FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer...
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![Page 1: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
FOIA: What matters?
Knowledge of the law or tactics ?
Lecture by Roger VleugelsDutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA
Academic version of my introduction into FOIA tactics
![Page 2: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Before talking FOIA .....
- Some remarks on journalism
on investigative journalism
on working with an own agenda
on true independent journalism
- But first a bit about me and my work
![Page 3: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Lecturer / Legal advisor / Analyst
- [Guest] Lecturer- In colleges and universities- In company [for instance at the editorial board of a newspaper]- In NL, but also for students from several European countries, and for instance countries like Turkey, Iran, Belgium and Aruba- Topics
- Journalism basics- Investigative journalism- FOIA
- Legal Advisor- 2500+ FOIA requests- Most of my FOIA clients are mainstream press organisations
![Page 4: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
My clients within the press & more
for instance- Public national rtv NOS-journal / Zembla / NOVA / Argos / Reporter- Public regional rtv L1 / ATV- Commercial rtv RTL News / SBS- National newspapers Trouw / AD / NRC- Regional newspapers De Limburger / De Gelderlander / BN-De Stem- Weekly Re.Public / De Groene Amsterdammer- Others GPD
- Trade unions NVJ / FNV- Environmental NGOs Milieudefensie / FANAPA- Individual researchers- Private persons
![Page 5: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Not only transparency
- My work for the press and journalism students focuses on transparency- In other words: focuses on tools and techniques
- The other half of my work is on content: the climax of non transparency- I am a forensic intelligence researcher and analyst- My clients for this part of my consultancy are mainly: journalists, lawyers, members of parliament, intel
researchers
- Publisher/Editor of Fringe Intelligence and Fringe Spitting- Two international specialist biweekly email journals - One focusing on intelligence services; one on FOIA
![Page 6: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Some observations on BulgariaI have this year lectured on FOIA tactics in 14 Bulgarian cities
- From Blagoevgrad to Ruse, from Montana to Sumen
- For acting journalists from regional and local media, but also for instance for journalists of Trut or 24 Hours and tomorrow I give an in company training at Idealist.
- I see several basic problems in Bulgarian journalism.Problems that I have to address now because together they are a negative precondition for a successful use of the FOIA
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Basic problems- The press and journalists themselves have far too less an own agenda- A too large part of the articles and items are the result of reacting on
government provided or guided information.
- A watchdog has to have an own - agenda [for instance a pro-active one]- news selection- newsgathering
- What about an true ambition level? What about being a real watchdog?
- The press is, pure objectively seen, in a too large part of their activities functioning as an extension of communication and pr officers
![Page 8: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Basic problems – or – Solutions?Of course I know the problems [they are broader than Bulgaria]:
- Input overkill
- The myth and dominance of Need-to-Publish topics
- Being understaffed
In my opinion it is all about attitude, state of mind and ambition It is all about…… wanting to be an independend watchdog
- ant to be less depending on government guided information
- Want to publish to a certain extend articles based on - own search- own research- own newsgathering
![Page 9: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Basic solution or at least a contribution to a solution?
- For those who want an own agenda, own newsgathering
- For those who have the ambition level of a true watchdog
For those……
the FOIA can be a toola powerfull tool
- ant to be less depending on government guided information
- Want to publish to a certain extend articles based on - own search- own research- own newsgathering
![Page 10: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
The Dutch parliament = Het Binnenhof
![Page 11: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
The office of the PM = Het Torentje
![Page 12: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
The entrance of the parliament complex
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First parliament session = De Ridderzaal
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An extended and old complex
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A view on several of the Ministries
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No title
Decisive to become a good FOIA requester is:
Tactics
Good knowledge of the FOIA law itself and oflitigation is needed but just basic, it is all about ...
