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DD Form 2875 Update, May 2022

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DD Form 2875 Update, May 2022

After 13 years, the DD 2875 SAAR form has been modified by the Federal government to include additional fields.

What is a SAAR form?

Department of Defense’s System Authorization Access Request (SAAR) form, or DD Form 2875, is used to request access to computer systems.  The SAAR form includes:

  • The name, title, and contact information of the individual requesting access
  • The name, title, and contact information of the supervisor
  • The reason for requesting access to the system
  • The level of access requested

Once the SAAR form is completed and signed, it must be submitted for approvals. Approvers can be the owners of the information requested, the Information Assurance group, and the Security Manager.

 

How does Feith handle SAAR forms?

Historically, agencies handled the DD 2875 process with paper forms.  Now, Feith Systems has developed entirely electronic forms and workflows to manage the SAAR process.

  • An online form that can be completed and submitted electronically
  • Feith’s Workflow routes the SAAR to the appropriate authorities for approval
  • Electronic authorization is issued to the individual once access is approved
  • Feith maintains a complete list of authorizations requested per user and per system

It starts with a simplified online version of the SAAR form.  Known fields fill automatically.     

Once the requestor fills in and signs their portions of the form, Feith converts it into a working Adobe PDF file.  Workflow sends the SAAR the right person or people for signature with their CAC Card. 

Powers of authority can then either approve or deny the staff member’s request.  If they deny it, Feith sends the form back for corrections.  If the power of authority approves it, Feith marks the requestor as having access to the system or information requested.  The system saves each version of the SAAR form for auditing purposes and keeps a record of every action taken on it.

Feith’s SAAR solution keeps a running list of all the groups, systems, and information a staff member has access to throughout their time at the organization.  When the person leaves the agency, Feith makes it easy for IT to deactivate them everywhere.

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930Gov Agenda – August 23, 2022

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930Gov Agenda

AUGUST 23, 2022

WALTER E. WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER

Feith Systems is a proud sponsor of 930gov! We’ll be in attendance and would love to connect with you. Stop by Booth #207 in the Expo Hall to learn more about how our software solutions can help your agency streamline its Records Management program, Case Processes, and digital workflows. We hope to see you there!

If you’re looking for a way to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in government technology, 930gov is the perfect conference for you. With five tracks full of informative content, an Expo Hall full of vendors, and plenty of networking opportunities, you’re sure to find everything you need to take your agency’s IT game to the next level. Register today and we’ll see you at 930gov!

With five tracks to choose from, you’re sure to learn real-world actionable insights:

  1. Records Management
  2. Federal Data Strategy
  3. Zero Trust/Cyber
  4. Cloud / IT Modernization & AI
  5. Enterprise Architecture

Why should I attend?

  • 65 Expert speakers ready to delve deep into government technology ideas, best practices, and more
  • Network with their peers, learn from one another, and find new ways to tackle IT challenges
  • An Expo Hall full of government technology vendors eager to discuss the latest industry advances
  • CPE credits available for participating
  • Registration is free for government/academia/non-profit

Whether you’re a government IT professional, contractor, or just interested in learning about the latest trends in government technology, 930gov is the place to be!

Check out the agenda —

Records Management Track

7:30am – Registration

8:00am – Strategic Focus 2022 & Agency Perspectives on M-19-21

Laurence Brewer, Chief Records Officer U.S. Government
Walter Bohorfoush, Director, Department’s Records Management Office, Department of Transportation

8:45am – Capstone Revisited: So How Is Your Agency Doing with Email Retention?

Since the end of 2016, NARA has required email to be managed in electronic form. On the order of 250 federal agency components voluntarily have adopted NARA’s Capstone approach to meeting their email obligations. How is it working? What challenges have agencies faced? And are agencies considering expanding Capstone to include other types of electronic messages (texts, chats, ephemeral apps) sent by senior agency officials?

Jason R. Baron, Professor of Practice, University of Maryland, College of Information Studies (iSchool) (moderator)
Patrice Davis, CA, Assistant Director, Office of Records Management Policy, FOIA, and eDiscovery (ORMP), Justice Management Division, Department of Justice

9:30am – Visit Exhibit Hall – Networking Break

10:30am – FREEDOM: A Proven Software as a Service (SaaS) Cloud RM Platform

FREEDOM stands for Federal Records Enterprise Electronic Document Management. It was developed to satisfy the ERM needs of any size agency or budget. Reducing costs without compromising enterprise functionality is central to the service’s architecture. The concept is to allow any agency to virtually “turn on” the system, easily configure a few settings, then begin ingesting documents via scanning or electronic uploads into a fully compliant system including all necessary workflows from ingest to NARA disposition.

