Lesson plan

FOIA Redaction Engine for FOIA professionals

Take a FOIA request through the FOIA Redaction Engine, from loading the collection and grouping duplicates to deciding every proposed redaction, passing second-level review and producing a burned-in release with its exemption log.

Back to the course

Product: FOIA "Backlog Buster" Redaction Engine
Level: Foundation
For: Users
Total time: 2 hr 21 min
Lessons: 13 in 3 modules
Assessments: 4

Course objectives

Explain what the FOIA Redaction Engine does and does not do, and where your judgment is required
Check that a collection loaded completely and resolve files that could not be processed
Work with exact duplicates, near-duplicates and email threads so each record is reviewed once and redacted consistently
Read the engine's first pass and accept, reject or change each proposed redaction with the right exemption
Handle CUI flags, poor scans and context-dependent material that the engine can miss
Send a batch to second-level review, act on returned records, and carry out a second review
Produce a burned-in release package and an exemption log you can rely on in an appeal or litigation

Before the course

You have a Moraph account with the FOIA analyst or senior analyst role in the FOIA Redaction Engine.
You know your agency's FOIA process and the exemptions it commonly applies.
You have completed Moraph foundations, or you already know how to find records, tasks and Activity in Moraph apps.

Module 1: Getting records ready for review (38 min)

Lesson	Type and time	Learners will be able to	Activity and assessment
How the engine fits your FOIA process	Reading 10 min	Describe the four stages a request passes through in the engine Explain which decisions the engine makes and which ones always belong to people Name the roles involved in a request and what each can and cannot do	Reading
Ingest and the review set	Reading 10 min	Explain what happens to records when they are loaded Use the review set composition report to confirm a collection loaded completely Resolve or follow up files that could not be processed	Reading
Duplicates and email threads	Reading 12 min	Tell exact duplicates, near-duplicates and email threads apart Decide when to split a duplicate group or thread Keep redactions consistent across every copy of a record	Reading
Module 1 knowledge check	Assessment 6 min	Check your understanding of the engine's role, ingest and duplicate handling	5 questions · pass mark 70% · unlimited attempts

Module 2: Deciding redactions (45 min)

Lesson	Type and time	Learners will be able to	Activity and assessment
Reading the first pass	Reading 10 min	Read a proposed redaction, its reason and its suggested exemption Explain how CUI flags differ from proposed redactions of personal information Recognize where the first pass is likely to be weakest	Reading
Deciding redactions and exemptions	Reading 14 min	Accept, reject or change a proposed redaction and choose the right exemption Add redactions the engine did not propose, with a justification Redact a name or number across a request safely using search Escalate a record to counsel or share it for consultation when needed	Reading
Practical: decide a review batch	Practical exercise 15 min	Apply accept, change and reject decisions to a realistic set of proposals Identify material the engine missed and the records that need closer review	Practical exercise with a checklist
Module 2 knowledge check	Assessment 6 min	Check your understanding of reading proposals and deciding redactions and exemptions	5 questions · pass mark 70% · unlimited attempts

Module 3: Review and release (58 min)

Lesson	Type and time	Learners will be able to	Activity and assessment
Second-level review	Reading 12 min	Send a complete batch to second-level review with useful notes Act on a batch returned with comments Carry out a second-level review as a senior analyst or reviewer	Reading
Burned-in release and the release package	Reading 10 min	Explain what a burned-in redaction is and why it matters Prepare a release package and check it before it leaves the engine Respond correctly if redacted text is found in a released file	Reading
The exemption log and audit trail	Reading 10 min	Export an exemption log and check it before it is used Explain how the exemption log supports response letters, appeals and litigation Use the audit trail and release package record to answer questions about a release	Reading
Module 3 knowledge check	Assessment 6 min	Check your understanding of second-level review, burned-in release and the exemption log	5 questions · pass mark 70% · unlimited attempts
Final assessment	Assessment 20 min	Show you can take a FOIA request through the engine from ingest to a defensible release	12 of 18 questions · pass mark 80% · 3 attempts

Completing the course

Every lesson must be completed: reading lessons are marked complete by the learner, exercises when every checklist item is confirmed, and assessments only when passed. Completing the course issues a certificate of completion with a verification code.