§ 212.5 How to make a request for records. ( a ) USAID has a de-centralized system for responding to FOIA requests for all USAID records. The USAID FOIA operations are broken down into two component FOIA Offices: The Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD) and the Office of the USAID Inspector General (OIG).
( b ) The Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD) is the central processing point for requests for USAID records contained in Washington, DC and its overseas missions. All FOIA requests for USAID records (other than OIG records) must be submitted to this office. To make a request for the Agency's records, a requester may send request via one of the following mediums: ( 1 ) *By Email: foia@usaid.gov .* Please include your mailing address, email address, phone number, and fee category with your request. While our FOIA Specialists are happy to answer questions about the FOIA Program and/or help you formulate your request over the phone, please be advised that FOIA requests cannot be accepted by phone.
( 2 ) *Online Portal:* To submit your request online, please click the subsequent link: *https://foiarequest.usaid.gov/index.aspx .*
( 3 ) *By U.S. Postal Mail:* United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services Services, Information and Records Division USAID Annex, Room 2.4.0A, Washington, DC 20523.
( 4 ) By Telephone: (202) 916-4661.
( 5 ) By Fax: (202) 916-4990.
( c ) The Inspector General has received delegated authority from USAID's Administrator to process requests and issue determinations with respect to requests, and appeals of initial denials of requests, for the OIG's records. To make a request for OIG records, a requester may send a request via one of the following mediums: ( 1 ) By email: foiaoig@usaid.gov. Please include your mailing address, email address, phone number, and fee category with your request.
( 2 ) *Online Portal:* Please submit a request online via the OIG website at *https://oig.usaid.gov/FOIA .*
( 3 ) *By U.S. Postal Mail:* United States Agency of International Development Office of Inspector General, Office of General Counsel 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 6.06-D, Washington, DC 20523.
( 4 ) *By Telephone:* (202) 712-1150.
( d ) Where a request for records pertains to a third party, a requester may receive greater access by submitting either a notarized consent form signed by the person who is the subject of the records, or a signed declaration by that person, made under penalty of perjury pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1746, authorizing disclosure of the records to the requester, or by submitting proof that the individual is deceased (e.g., a copy of a death certificate or an obituary). In addition, requesters may present an argument that there exists an overriding public interest in disclosure of the information related to official misconduct by producing evidence that alleged Government impropriety occurred. As an exercise of administrative discretion, the component's FOIA office can require a requester to supply additional information if necessary in order to verify that a particular individual has consented to disclosure.
( e ) Requesters must describe the records sought in sufficient detail to enable the component's FOIA office personnel to locate them with a reasonable amount of effort. To the extent possible, requesters should include specific information that may assist in identifying the requested records, such as the date, title or name, author, recipient, subject matter of the record, case number, file designation, or reference number. In general, requesters should include as much detail as possible about the specific records or the types of records that they are seeking. Before submitting their requests, requesters may contact the component FOIA office's FOIA contact or FOIA Public Liaison to discuss the records they are seeking and to receive assistance in describing the records. If, after receiving a request, the component's FOIA office determines that it does not reasonably describe the records sought, the component's FOIA office shall inform the requester what additional information is needed or why the request is otherwise insufficient. Requesters who are attempting to reformulate or modify such a request may discuss their request with the component FOIA office's designated FOIA Specialist or its FOIA Public Liaison, each of whom is available to assist the requester in reasonably describing the records sought. If a request does not reasonably describe the records sought, the component FOIA office's response to the request may be delayed or denied.