Babi Das, President & CEO, Data Federal Corporation

11:00am – Protecting Information Through Compliant Data Destruction

Federal agencies are progressing in their transition to a digital-first environment. This environment is evolving quickly due to the nature of technology proliferation. In this session, find out the four key factors driving the need for comprehensive IT Asset Disposition in the Federal Government.

Tyler Morris, Senior Director, Public Sector Programs & Strategy, Iron Mountain

11:30am – EEOC Benefits from FedRAMP Digital Transformation Platform

Manual processes and outdated systems create a lag in responding to FOIA requests accurately and efficiently. Now more than ever, making government records available for citizen access is critical for transparency. How can your agency meet these demands quickly and securely? This session will cover how the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is meeting their FOIA request demands by utilizing a FedRAMP FOIA and Case Management solution within the Armedia Content Cloud.

Ray Azarm, Vice President Enterprise Practice, Armedia

Everick Bowens, Customer Service Management Division Director, EEOC

12:00pm – Visit Exhibit Hall – Attendee Networking Lunch

1:30pm – Intelligent Enterprise Content Management

2:00pm – eDiscovery: Recent Developments & What Lies Ahead

Nicholas Wittenberg, Associate VP/Sr Manager, Deloitte and former Sr Legal Counsel, White House Office of Science and Technology (moderator)

Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola, Adjunct Professor Law, Georgetown University

Glenn Melcher, Special Counsel for eDiscovery, Office of Enforcement, CFPB (pending agency approval)

Michael Sarich, FOIA Director, Quality, Performance, and Risk (QPR), Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), VA (pending agency approval)

3:00-4:00pm – 10th Annual 930gov Networking Reception


Enterprise Architecture Track

7:30am – Registration

8:30am – Real-Time Architecture

Karen Grubbs, Enterprise Architecture Division Director/Deputy Chief Architect, DHS (pending agency approval)

9:15am – Embracing Strategic Portfolio Management

Jeff Chancellor, Principal Systems Engineer, Software AG Government Solutions

9:45am – Visit Exhibit Hall – Networking Break

11:00am – Rethinking EA: The Lighthouse

Over the past decade, the question has shifted from whether there is value in doing Enterprise Architecture (EA) in an organization to how the value of EA can be maintained in an organization. Delivering EA capabilities efficiently in the federal sector continues to be a challenge. In the current maturing information environments, using data-driven analytics is accepted as an important aspect for managing organizations, be it at the enterprise level or at the project level. Enterprise Architecture provides an effective way to supply relevant organizational data. This session will present a case-study for successfully deploying an EA capability that is flexible and responsive at the U.S. Courts Administrative Office (AO) Cloud Technologies and Hosting Office (CTHO) Architecture Branch (AB). The framework structures EA functions as service offerings, enabling the office to ebb and flow EA functions with changing customer needs.

Rosana R. Stoica, Chief, Service and Business Management Staff, U.S. Courts

11:30am – Roadmap to Zero Trust: Lessons from Cloud Adoption

An enterprise architecture roadmap is a strategic blueprint to communicate how an organization’s IT plans can help the organization achieve its business objectives. A roadmap is a tool to visually demonstrate the link between an agency’s IT planning and mission. Some examples of their use include communicating change management plans, implementing digital transformation efforts and to assist with new or changing regulations like Zero Trust.

Tim Owen, Parson Fellow, Director of Advance Programs, Parsons

12:00pm – Visit Exhibit Hall – Attendee Networking Lunch

1:15pm – Enterprise Architecture to Transform Business Operations

Nicole Willis, CTO, HHS OIG
Tracy Bannon, PMP, CSM, TOGAFv9f, SEI SAP, IEEE Senior Member, Sr. Principal/Software Architect & DevOps Strategic Advisor, Mitre
Michael Donofrio, Senior Advisor, Federal Solutions, Tyler Technologies

2:00pm – EA Now and in Future

Cort Coghill, Director Education Operations, FEAC Institute
Mark Bortle, Chief Enterprise Architect, USCG
Chris Beckford, President & CEO, eTRANSERVICES Corp

3:00-4:00pm – 10th Annual 930gov Networking Reception


Cloud / IT Modernization Track

7:30am – Registration

8:45am – The Massive Challenge of Digital Transformation

Kurt DelBene, Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer, Veteran Affairs

10:30am – How to Secure Data in Cloud

Cloud transformation and work from anywhere have changed how security needs to work and understanding these changes to protect people and agency data. This session will focus on securing data in cloud environments and how to provide secure access to the data to include associated cloud risks and policy controls for all users, locations, and devices.

