Content & Records Management

A review of federal agency classification programs by the National Archives and Records Administration Information Security Oversight Office found that, for the most part, agencies have clarified what categories of information need to be classified to protect national security.

A 3 year effort to speed up responses to Freedom of Information Act programs has had mixed results at 16 federal agencies, in many cases resulting in more backlogged requests and the increased use of exemptions to withhold information, the GAO finds. Auditors also find that many electronic FOIA libraries are "sparsely populated" because the agencies aren't ensuring frequently requested records are identified and posted online.

The Obama administration issued a comprehensive records management directive Aug. 24, which sets a variety of records management goals for agencies while previewing further guidance and rules from the National Archives and Records Administration. The first deadline for agencies comes Nov. 15, according to a memorandum (.pdf) from Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Zients and Archivist of the United States David Ferriero.

Especially for a voluble group of self-proclaimed believers that the private sector can do better than government, the House Appropriations Committee looks mightily like it's trying to protect a...