The Problem: Growing data volumes and more FOIA requests
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ensures public access to U.S. government records. Enacted in 1966, FOIA requires that government organizations be responsive to public requests for information on government activities. According to a Department of Justice report, the number of FOIA requests is increasing by around 15% annually. This fact, combined with dramatic growth in data volumes, creates challenges for federal agencies as they attempt to respond to open FOIA requests in a timely and cost-effective manner. The handling of FOIA requests is labor-intensive, involving the search and collection of candidate documents, review for relevance, and provision to the requesting party. FOIA also stipulates exceptions, relating to issues, such as national security and individual privacy, that are protected from disclosure. Care must be taken to mitigate the risk of inconsistencies, oversights and errors in the classification of confidential documents. According to the DoJ, the average response time for a simple FOIA request is 42 days, and for a complex request 272 days. Fulfillment of FOIA requests costs the Federal Government tens of millions of dollars per year.
Equivio's Solution: Document groupings to enhance FOIA efficiency and reduce errors
Equivios technology detects and groups near-duplicate files within collections of documents. Near-duplicates are documents that differ by a few words, for example, different versions of a contract. In a typical document repository, 30 to 50% of the documents are near-duplicates. As such, near-duplicates cause significant wasted effort and exacerbated risk in the handling of FOIA requests.
As used by NASA, Equivios near-duplicate groupings allow FOIA officers to skip redundant data, enabling them to rapidly zoom in on the most relevant, critical information. The Equivio groupings also enable bulk handling of near-duplicate sets, while ensuring that similar documents are treated consistently. As a result, the review process takes less time, costs less, and there is less risk of error.
The Benefits
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Efficient compliance with FOIA mandate. The Equivio solution shortens response times to FOIA requests by grouping near-duplicate documents, significantly reducing the number of documents that need to be reviewed. Equivio allows the FOIA officer to review document sets, rather than having to review each and every document, as well as enabling bulk handling of near-duplicate documents.
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Better accuracy with less risk of errors. By flagging redundant data, the Equivio groupings make it easier for FOIA officers to find the information they need, decide what is confidential, and fulfill the request. By enhancing the findability of data, Equivio reduces the risk of missing key information.
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Improved productivity and better service to the public. The Equivio FOIA solution is proven to enable federal agencies to streamline their work processes. As a result, the individual FOIA officer can work more productively and, ultimately, provide better service to the public.
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Reduced costs. Equivio expedites the management and review of agenciesג€™ unstructured document repositories. Equivio technology directs the FOIA officer to whatג€™s important ג€“ i.e., documents that contain unique information, and to the unique information within each document. Proven in hundreds of cases, Equivioג€™s technology consistently reduces review and handling costs by 30% and more (as validated by NASA).
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Consistent treatment. The Equivio groupings ensure consistent handling of very similar documents. Documents are reviewed by near-duplicate set, rather than one-by-one. This allows the FOIA officer to apply the same designation to a document and all its near-duplicates. | 