Anil Chaudhry, Director of Federal AI Implementations, AI Center of Excellence, GSA (pending agency approval)
Amy Hamilton, PhD., Sr. Cybersecurity Advisor Policy and Programs, Department of Energy (pending agency approval)
Nathan Smolenski, CISSP, CISM, CISA, CISO, Head of Cyber Intelligence Strategy, Netskope SME, Netskope

9:30am – Visit Exhibit Hall – Networking Break

11:15am – HHS Artificial Intelligence Strategy & Use Cases

Sanja Basaric, Artificial Intelligence Program Lead, Department of Health and Human Services (pending agency approval)

11:45am – Cloud Cost Management

As cloud infrastructure becomes more complex, cloud costs can become a challenge to track. Many public sector agencies, once in the Cloud, are interested in finding cost-effective ways to maximize cloud usage and efficiency. Cloud cost management is the organizational planning allowing an enterprise to understand and manage the costs and the needs associated with its cloud technology. The “pay for what you use” model can result in significant savings, but it can be easy for costs to spiral out of control. This session will cover how an agency can employ a cloud cost management strategy to make the most of their cloud infrastructure and keep costs down.

12:15pm – Visit Exhibit Hall – Attendee Networking Lunch

1:30pm – Cloud First to Cloud Smart – IT Modernization Implementation Lessons Learned

Cloud First policy began during a time when cloud computing was still a relatively new technology in the public sector in 2010. In 2018, the policy shifted to Cloud Smart acknowledging multiple new cloud capabilities that emerged since Cloud First. The new policy was founded on three pillars of successful cloud adoption: security, procurement, and workforce. This panel session will share how agencies are modernizing technologies and practices by harness new capabilities to enable agency mission and improve service to citizens.

Dave Catanoso, Director Enterprise Cloud Solutions, VA (pending agency approval)
Steven Grunch, Chief, Enterprise Cloud Services USCIS, DHS
Robert Sears, Director N-Wave, Enterprise Network Program, NOAA

2:30pm – Professional Development Session: Taking Control of Your Personal Brand

Mark Amtower, Consultant and Founder of the Government Marketing Master continuing professional education program

3:00-4:00pm – 10th Annual 930gov Networking Reception


Federal Data Strategy Track

7:30am – Registration

8:30am – First & Second-Generation Data Officers: Respective Journeys, Lessons Learned, Future Opportunities

Scott Beliveau, Director of Enterprise Data Architecture and Chief of Enterprise Advanced Analytics, co-Lead Product Owner Enterprise Data and Analytics product, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, USPTO
Marseta Dill, PMP, Deputy Chief Data Officer, FAA
Mark Krzysko, Principal Deputy Director, Acquisition Policy, and Analytics; Enterprise Data, Department of Defense
Costi Tudan. Deputy CDO, CISA (pending agency approval)

9:30am – Networking Break

10:30am – Data Collaboration Success Stories

Renata Miskell, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, HHS OIG (pending agency approval)
Mark Montoya, Chief Data Officer, Government Blockchain Assoc and Sr. Business Analyst, FDIC
Karen Wrege, CIO, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, State Department

11:15am – Questions You Need to Ask to Quantify the ROI of your Data Stack

Are you getting more time back than you put in with your analytics project? How long does it take to onboard a new dataset? Who views what dashboards and how long? These, and other questions will better help you understand the value of the data and analytics routinely put together on projects. Often, these questions will unlock differently understandings of what is extremely valuable and what may not be important at all, not just from the immediate stakeholders but from the entire organization.
Mike Carley, Federal Solutions Engineer, StreamSets – A Software AG Company

11:45am – Enabling Modern Data Integration & Data Sharing with a Logical Data Fabric