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No title
TacticsThe enlargement plans of Schiphol Airport
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No title
TacticsThe enlargement plans of Schiphol AirportTactical aspect: choose the weak service
![Page 19: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
History and Context -1- The Dutch FOIA came into power in May 1980- First ten years almost no use [less than 500 in 10 years time]- In the early nineties something new happened:
For the first time in Dutch history watchdogs like the press, ngo’s and the parliament started to control the government seriously
Results were:- Parliamentary inquiries [in 10 years more than in the 150 previous
years]- A new job in the press: investigative journalists- And as a result of al this: more FOIA requests
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History and Context - 2- 86 countries do have a FOIA- NL was the 8th one worldwide- Since the mid nineties we have about 1000 FOIA requests a year- In NL 80 % of all FOIA requests is filed by journalists, the rest by mostly by
researchers, only a few by NGOs or private personsIn Bulgaria this is different; most requests are filed by private persons, second the press, third NGOs
- The non-users in NL say: We have our own channels to get informationThat is almost always a very poor opinionIn my view this opinion generates:
- Government guided transparencyWe need something completely different:
- Civil society guided transparency
![Page 21: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
History and Context - 3- The problem with the - I have my own channels - thing is that it causes
government guided transparency, meaning that the government has an unacceptable influence on your choice of
- Topics- Investigations / how many layers / how deep / which direction- Tone
- Of course every journalist is entitled to have contact within the apparatus; every journalist must have them, but government guided transparency is almost always:
- Incomplete- Serving a purpose- A sexed-up version of the truth [including data and statistics]
![Page 22: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
History and Context - 4country size number of requests yearly
- NL 1 x NL 1,000
[written requests on national/federal level [ministries and national bodies]]
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History and Context - 4country size number of requests yearly
- NL 1 x NL 1,000- UK 4 x NL 35,000
[written requests on national/federal level [ministries and national bodies]]
![Page 24: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
History and Context - 4country size number of requests yearly
- NL 1 x NL 1,000- UK 4 x NL 35,000- US 20 x NL 1,500,000
[written requests on national/federal level [ministries and national bodies]]
![Page 25: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
History and Context - 4country size number of requests yearly
- NL 1 x NL 1,000- UK 4 x NL 35,000- US 20 x NL 1,500,000- Bulgaria 0,5 x NL 13,000
[written requests on national/federal level [ministries and national bodies]]
![Page 26: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
History and Context - 4country size number of requests yearly
- NL 1 x NL 1,000- UK 4 x NL 35,000- US 20 x NL 1,500,000- Bulgaria 0,5 x NL 13,000
- Germany 5 x NL 1,200- France 3 x NL < 20- Belgium 0,8 x NL < 20
[written requests on national/federal level [ministries and national bodies]]
![Page 27: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 1- The success rate
- In NL the success rate after filing a request is 25 %
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Goals, Results and Impact - 1-
The success rate
- In NL the success rate after filing a request is 25 %- After an administrative appael the success rate rises to 45%
![Page 29: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 1-
The success rate
- In NL the success rate after filing a request is 25 %- After an administrative appael the success rate rises to 45%- After a court appael in rises again 65%
![Page 30: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 1-
The success rate
- In NL the success rate after filing a request is 25 %- After an administrative appael the success rate rises to 45%- After a court appael in rises again 65%- After a high court appael [at the Raad van State] …… 75%
So appaeling makes sence but costs time.- A request 28 days = 2 month- An administrative appael 3 month- A court appael 1 year- A high court appael 1 year
![Page 31: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be tactical in choosing topics for and in formulating of a FOIA requests
Some examples:
- Police corruption
- Request 1 – The amount of kilograms confiscated
![Page 32: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be tactical in choosing topics for and in formulating of a FOIA requests
Some examples:
- Police corruption
- Request 1 – The amount of kilograms confiscated- Request 2 – The amount of kilograms distroyed
![Page 33: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be tactical in choosing topics for and in formulating of a FOIA requests
Some examples:
- Police corruption
- Request 1 – The amount of kilograms confiscated- Request 2 – The amount of kilograms distroyed
- The difference …….. 200 million Euro’s
Tactical aspect: Be creative
![Page 34: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be tactical in choosing topics for and in formulating of a FOIA requests
Another example:
- The Hercules plane crashInterrogation minutes + names
![Page 35: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be tactical in choosing topics for and in formulating of a FOIA requests
Another example:
- The Hercules plane crashInterrogation minutes + names
subsidiairyInterrogation minutes - names
Tactical aspect: Choose between integral or partial access
![Page 36: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be tactical in choosing topics for and in formulating of a FOIA requests
A Royal example:
- The maintenance costs of the Royal Yaught: The Green DragonNobody ever dared to file a request on anything related to the Queen
RTL News did [one of the two mainstream TV News programs [private]And what occured…… corruption not by the queen but by civil servants who thought that nobody ever would controll financial documents related to the Queen
Tactical aspect: Walk on unknown roads
Tactical aspect: Choose between integral or partial access
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Goals, Results and Impact - 2- Be creative some examples of Dutch articles based on FOIA requests:
- Plans for a parking in a parc- Fees of external consultants- Reconstructing a shopping mall- Finances of a play ground- Football ticket corruption- Collapse of an appartment building- Quality of a child daycare center- Balcony repair report- Conflict in a fire department- Infections in a hospital- Deadly incident in a factory
![Page 38: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Goals, Results and Impact - 3- The right to reconstruct government policy
- The right to monitor where tax payers money is going to
- The right of extra-parliamentary control next to parliamentary control
- Transparancy
- Living democracy
- The FOIA is NOT an anti-corruption tool, it is NOT a policing tool,it is just an investigative reconstruction tool
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Questions?
