OnBase FOIA Tracking Solution was presented at the SCGMIS Software Developers Workshop. This project also came in third at the Hyland Government Innovation Awards at Community Live Conference

1. Bhanu Korremula Team Lead,
Timothy Gurley(TJ) Programmer Analyst
Richland County, SC
Richland County OnBase FOIA Tracking

2. 1. Introduction
2. Richland County’s OnBase
FOIA Tracking Solution
3. Questions
#SCGMIS

3. Why we needed OnBase FOIA Solution?
• Challenges of Meeting FOIA Requests (before solution)
• Richland County Ombudsman is in charge of processing FOIA
Requests
• Send FOIA requests to 29+ departments MANUALLY
• 80+ department users can responded to emails MANUALLY
• Department responses and documents were tracked MANUALLY
• Citizen communication was done MANUALLY
• Keyword here is MANUALLY
#SCGMIS

4. OnBase FOIA Tracking System
• Solution for Richland County Ombudsman Department
• Currently being used by 29+ departments and 80+ users
• FOIA Requests are sent to all the departments and responses
tracked in OnBase
• Departments upload the documents to OnBase
• OnBase workflow enforces that the right documents are collected
• Citizens are notified periodically and documents are delivered to
them
#SCGMIS

5. Building Blocks
• OnBase Configuration: Create and maintain users
• OnBase Unity Forms: Capture and stored the required data
• OnBase Outlook Integration: Departments respond easily
• OnBase Workflow: Eliminate manual business processes
• OnBase Notifications: Send customized emails
• OnBase Dashboards: Identify critical information
• SSIS and custom code: Data exchange between OnBase and other
systems
#SCGMIS

6. FOIA Solution diagram
Citizen files
for FOIA
Request
Create a OnBase DIP file using
SSIS Package
OnBase FOIA Tracking form is
created, keywords populated
311 Call Center uses OnBase
Unity client to send FOIA
Requests to 29 departments
Departments respond and
upload documents in OnBase
Outlook Integration
Update 311 CallCenter Software
using KMWebApp (Custom web
application)
311 runs OnBase Dashboard
reports
Create FOIA Requests in 311
Call Center Software
311 Call Center sends
documents to Legal dept. Legal
does redactions in OnBase
311 Call Center sends
requested documents to Citizen
#SCGMIS

7. Ombudsman Process
#SCGMIS

8. FOIA Citizen Notification
#SCGMIS

9. Departments Response
• Departments respond in OnBase
outlook integration
• Departments respond with yes,
no, need clarification or need
additional time

10. Department Notifications
• Departments are reminded
• 48 hour notification
• 96 hour notification
• 144 hour notification
• Missing response notification
• County Administrator is notified
#SCGMIS

11. OnBase FOIA Queues and Workflow

12. OnBase FOIA Tracking Queues
• OMB-FOIA-New Request Queue: FOIA Request enters this queue after the DIP Process. 311
employees review, send acknowledgement to the requestor and send it out to all departments
• OMB-FOIA-Hold for Department Response: FOIA Request stays in this queue till all departments
respond
• OMB-FOIA-Dept Response: Departments respond with Yes, No, Need Additional and Need
Clarification to the FOIA Request. Departments use OnBase Outlook integration to respond. This
queue is load balanced and each departments only sees FOIA Requests for the their department
• OMB-FOIA-Missing Response: If the departments do not respond after 3 attempts FOIA Request is
moved to this queue
• OMB-Ready for Processing: FOIA Request enters this queue after all departments have responded
and then the fee information is sent to the requestor
#SCGMIS

13. OnBase FOIA Tracking Queues Contd
• OMB-Hold for Requestor Response: FOIA Request enters this queue after fee information is sent to
the requester and stays until the payment is received
• OMB-FOIA-Dept Document Gathering: Departments upload documents to OnBase in this queue
• OMB-FOIA-Dept Hold for Document Gathering: After all departments have completed uploading the
documents 311 employee sends the FOIA Request for legal review
• OMB-FOIA-Legal Review: FOIA Request is reviewed and redacted by legal department. Legal decides
to release or not to release documents
• OMB-FOIA-Fulfillment: Ombudsman delivers the documents to requester
• OMB-FOIA-Exit Queue: FOIA Request enters this queue when the processing is complete and stays
for 30 days and drops off
#SCGMIS

14. Documents upload
• Departments upload documents to OnBase using outlook
integration
#SCGMIS

15. Legal Department Process
• Legal does redactions and document modifications in OnBase Unity
Client
#SCGMIS

16. OnBase Dashboards
• Help Ombudsman to identify departments that are not responding
• Drill down dashboards were created
• Different types of dashboards that were created
• FOIA Missing Response Report
• FOIA Active Requests Summary Report
• FOIA 10 Days To Respond Report
• FOIA 20 Days To Respond Report
• FOIA 30 Days To Provide Documents Report
• FOIA 35 Days To Provide Documents Report
#SCGMIS

17. Missing Response Report

18. FOIA 10 Days to Respond Report

19. FOIA Active Requests Summary Report

20. Lessons learned
• Create active directory groups for the each department
• When users log into the unity client or outlook OnBase integration
their user names and groups are automatically created in OnBase
configuration
• Have detailed implementation plans
• Have custom programs to change the configuration files to point users
to different environments DEV or PROD as needed
• Training of users is very important
• Use dashboards to show movement throughout the queues
#SCGMIS

21. OnBase FOIA Tracking Video
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22. Questions?