Fred Baradari, Director Digital Transformation Strategy, Denodo

12:15pm – Networking Lunch

1:30pm – How to Demonstrate Value and Generate Excitement for Data

Justin Marsico, CDO, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S. Treasury

2:00pm – Organizational Data Literacy: Twelve Step Program

Peter Aiken, Associate Professor of Information SystemsAssociate Professor of Information Systems and Anything Awesome, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

3:00-4:00pm – 10th Annual 930gov Networking Reception


Zero Trust / Cyber Track

7:30am – Registration

8:30am – Large Scale Zero Trust Cultural Change: From C-Suite to Practitioners

Many within government IT security community believe for Zero Trust to be successful it is essential to create an organization wide Zero Trust culture. The Zero Trust philosophy requires agencies to get everyone to recognize they have a vested interest in security. Cybersecurity leaders must lead by having the right conversations within their agencies. This kick off panel session at Zero Trust @930gov will gather key government IT security professionals to share how to develop and inspire trust to succeed with Zero Trust.

Brian Gattoni, Chief Technology Officer, CISA
Ida Mix, CISO, Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce
Torey Vanek, Director of Strategic Product Management for Government and Regulatory, Veracode
Nicole Willis, CTO, Office of Management and Policy, OIG, HHS

9:30am – Visit Exhibit Hall – Networking Break

10:30am – Identity & Access Security: How to Continually Monitor User Access Rights

Ross Foard, IT Specialist (INFOSEC), CISA (pending agency approval)
Jamie Holcombe, CIO, USPTO
Michele Thomas, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Senior Advisor for Automation Services, OASAM/Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor

11:15am – Enterprise Approach to Zero Trust

Randy Resnick, Director, Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office, DoD

11:45am – Zero Trust in the Security Operations Center

Zero Trust is a security framework requiring all users, whether in or outside the agency’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security before being granted access to applications and data. Zero Trust is an ongoing process requiring continued refinement as each agency’s business requirements and subsequent technology shifts occur. Continuous monitoring is a core component in any Zero Trust strategy and goes beyond any single security tool. This makes the role of the Security Operations Center (SOC) critical to continually audit and maintain the agency’s Zero Trust security posture. Even if a government agency has a mature Zero Trust implementation securing users, applications and workloads, the agency still needs a SOC for threat detection, response, and risk management. This session will focus on the benefits of automating the Security Event and Incident Management in the SOC to provide security analysts with real-time, actionable data to enable agencies to better investigate and remove threats effectively and efficiently.

12:15pm – Visit Exhibit Hall – Attendee Networking Lunch

1:30pm – How to Apply Zero Trust Methodology into Existing Systems

The Federal Government has acknowledged Zero Trust as an effective means to prevent cyberattacks. But where should an agency begin the process? Following existing cyber security procedures has left some agencies hesitant to begin their Zero Trust journey. This panel of subject matter experts will share ideas on how to augment existing security architecture with Zero Trust principles while allowing agencies to take advantage of tools & technologies already available.

Don Maclean, Chief Cyber Security Technologist, DLT Solutions

2:00pm – How to Create a Comprehensive Zero Trust Strategy

Many agencies are in the process of developing a comprehensive Zero Trust Strategy with the goal of implementation throughout the enterprise. Essential components of a successful Zero Trust transformation include effective communication, changing culture, coordination, adjusting processes, and training personnel. It also involves monitoring, collecting, and measuring data to compare against previously established metrics for success. This closing session will summarize the steps and processes agencies can take to ensure long-term security of their systems.

Monica Montgomery, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for Management and Strategy and
Deputy Director, Cybersecurity Office, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
Randy Resnick, Director, Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office, DoD
Andrea Simpson, Chief Information Security Officer / CIO (Acting), FCC
Kynan Carver, DoD Cybersecurity Lead, Maximus, Maximus

3:00-4:00pm – 10th Annual 930gov Networking Reception

To learn more about this event, visit 930gov.com

Feith RMA iQ selected for Department of Labor’s enterprise Records Management program

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Press Release: Feith RMA iQ selected for Department of Labor's enterprise Records Management program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC (April 28, 2022) – Feith Systems & Software, a leading provider of integrated software solutions for Records Management, announced today that its RMA iQ platform has been selected by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) as the foundation for their enterprise Records Management program.

DOL’s selection of Feith underscores the company’s leadership position in providing innovative solutions that meet the complex needs of government agencies.

