8  0

(14)  Exemption 9  0

4. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total) 1

1. no records  0

2. referrals  0

3. request withdrawn  0

4. fee-related reason  0

5. records not reasonably described  0

6. not a proper FOIA request for some other reason  0

7. not an agency record  0

8. duplicate request  0

9. other (specify) 1 (More information needed to process request)

VI. Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests

1. Numbers of appeals.

1. Number of appeals received during fiscal year  1

2. Number of appeals processed during fiscal year 1

2. Disposition of appeals.

1. Number completely upheld  1

2. Number partially reversed  0

3. Number completely reversed  0

1. number of times each FOIA exemption used (counting each exemption once per appeal)

(1)   Exemption 1  0

(2)   Exemption 2  0

(3)   Exemption 3  0

(4)   Exemption 4  0

(5)   Exemption 5  0

(6)   Exemption 6  1

(7)   Exemption 7(A)  0

(8)   Exemption 7(B)  0

(9)   Exemption 7(C)  0

(10)  Exemption 7(D)  0

(11)  Exemption 7(E)  0

(12)  Exemption 7(F)  0

(13)  Exemption 8  0

(14)  Exemption 9  0

4. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total) 0

1. no records  0

2. referrals  0

3. request withdrawn  0

4. fee-related reason  0

5. records not reasonably described  0

6. not a proper FOIA request for some other reason  0

7. not an agency record  0

8. duplicate request  0

9. other (specify)  0

VII. Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests

1. Median processing time for requests processed during the year.

1. Simple requests (if multiple tracks used).

1. number of requests processed  35

2. median number of days to process 10

2. Complex requests (specify for any and all tracks used).

1. number of requests processed  0

2. median number of days to process  0

3. Request accorded expedited processing.

1. number of requests processed  0

2. median number of days to process  0

2. Status of pending requests.

Agencies using multiple tracks may provide numbers of each track, as well as totals.

1. Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year  0
   (Enter this number from line V.A.4.)

2. Median number of days that such requests were pending as of that date  0

VIII. Comparison with Previous Year(s) (Optional)

Requests for expedited processing:

1. Number of requests received:   0

2. Number of requests processed:  0

IX. Costs/FOIA Staffing

1. Staffing levels.

1. Number of full-time FOIA personnel  0

2. Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties (in total work-years)  .03

3. Total number of personnel (in work-years)  .03

2. Total costs (including staff and all resources)

1. FOIA processing (including appeals)  $1,686

2. Litigation-related activities (estimated)   0

3. Total costs   $1,686

4. Comparison with previous year(s) (including percentage of change)(optional)   0

3. Statement of additional resources needed for FOIA compliance (optional)   0

X. Fees

This includes charges for search, review, document duplication, and any other direct costs permitted under agency regulations.

1. Total number of fees collected by agency for processing requests   0

2. Percentage of total costs   0

XI. FOIA Regulations (Including Fee Schedule)

An electronic copy may be obtained by accessing the Selective Service System’s home page at the following address:

www.sss.gov

XII. Activities under FOIA Improvement Plan

1. Description of supplementation/modification of agency improvement plan (if applicable)

Not applicable

2. Report on agency implementation of its plan, including its performance in meeting milestones with respect to each improvement area.

Four areas for potential improvement were selected in our FY2006 plan: affirmative disclosure, proactive disclosure, overall website improvement, and improvement of FOIA reference guide.  Following our plan, SSS has achieved its goals and milestones for affirmative disclosure, proactive disclosure and overall website improvement in spite of shifting priorities within a two person part-time staff.  Nevertheless, anticipated benefits have been realized.  Specifically, appropriate Agency documents have been posted and have fostered greater direct public access online.  Further, in the area of proactive disclosure a less cluttered, more searchable website is in place and continues to be monitored for betterment.  Addressing overall website improvement, public feedback and contractor inputs have ensured that the Selective Service website is relevant, anticipatory of customer actual concerns, and simple to navigate.  In only one area, Improvement of FOIA Reference Guide, did one action miss the originally established milestones.  

3. Identification and discussion of any deficiency in meeting plan milestones (if applicable).

Only one planned action, rewrite and post on SSS website a FOIA Reference Guide to increase public awareness of FOIA processing, was not accomplished according to our original milestone.  This shortfall resulted from the milestone being too ambitious given constrained part-time contractor operating within a dynamic environment with shifting priorities.  Nevertheless, management acknowledged the incomplete action, changed priorities, focused on the item, and completed the action 21 November 2007.

1. FOIA Improvement Plan area to which the deficient milestones relate. Improvement of FOIA Reference Guide. Goal: Rewrite and post on SSS website a FOIA Reference Guide to increase public awareness of FOIA processing.

2. Deficient milestones and the original target dates from the FOIA Improvement Plan.

1. Benchmark other federal agency examples of FOIA Reference Guides, by 15 Sep 06.

2. Author a FOIA Reference Guide tailored to the SSS FOIA program incorporating government-wide best practices, by 31 Oct 06.

3.  Load Reference Guide on FOIA pages of SSS website, by 15 Dec 06.

3. Steps taken to correct the deficiencies and the dates by which the steps were completed.

1. Re-prioritized the workload on 15 Jan 07.

2. Rewrote 50 percent of the Guide by 1 May 07, and 100 percent of the Guide by 1 Sep 07.

3. Completed loading of the Guide on FOIA pages of Agency Web site by 21 Nov 07.

4. No additional steps are necessary.

4. Additional narrative statement regarding other executive order-related activities (optional)

Not applicable

5. Concise descriptions of FOIA exemptions

Over past year and currently, exemptions #6 (invasion of personal privacy) has been utilized.

6. Additional statistics:

1. Ten Oldest Pending FOIA Requests - (As of January 1, 2008)

Calendar Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Requests	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2. Consultations - Number of Consultations Received, Processed, and Pending

Consultations Received From Other Agencies During FY07	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Processed by Your Agency During FY07 (includes those received prior to FY07)	Consultations Received From Other Agencies That Were Pending at Your Agency as of October 1,2007 (includes those received prior to FY07)
0	0	0

3. Ten Oldest Pending Consultations Received From Other Agencies

Calendar Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Consults Received	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0