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Questions?
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Questions?
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Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important
![Page 43: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
![Page 44: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
Decisive for being a successfull FOIA requester is good knowledge of tactics
![Page 45: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
Decisive for being a successfull FOIA requester is good knowledge of tactics, like:
- Thinking 2 or better 5 month ahead
![Page 46: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
Decisive for being a successfull FOIA requester is good knowledge of tactics, like:
- Thinking 2 or better 5 month ahead- A good selection of topics
![Page 47: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
Decisive for being a successfull FOIA requester is good knowledge of tactics, like:
- Thinking 2 or better 5 month ahead- A good selection of topics- Anticipating on obstruction and opportunistic behaviour
![Page 48: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
Decisive for being a successfull FOIA requester is good knowledge of tactics, like:
- Thinking 2 or better 5 month ahead- A good selection of topics- Anticipating on obstruction and opportunistic behaviour- Anticipating on the use and misuse of exemptions
![Page 49: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/49.jpg)
Law – Tactics
Of course knowledge of the law, of litigation and of jurisprudence is important, but that is only basic and necessary
Decisive for being a successfull FOIA requester is good knowledge of tactics, like:
- Thinking 2 or better 5 month ahead- A good selection of topics- Anticipating on obstruction and opportunistic behaviour- Anticipating on the use and misuse of exemptions
In other words:
- It is all about Tactics
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Tactics - 1
Thinking 2 or better 5 month ahead
Everybody can do that, it only takes a change of attitude, that’s all
Try to realise what will be actual in 2 or 5 month timeAnticipate on that and start in an early stage
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Tactics - 2
A good selection of topics
- What is fitting in your format
- What do your newsconsumers want
- What is doable
- What is parliament, local or national, doing on this topic
- What is your goal
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Tactics - 3
Anticipating on obstruction - Delaying
- We have no time / we are busy / we have higher priorities / we are sick In short: we are civil servant
- Avoid all this / try to be and to stay on speaking terms- Stay polite, no matter what a civil servant says or does- Phone often to inform, to get an update on your request/decision
Example: The contract for a new highway, the A73
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Tactics - 4
Anticipating on obstruction - Misuse of exemptions
Anticipate in the use/misuse of exemptions, for instance do you want all the information, do you want the names held in a document
Most of the times you have the names already / in other cases the names are not relevant
Not asking for heavy aspects, names for instance, enlarges your success rate
Example: Remember the Hercules plane crash
![Page 54: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
Tactics - 5
Anticipating on obstruction - Too laborious
First of all processing a FOIA request is regular work, not extra work for civil servants
Second access is a right
Third and most important, have kowledge of some cases which had an above average volume or workload so that can confront a civil servant with that knowledge [on a polite way]
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Tactics - 6
Anticipating on obstruction - The document is not yet finalized
So what?
Ask for it anyway / or ask for the version already existing [a draft or something like that]
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Tactics - 7
Integral or partial access
Do you need the complete document or is it no problem to skip partsnames for instance
Example: Remember the Hercules plane crash
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Tactics - 8
Strong or weak
- Documents are almost never unique = - There are more copies =- There are more government bodies to file the request =- Choose the weakest one
Example: Remember the enlargement plans of Schiphol airport
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Tactics - 9
Paper trail
- Underlaying to a a document are a lot of other documents- Concepts / drafts- Advisory documents- Documents close to your target-document, the surrounding ones- And so on
Filing for the paper trail enables you to reconstruct the policy
Example: Survey into 26 documents by University of Leiden
![Page 59: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
Tactics - 10
Mosaic theory
- Filing a FOIA request is of course only a part of your research
- Use the FOIA to get access to missing pieces in your puzzle
Example: Earthquacke in Los Angeles
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Tactics - 11
Do not believe anything
- If a minister, or an official says this is all……Use the FOIA to check
Example: Number of children expelled from schools
Example: Classification
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So….. Welcome in the Netherlands
I am living in a country in which, like in your country a lot of work has to be done by watchdogs like the press, the parliament and NGOs
There is …. Misconduct, criminal behaviour, corruption, undemocratice behaviour….. In simple words there is a lot of work to be done
The FOIA can be a tool in that.
Example: Royal enrichment – The former house of the Crown Prince
Example: 5 woman killed in a hospital
![Page 62: FOIA: What matters? Knowledge of the law or tactics ? Lecture by Roger Vleugels Dutch-based lecturer and legal advisor, specialised in FOIA Academic version.](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062423/56649ec65503460f94bd1f85/html5/thumbnails/62.jpg)
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Questions?
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Questions?
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Questions?