The Department of Labor’s Records Management program is responsible for managing a vast array of records, which includes personnel files, email, case files, and more. The records span a wide range of formats including paper, email, audio, video, and images.

With Feith’s RMA iQ platform, the Department of Labor will be able to manage all of its records in a single, unified system. The platform’s comprehensive suite of features includes document and records management, workflow, business process management, and case management.

RMA iQ will help the Department of Labor to fulfill regulatory requirements such as the Federal Records Act, NARA guidance, UERM, and M-19-21. The software provides employees with easy access to information they need whenever they need it, thereby improving efficiency.

“We are honored to have been selected by the Department of Labor for this important project,” said Don Feith, President and CEO of Feith Systems & Software. “Our RMA iQ platform is proven to meet the demanding needs of government agencies, and we are committed to providing the Department of Labor with the best possible solution for their Records Management needs.”

About Feith Systems & Software

Feith Systems & Software, Inc., founded in 1979, is the United States’ leading supplier of Records Management Applications to the federal government and commercial entities with high security requirements. Feith solutions are used by organizations around the world to manage physical and digital records, streamline business processes, and improve compliance with regulations. Feith is the only American owned and operated company that is certified to operate at all levels of the DoD 5015.02 standard. For more information, please visit www.feith.com or contact us at more-info@feith.com.

Press Contact:
Richard Long
Feith Systems & Software
(267) 464-6416
rlong@feith.com

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Improving FOIA Software by Aligning Agency Goals

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Improving FOIA Software by Aligning Agency Goals

It is critical for agencies to come together to form FOIA technology standards and alignment. Feith is dedicated to bringing Federal FOIA leadership together to have broad discussions about what they need, and what is available in the market.

Last spring, Feith took our first step to help drive that alignment in how our customers process FOIA requests. Feith FOIA customers came together for a roundtable discussion about FOIA process requirements between the DoD, Intelligence Community, and VA. Our FOIA SMEs delved deep into the unique needs of our agencies, and developed strategies to incorporate that feedback into our FOIA software.

Feith was ecstatic to see new progress towards the goal of standardizing FOIA this year. In the last month Feith was invited to participate in both the Chief FOIA Officer Council’s NexGen FOIA Technology Showcase, and the EPA’s FOIAonline workshops. These events allowed Feith and other FOIA vendors to present technology and ask questions of federal FOIA leaders. We gained insight into what the agencies are trying to accomplish and how we can continue to improve and automate as much of the process as possible.

Feith is looking forward to continuing this productive process with a wider variety of agencies. While no one-size fits all standard will ever work for FOIA; ideally, we can partner with agencies, move forward towards alignment by establishing overall goals, needs, and methods for agencies, and create ever more innovative FOIA management solutions.

NARA Releases Machine-Readable GRS

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NARA Delivers Holiday Gift in the Form of a Machine-Readable GRS

An accurate and up-to-date Agency Records Management File Plan has always been and continues to be a necessary tool in the Records Management toolbox.  It provides specific guidance to bureaus and offices to ensure that all employees properly manage records under their care and control.

Maintenance of that Agency Records Management File plan also represents a continuing challenge.  Trying to keep the mix of existing GRS categories, disposition instructions, transmittals of GRS updates, and requests for Agency specific categories (in the form of SF 115s) accurate has always been a serious and time-consuming challenge.

Of late, Records Management automation was made much easier and efficient through the introduction of the Holiday Gift from NARA, specifically the machine-readable version of the General Records Schedule in comma separated value (CSV) format.  Since the CSV format is software agnostic, agencies have been enabled to convert data fields as needed for implementation in their specific applications.

With this modern version of the GRS as a holiday gift, agencies and Records Management software providers can ensure that their automated file plans are current, accurate, and maintainable.

Many thanks to our friends at NARA for this timely and modern holiday present.

Defense Commissary Agency’s rollout of Feith RMA IQ receives prestigious DoD CIO Award

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, DC ―

Pentagon leadership has awarded the Defense Commissary Agency with the prestigious DoD CIO Award for their world-wide rollout of the Feith Systems electronic records management platform, RMA IQ.

The DoD CIO Awards Program recognizes outstanding achievements in Digital Modernization from across the Department of Defense.

“The recipients of this award have demonstrated how technology truly enables our nation to perform critical missions despite the COVID-19 global pandemic,” said the Honorable Dana Deasy, Chief Information Officer of the DoD, introducing the awards.

