Source: United States Department of Justice
On August 11, 2026, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) hosted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Best Practices Workshop for agency FOIA professionals on negotiating with requesters. A summary of the best practices discussed is now available on OIP’s Best Practices Workshop Series page.
The workshop consisted of representatives from five agencies including the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Treasury, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Department of Education. Panelists described how negotiations have benefited their FOIA programs by narrowing the scope of complex requests, reducing number of pages to review, and fostering stronger relations with requesters. Additionally, panelists shared their best practices for achieving successful negotiations, emphasizing the importance of the intake process, leveraging publicly available information, and preparing properly for negotiations to maximize success.
A detailed list of the best practices discussed at these and other OIP workshops, and related guidance, can be found on the Best Practices Workshop Series page of OIP’s website.
Launched in 2014, the Best Practices Workshop series was designed as a part of the United States’ Second Open Government National Action Plan commitment to modernize FOIA administration. The goal of the series is to improve FOIA processes by leveraging effective strategies from across the government, highlighting successes achieved by agencies, and sharing successful approaches on a wide range of FOIA issues.
We invite you to suggest discussion topics for upcoming Best Practices Workshops, and you can e-mail your suggestions for new workshop topics to DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov (link sends e-mail) using the subject line “Agency Best Practices Workshop Suggestion.”