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This post is from NDC Archives Specialist John Ritz. While working on a FOIA request for Department of State records, I came across a document which immediately caught my attention.  I showed it to several coworkers who encouraged me to share it with a broader audience. The document is a Memorandum of Conversation between President Roosevelt and … Continue reading The Middle East: A 1945 Perspective

Today, the Public Interest Declassification Board released online its recommendations to the President on Transforming the Security Classification System.  The full Report can be found at http://www.archives.gov/declassification/pidb/recommendations/transforming-classification.html.  The report centers on the need for new policies for classifying information, new processes for declassifying information, and the imperative for using and integrating technology into these processes.  … Continue reading The Public Interest Declassification Board Releases its Report to the President

The Public Interest Declassification Board will host an open meeting on Thursday, December 6, 2012 to discuss its recommendations to the President on Transforming the Security Classification System.  The full Report to the President will be published online on December 6th at http://www.archives.gov/declassification/pidb.  The meeting will focus on the Board’s fourteen recommendations.  The recommendations center … Continue reading The Public Interest Declassification Board Announces its December 6, 2012 Meeting

Continuing to answer questions posed at the August 29, 2012 Open Forum. How many agencies now have file series exemptions and approximately how many pages are covered by each? For this question, I consulted with my colleagues at the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO).  Here is their answer:  The following agencies have approved file series … Continue reading Open Forum Question #2

Last week's open forum was well attended with a lively discussion.  Once again, we had some questions that did not get answered.  Over the next few days, I will be posting and answering these questions. The first question is:  Do any of the records the NDC is processing contain codeword material (e.g. sensitive compartmented information … Continue reading Open Forum Questions

Washington, DC…The National Archives National Declassification Center (NDC) will host its third public forum on Wednesday, August 29, at 10 a.m. in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.  This event is free and open to the public.  Please enter via the Special Events entrance on Constitution Ave. and … Continue reading Details on the Upcoming Public Open Forum

Recently, the agency updated its Open Government Plan for 2012-2014.  Over the next two years, work around the agency will continue to improve transparency, participation, and collaboration.  NARA will strengthen its culture of open government by focusing on common values and restructuring the agency to better serve the American people.  A new mentoring program will … Continue reading NARA Releases Open Government Plan for 2012-2014

On Friday, 9 March, I was joined by Director/ISOO John Fitzpatrick and Agency Services Executive Jay Bosanko in a meeting with representatives from OMB and several public interest groups. Although we all discussed several items of interest related to reducing classification and expanding governmental transparency, the majority of our discussion was a give-and-take focused on … Continue reading NDC Update

Although ISOO does a yeoman's job of administering MDR appeals, the delay in some cases runs years, and the time elapsed from the original MDR request can amount to more than a decade.  How can this ISCAP appeal process be streamlined? ISOO Response:  The ISOO provides administrative and logistical support to the Interagency Security Classification Appeals … Continue reading Open Forum Question Five

This time, an answer from our colleagues at the Department of Energy (DOE). Would it be possible to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of RD/FRD with a less burdensome review process than that currently required by the Kyl-Lott Amendment?  DOE RESPONSE:  For electronic and microfilm records, certain agencies are looking into the application of recent advances … Continue reading Fourth Open Forum Question and Answer