This year the DoD CIO leadership selected Feith customer DeCA as the winner of the Electronic Records Management modernization award.

A team of eighteen from the Defense Commissary Agency were recognized at the Pentagon for their successful rollout of the Feith ERM platform.

Describing DeCA’s successful project, Mr. Deasy celebrated the agency’s “successful transition to electronic records with a fully integrated, fully automated, and cost savings records management solution that fosters rapid information sharing across the Defense Commissary Agency.”

Director of DeCA’s IT Management and Oversight directorate, Neville Gallimore, celebrated the win with the directorate, “It took a team effort from multiple functional areas and the IT Group to achieve one of the core pillars of our congressionally mandated IT modernization goals.”

“We are extremely proud of DeCA’s accomplishment winning this well-deserved award, especially during the COVID outbreak when IT Modernization was so critically important. We couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of it. We’re continuing our important work ensuring agencies are compliant with M-19-21 and becoming the standard for Federal Electronic Records Management.” said Daniel Feith, Executive Vice President of Feith Systems.

You can watch the presentation of the award here:
https://dodcio.defense.gov/

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3 Areas of Automation for Records Management

Video: Transform the Agency, with RMA IQ

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Describing DeCA’s successful project, Mr. Deasy celebrated the agency’s “successful transition to electronic records with a fully integrated, fully automated, and cost savings records management solution that fosters rapid information sharing across the Defense Commissary Agency.”

Protecting FCI and CUI – Federally Compliant Record Repository

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Watch

Duration: 22 Minutes
Industry:  Government
Speaker:  Ray Davis

Conducting business with the government and its agencies comes with requirements.  The requirements to manage FCI and CUI are growing.  It started with the requirements of NIST 800-171 and has expanded to FAR 52.204-21 and FAR 4.7.  But the changes don’t stop there.  We’ll dive into the CMMC, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. This is a new certification that has eliminated the federal contractor self-assessments in favor of a 3rd Party Assessment to ensure your compliance.  Yes, you’re going to have to pass an assessment now!

Along with that we’ll discuss how to properly store your sensitive FCI and CUI. Storage isn’t a one-day thing.  You’ll need to manage the storage of your records through the entire information management lifecycle. Once you bring your records into the system, you’ll need to properly tag them and mark them so that only those people that should have access, does.  Yes, that’s a part of the regulatory requirements.

Do you know the difference between a single-tenant system and a multi-tenant system and just what does that mean to the access and security of your information?  We’ll delve into that as well.   By the end of the webinar you’ll be able to self-assess your ability to comply with the new regulations, the new certification, and decide whether it’s a challenge you want to accept on your own or engage with Feith Systems and Software to manage your FCI and CUI.

5 reasons why agencies struggle to meet their FOIA goals

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When it comes to Freedom of Information Act requests, it is mandatory to disclose information on time.  Content must be collected, reviewed, and packaged as a response.  That is easier said than done when agency data is scattered, hard to search through, or difficult to collaborate around.   Deadlines are missed, critical records are lost, and sensitive information can spill.

When agencies work their FOIA caseload manually, they struggle to meet their objectives. Here are 5 main reasons why agencies fall short of their goals.

 

1.  There is no uniform solution across the agency.

Many agencies leave staff without a uniform solution to create FOIA deliverables.  If organizations use legacy desktop clients to house that information, systems can’t communicate with each other, and staff are left to sift through them for content.

Even if systems are connected, IT needs to continuously integrate them to ensure knowledge workers’ access.  That much administrative work consumes human resources.   Documents are searched through manually, information gets lost, and budgets are strained. 

Agencies need a centralized system to meet FOIA deadlines.  The single workbench approach allows knowledge workers to access anything and everything they need to manage FOIA cases.

 

2.  There are too many complexities to handle FOIA requests manually

The sheer volume of data that agencies capture, process, and archive increases every day.  It is time-consuming to manually search through that much information.  Once captured, agency rules mandate different kinds of redaction for different types of content.  Without the right tools to create a pixel-by-pixel replacement, redacted information may not be redacted at all.  Sensitive data is left visible and released by accident.

When there are hundreds of FOIA requests to create, package, and deliver, it is a challenge to track all of their statuses. There is no way to pinpoint which of those hundreds of requests are more urgent, and which of those due dates are closer.

