The FOIA Request Backlog

Each fiscal year, government agencies receive and process thousands of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Sometimes, an agency will not be able to respond within the standard FOIA time limit, which is twenty working days, due to the extensive time and resources needed to create, assemble and distribute request responses. In fact, the FOIA backlog has roughly 83,000 requests pending beyond the statutory time period since the end of 2011 (Annual FOIA Report Section: XII. A. Backlog).

The Napersoft FOIA Correspondence Solution

The Napersoft FOIA Correspondence Solution can help government agencies deliver personalized, timely and accurate FOIA request responses by automating the creation, assembly, distribution and archival processes.Effective communications is essential to the success of organizations across all industries. Many organizations with outdated and incompatible legacy systems are weighed down by paper-based and manual processes that impede their ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with their customers.

Chief FOIA Officers have the power to quickly and easily create, assemble, distribute and archive FOIA request responses through Napersoft's process-oriented workflows and open integration to data and other business applications. Napersoft CCM Author, built on Microsoft® Word technology, enables FOIA template authors to easily create and manage request response templates. Upon creation of request responses, the Napersoft FOIA Correspondence Solution delivers responses through multiple channels simultaneously based on each requester's individual preference - print, e-mail, fax, and/or other formats - and archives response requests in a secure and reliable content repository.

The Napersoft FOIA Correspondence Solution enables:

• Improved Requester Satisfaction: Improves overall quality of request responses through the use of pre-approved document templates and standardized content.
• Reduced Request Processing Time: Eliminates chronic backlog by automating FOIA request response creation, assembly and distribution.
• Increased Productivity: Reduces time spent training Chief FOIA Officers with the use of standardized response templates.
• Regulatory Compliance: Facilitates regulatory compliance by automating business rules, as well as, document review and approval processes.
• Multi-Channel Distribution: Delivery of multi-channel correspondence based on each requester's individual preference—print, e-mail, fax, and/or other formats.
• and many more...