FY 2011 FOIA Initial Request Backlog Reduction Plan
U.S. Department of Labor
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
(5 U.S.C. ยง 552)
FY 2011 FOIA Initial Request Backlog Reduction Plan
The FY 2011 Backlog Reduction Plan is issued in compliance OMB Memorandum M-10-06, "Open Government Directive," and the Department of Labor's FY 2011 FOIA Performance Metrics. This plan requires that each DOL agency component take the following steps to reduce the number of initial FOIA requests that are pending without response beyond the statutory time limit of 20 working days.
I. Quarterly Backlog Reports
A. Agencies must report backlogs, if any, to the Chief FOIA Officer, through the Office of Information Services, on a quarterly basis. Each quarter, DOL agencies must submit data demonstrating the following:
► Total Number of Pending FOIA Requests
► Total Number of Backlogged FOIA Requests
► Ten Oldest FOIA Requests
B. Data calls will occur based upon the schedule below.
► December 2010
► March 2011
► June 2011
► September 2011
II. Reduction in Backlog
A. By the end of the FY 2011, each agency will reduce the total number of backlog pending at the end of FY 2010 by 10%.
B. Each agency component must examine its own FOIA processes and operations to determine how it can best bring about a meaningful reduction in its approaches to reducing its backlog.
C. Each agency component must be prepared to explain in detail what factors prohibited its ability to meet the established backlog reduction goal.
III. Ten Oldest Backlogged Requests
At a minimum, agencies must close their ten oldest backlogged FOIA requests each year.