Automation is the only way to fix this. When cases are automatically created and the content in them can be automatically redacted, time is freed up for knowledge workers to focus on more critical tasks.

 

3.  Collaboration Challenges

The outcome of a FOIA request is dependent on the communication among those assigned to the case.  The past year has challenged the government to do a large portion of this work from home.  Often the contents of FOIA requests are cross-departmental or even cross-agency, which creates a line of communication between SME’s in different locations.   When there are problems or questions, knowledge workers must ask SME’s for assistance via email.  These emails are often left for several days in the SME’s inbox without an answer, and dead stops put the agency at risk of missed deadlines. 

Knowledge workers must be able to communicate with each other and with the requestor.  When the case is opened, the team assigned to it must keep up communication with the requestor and give them estimates, status updates, and the ability to track the case through its lifecycle.  When this process is done through phone or email, communication is not transparent.  No one knows what the FOIA team has already communicated to the requestor, or what still needs to be said. 

Another hurdle that agencies struggle over is collaborative access.  With no system in place to allow group work, team members will not be able to interact with systems at the same time for collection.  Without the tools to control access, FOIA teams can’t permission content or control who can see what within the case.  When agencies can’t control who can see what sensitive information, FOIA goals are not met.

 

4.  Poor Access to Data

It is a challenge to keep information organized when there are multiple data types and sources.  Email is a source now, with social media and chat to become sources in the future.  Email search and retrieval is sub-par and will take a considerable amount of time when compared to advanced search features.  Once the information is collected, there is also no way to see both text and metadata at the same time.  If knowledge workers find that they need more information from the eDiscovery side, they have fallen short of their FOIA goals.

When workers cannot interact with their cases, time is wasted.  SME’s should be able to connect to their workstation from any location and on any device.  If they know where they need to work and can get into their cases, the collection process can start immediately.   

A lack of a real Records Management system lives at the heart of this challenge.  With a repository in place, knowledge workers have access to collect and create deliverables.

 

5.  No Oversight/Accountability

At the end of every FOIA case is a potential audit process.  The work that FOIA teams complete should be entirely defensible. There needs to be a visual tally of everything done to create the deliverable.  Vaughn indexes display that tally of case actions and guarantee transparency.  Certain solutions can create Vaughn indexes automatically, but if there is no solution in place then it is up to an individual to create one by hand.  That process can take up mission-critical time and put the agency at risk of falling short of its FOIA objectives.

Supervisors need oversight tools to be able to meet their own FOIA goals.  When they are unable to see who completed what task or what the status of their case is, there is no accountability.  Cases are not tracked across their lifecycles, and there is no way to tell which action officers are busy and which can take on more work.

 

 

Take Control of the FOIA Process

Agencies that manage their FOIA requests with outdated systems and manual practices are in a situation where it is difficult to meet their turn-around time goals.  When it takes hours to search for content and days to hear back from SME’s, time is wasted.

When agencies utilize FOIA solutions to manage their caseloads, their goals are achievable.  Information can be accessed, searched for, collected, redacted on, and packaged for delivery before the deadline.  Teams can work together on content at the same time.  Security features keep sensitive information from the wrong hands, and oversight features allow supervisors to monitor their workers progress and steer them in the right direction.

Does my agency need a Task Management system?

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Simple tips to make the most of your year

The past year has introduced several new challenges to government agencies:  Remote working, changes in resource costs, staff differences, new modernization regulations, and a shift away from outdated technology have agencies looking toward new solutions to modernize the way that they do work.  Task Management Systems are a key part of those solutions because they improve accessibility, collaboration, transparency, and productivity. 

What is a Task Management System, and why does it matter? 

A Task Management System controls a task throughout its entire lifecycle.  It gives agencies the tools they need to plan, track, test, and report on the work their employees are doing.  It can help individual users tackle goals efficiently.  It can also help groups of users collaborate while working together to finish a project.   

In a Task Management System, employees have a digital workspace with visual accounts of every job and project that they must finish.  These jobs and projects can be sorted by due date, importance, who assigned them, and other criteria.  Users will always know exactly what needs to be done, when, and why it needs to be done in the first place. 

 

How can I tell if my agency needs a Task Management System?

 
 

Do I have paper-based checklist processes with Outlook for tracking tasks? 

Paper checklist may prove beneficial in our personal lives; but in many cases, assigning agency tasks with paper-based processes just isn’t enough.   Modern goals and projects often involve a much higher level of complexity than paper can support.   

