FOIA Analyst

Wits Solutions Inc. (WITS) is a SBA certified 8(a) company with headquarters in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. WITS has been providing best-in-class solutions in professional IT and administrative consulting to various Federal, State, Local and commercial customers. At WITS, we believe in working not for our clients but with them. This is why right from the beginning; our analysts and solution-builders work closely with our clients to ensure that the project outcomes continue to deliver value long into the future.

Job Description:

Education/ Certification Mandatory:

• An Associate's degree or equivalent experience

Work Experience Mandatory:

• Personnel must have three or more years of experience in analytical and administrative support services, including advanced skill in processing records for release under the FOIA.
• FOIA Analysts must be highly experienced in using the Microsoft Office Suite (to include Outlook, Word, and Excel), Adobe Acrobat, and electronic FOIA processing and e-discovery tools.
• FOIA Analysts shall possess an excellent ability to communicate orally and in writing to effectively assist, interpret, track, and document casework.

Work Experience Nice To Have:

• Working experience with Department of Interior National Park Service.

Roles And Responsibilities:

• Manage intake processes for new requests in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements, as well as DOI and NPS policies and guidelines to include:
• Monitoring FOIAXpress for new requests and referrals.
• Monitoring mail, faxes, email accounts, and inputting new requests into FOIAXpress.
• Analyzing incoming requests for procedural deficiencies, e.g., fees, scope, request not made in compliance with statutory or regulatory requirements.
• Drafting acknowledgment letters to include assigning proper fee categories, expedited processing determinations, and fee waivers while identifying requests that will require further clarification with the requester, e.g. issues of scope or fees.
• Coordinating with NPS components for review of responsive records and delivery of cases to and from component offices.
• Updating requester and subject fields for public visibility for new requests in FOIAXpress.
• Assign new requests to appropriate regional and park FOIA POCs in FOIAXpress.
• Send acknowledgement letters
• Manage searches for new and existing requests in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements, as well as DOI and NPS policies and guidelines to include:
• Identifying offices, personnel and park units that may have responsive records.
• Tasking searches and monitoring the responses to ensure searches are complete. Follow up with custodians who do not reply within timeframes.
• Ensuring custodians complete proper search documentation.
• Providing guidance and hands-on-training to custodians to assist with conducting proper searches to records custodians.
• Determining if a particular FOIA request qualifies for eDiscovery search options in accordance with DOI and NPS policies and guidance.
• Gathering and organizing the documents located from custodians.
• Using NPS provided software to convert documents to pdf format, to include conversion of attachments.
• Reviewing documents to determine responsiveness to the FOIA requests.
• Process records and prepare responses in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements, as well as DOI and NPS policies and guidelines to include:
• Identifying information exempted from release in accordance with the applicable statutes and regulations described in Part 6 and application of the appropriate exemptions to the information.
• Redacting protected information in records for FOIA requests, annotating on records the FOIA/Privacy Act (PA) exemptions or PA exceptions used to withhold protected information, and preparing the agency response to FOIA/PA requests discussing the bases for the application of FOIA/PA exemptions and PA exceptions.
• Providing review of NPS component release recommendations and assist in reconciling difference in release recommendations.
• Processing electronic redaction of exempt information for case records.
• Preparing internal and external correspondence for approval by the NPS FOIA Officers and other NPS staff responsible for responding to requests for coordination and document releases.
• Conducting appropriate coordination, as needed, and documenting accordingly.
• Coordinating with Program POCs to review records for responsiveness.
• Coordinating follow-up of agency coordination to determine review status.
• Providing reproduction of documents required for case records.
• Working with POCs to review responsive records for any needed redactions.
• Consulting with attorneys throughout Office of the Solicitor (SOL), private attorneys, bureau and office representatives, and individuals in the general public in order to clarify facts or reach an agreement for the expeditious handling of FOIA/PA requests.
• Conducting legal research of applicable law and regulations to keep informed of statues, changes or updates in order to apply correct principles of law to FOIA cases.
• Preparing the agency response to FOIA requests to include the bases for release determinations.
• Prepare final response packages for signing by Federal staff.
• Identifying and flagging potential deliberative and pre-decisional information for review by Federal staff.
• Flagging potential White House equities within responsive record packages for review by NPS FOIA Officers.
• FOIA Administrative Support
• Creating and maintaining electronic administrative case files to include comprehensive documentation of actions taken in each case.
• Updating cases in FOIAXpress to ensure accuracy of data and actions taken in processing requests.
• Reconciling differences between administrative case files and FOIAXpress.
• Performing administrative duties including; typing, filing, taking phone calls and directing calls to appropriate person or office; opening and routing office mail; recording and transmitting messages; keeping FOIA email boxes organized and appropriately filing emails in proper folders; keeping records of calls from requesters and other stakeholders regarding particular FOIA requests; providing information to callers and visitors regarding FOIA requests on basic office policies and procedures; operating basic office equipment (e.g., photocopier, scanner, facsimile, multi-line phone/voicemail systems, and minimal computer programs); preparing correspondence and form letters in accordance with established guidelines, using clear, concise language and ensuring that spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.
• Reviewing requests and related correspondence to extract selected data and information relating to the specific issues and reviewing and summarizing pertinent information.
• Reviewing the case file to become familiar with the issues raised in FOIA that are under consideration.
• Inputting and maintaining data concerning FOIA requests in automated tracking logs and update as necessary.
• Preparing detailed Vaughn indices, to include entries that: (1) identify each document withheld; (2) state the statutory exemption claimed; and (3) explain how disclosure would damage the interests protected by the claimed exemption.
• Preparing weekly FOIA report for NPS leadership
• Preparing and post monthly data quality audit reports, e.g. overdue fee waiver and expedited processing tasks and missing perfected dates
• Preparing custom reports as needed.
• Performing case file close-out including archiving files.
• Assisting NPS FOIA Officers in preparing materials for posting on website including ensuring Section 508 compliance.