FOIAXpress/PAL

The Bureau for Management (M), Office of Management Services (MS), Information and Records Division (IRD) utilizes FOIAXpress/Public Access Link (PAL), a web‐based major application, in support of USAID’s compliance requirements in 5 U.S.C. § 552 and 5 U.S.C. § 552a, along with Executive Orders relating to openness in government. FOIAXpress/PAL, allows members of the public to submit and track the status of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests electronically. The PAL portion of the FOIAXpress/PAL system is publicly accessible through the internet. All other parts of the system require access credentials to AIDNet in addition to FOIAXpress/PAL credentials.

FOIAXpress allows USAID to manage the entire lifecycle of a FOIA request, from the initial request to the final delivery of records. To process most FOIA requests, basic contact information is necessitated, including name, home address and email address.

For Privacy Act requests, individuals must complete USAID Form 507‐1, the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Record Request Form. For PA requesters, in addition to contact information, Form 507‐1, in order to authenticate the individual requester, requires the requester’s Social Security Number (SSN), and date and place of birth.

Currently, the SSN is sometimes used to verify an individual's identity, using Form 507‐1, particularly in the case of two or more FOIA requesters who have the same name. Once the identity is verified, the FOIA Office sends the request to the appropriate program office(s) so that they may conduct a search of their systems to identify any potentially responsive records.

M/MS/IRD is researching alternative authentication/verification methods and is planning to eliminate the SSN collection from Form 507‐1 by September 30, 2017, which directly follows the 8/31/17 expiration date of the OMB‐approved form and coincides with the end of Fiscal Year 2017.

FOIAXpress provides the ability to manage the entire lifecycle of a FOIA request from the initial request to the final delivery of records. Components include management, correspondence management, document management, fee/payment management, document review and redaction, and reporting. The Public Access Link (PAL) is a public‐facing web portal that complements the FOIAXpress tools by providing efficient and secure communication between agencies and the public. The purposes of this system include: (1) processing access requests and administrative appeals made under the FOIA, in addition to access and amendment requests and administrative appeals under the Privacy Act; (2) participating in litigation regarding agency action on such requests and appeals; and (3) assisting USAID in carrying out any other responsibilities related to FOIA and Privacy Act such as reporting to USAID and other federal executive officials.

M/MS/IRD’s FOIAXpress/PAL, a USAID major application, permits individuals to submit and track the status of Freedom of Information (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) requests electronically via the internet. All other parts of the system require access credentials to AIDNet in addition to FOIAXpress/PAL credentials. Through FOIAXpress, USAID manages the entire lifecycle of FOIA requests, from the initial request to the final delivery of records. In order to process most FOIA requests, basic contact information is necessitated, including name, home address and email address.