Tracking tasks manually as an agency comes with a heightened compliance risk and reduced productivity. Task Management Systems provide data to easily audit tasks and workers’ productivity. They also provide a digital workspace for every worker to understand his or her workload for the foreseeable future.  When the job at hand changes, updates can be instantly applied to the task, making your workers more informed and efficient.

Do I use an Excel sheet to keep track of my tasks? 

It is difficult enough to organize a task spreadsheet while managing a job alone, but collaborating on a task spreadsheet can become a nightmare.  Spreadsheets don’t give teams the ability to comment or chat on shared projects.  Also, emailing around project information can lead to different team members updating different versions of the same document.  When data gets deleted, there is no way of knowing who did it, when, or why they did it in the first place. 

Task Management Systems allow users to communicate on any job or project.  Comments can be left, notes can be made, and team members can be notified when their input is needed.  There is a trail of every action taken within the system, so you will always know who did what and for what reason.   In a world full of alternative work schedules and remote teams where hallway discussions and check-ins can’t happen as often, Task Management Systems take up the slack.

Do we need to keep track of which tasks are the most important & which have the closest due dates? 

Depending on their size, government agencies can create and assign hundreds of tasks to thousands of workers every day.  When your average employee has over 100 things to keep track of, they need to be able to see what among those goals is the most important.  If your workers are struggling to meet goals and completing menial tasks over mission-critical ones, you may need a system in place to filter their workload.   Employees also need to know which tasks have more impending due dates so they can finish their work on time. 

Modern Task Management Solutions allow users to filter by tasks that are more important and by the upcoming due date.

Do we need to turn larger tasks into sub-tasks for different employees to complete? 

Subtasks are a great way to organize massive, complex projects into more manageable parts.  Depending on the methods that your agency is implementing to assign work, creating and tracking of those subtasks can be a challenge. 

It is not uncommon for the original task at hand to be modified.  Waiting for review, approval, or feedback from a 3rd party is separate from the original task, but also necessary for the project to move forward.  In a Task Management System, it is very easy to add subtasks to the original task and assign them to people within the agency.  Recurring subtasks can even be set to repeat, saving project managers time on routine management efforts.

Do we have a responsibility to control security? 

Government agencies need to be able to keep their mission-critical information away from prying eyes and under control.  Paper-based processes, Excel sheets, and even outdated management systems lack the security features necessary to fine-tune exactly who can see what data.   You also can’t revoke access to a downloaded Excel spreadsheet once it has been given. 

Task Management Systems take steps to ensure that agency projects, attachments, user data, and more are bulletproof.  When a task is created, different levels of access are set.  Every file attached to that task inherits the same security settings of the original item, disallowing the wrong people from seeing the wrong content.

Do we have a responsibility to create reports & dashboards? 

Many federal agencies are congressionally mandated to provide reports on tasks completed within the organization.  If your project manager has to gather information on task statuses, analyze it, create a report on it, and submit it to the higher-ups, critical man-hours are lost .  With the help of a Task Management system, reports can be quickly and even automatically generated in daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly increments.  These reporting tools let you focus on specific parts of your projects.  They also give you insight and knowledge about the agency’s activity.  

Do regulators require that we protect PII/BUI/CUI? 

To properly protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information, items like the name and social security number of an individual must be redacted from certain documents.  Without the proper redaction tools, the black box put on top of those items may not actually be hiding the information.  This puts your agency at risk of non-compliance. Modern Task Management systems come with built-in redaction tools that replace every pixel within the identified sensitive information, preventing it from ever falling into the wrong hands.   

Feith for Task Management 

 
The world is changing, and so is the way that Federal agencies work.   Feith Task Manager leverages modern technology to allow you to structure your organization’s efforts, managing the large number of responsibilities at your agency so that work is completed on time, correctly, and in the correct order. With workforces in the tens of thousands, separated both geographically and organizationally, federal agencies have large volumes of tasks to track, delegate, and manage.  
 
If that task management is done on an ad-hoc basis in email or spreadsheets, work may fall behind, orders and instructions can be forgotten, and leadership will have limited insight into their department’s productivity.  
 
Feith Task Manager is a DoD 8180.01-certified COTS product, available On-Premises or on GovCloud, that gives agencies the tools they need to control the way work gets done. 
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