ATLAS project

USAID has implemented maximum telework to promote social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Priorities in many of our operating units have shifted, thus impacting processing response times. Please note that USAID is unable to conduct a search for physical records while teleworking.  As a result, all search requests will be limited to electronic records, unless you notify us that you want your request to remain open until USAID employees have physical access to their workspaces. We appreciate your understanding during this time.  If you have any questions, please email us at foia@usaid.gov .  Thank you.

--
V/r, FOIA Specialist US AID - US Agency for International Development FOIA Office Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services, Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD) | foia@USAID.gov

February 22, 2021 RE:  USAID FOIA No. F-00116-21 (Acknowledgment Letter) Dear Ms. Russell: Thank you for your letter dated February 22, 2021, requesting information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552.  The tracking number for your request is F-00116-21.  Please use this number when corresponding with our office. At this time, we are in the process of perfecting your request.  A perfected request for records reasonably describes such records and is made in accordance with published rules stating the time, place, fees (if any) and procedures to be followed.  This process includes reviewing the request for clarity and fee category determination and related commitment to pay, if applicable. Once your request is perfected, you will be notified of the FOIA Specialist assigned to process your case.  If you have questions, please contact us at .  Please cite the above-referenced number when corresponding with our office. (mailto:foia@usaid.gov) foia@usaid.gov Thank you. Sincerely, Diamond Johnson
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division

February 22, 2021 RE:  USAID FOIA No. F-00116-21 (FOIA Specialist Assignment Email) Dear Ms. Russell: This acknowledges receipt of your February 22, 2021, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Specifically, you requested records concerning the all correspondence (official letters, text messages, phone records, emails) between USAID personnel, Drs. James Faghmous and Prabhjot Singh, and Humale Khan, of Mount Sinai Icahn Medical School's Arnhold Institute for Global Health, concerning USAID's funding of the ATLAS program with Dimagi (see press release for more information):(https://mshs-preprod.ot.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2016/usaid-funds-partnership-between-mount-sinais-arnhold-institute-for-global-health-and-dimagi-to-identify-and-forecast-zika-cold-spots-before-they-become-hot-spots)In addition, you requested records pertaining to any audits of this particular USAID grant, and associated expenses and progress reports. (Date Range for Record Search: From 7/1/2015 To 7/31/2019). You also requested expedited processing. Expedited Processing
The FOIA provides that e xpedited processing is warranted if the request involves circumstances in which the lack of expedited processing could (1) reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual, or (2) an urgency to inform the public about an actual or alleged federal government activity, if made by a person primarily engaged in disseminating information.  You indicated you requested expedited processing "because the public has an urgent and compelling need for information about the correspondence (official letters, text messages, phone records, emails) between USAID personnel, Drs. James Faghmous and Prabhjot Singh, and Humale Khan, of Mount Sinai Icahn Medical School's Arnhold Institute for Global Health, concerning USAID's funding of the ATLAS program with Dimagi (see press release for more information):(https://mshs-preprod.ot.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2016/usaid-funds-partnership-between-mount-sinais-arnhold-institute-for-global-health-and-dimagi-to-identify-and-forecast-zika-cold-spots-before-they-become-hot-spots)In addition, you requested records pertaining to any audits of this particular USAID grant, and associated expenses and progress reports. Please limit your search to records between July 2015 and July 2019. (Date Range for Record Search: From 7/1/2015 To 7/31/2019).  After review of your justification, your request for expedited processing is denied.  Your rationale does not articulate an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual, nor is it an urgency to inform the public.  Below is information on how to submit an appeal for this expedited processing denial.
Fee Waiver
The FOIA provides that fees should be waived or reduced if disclosure of the information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.  As a member of the media, the only applicable fee is duplication.  Duplication is $0.10 per page, but the first 100 pages are free.  After review of the fee waiver criteria, your fee waiver request is moot.  Since the only applicable fee is duplication, and USAID routinely furnishes responsive records to FOIA requesters in electronic format, it's most likely there will be no duplication fees to assess.
Appeal rightsYou have a right to appeal the denial of expedited processing.  Your appeal must be received by USAID no later than 90 days from the date of this communication.  In order for it to considered an official appeal, please address and send directly to the FOIA Appeal Officer:

Deputy Director, Office of Management Services
U.S. Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
USAID Annex, M/MS, Room 10.8.OD
Washington, DC 20523

If you wish to fax your appeal, the fax number is (202) 916-4990.  Both the appeal and envelope should be marked "FOIA Appeal".  Please include the subject-referenced tracking number in your letter
FOIA Specialist
Your request has been assigned to Theresa Morris, Senior FOIA Specialist.  You may contact Theresa Morris by email at thmorris@usaid.gov or by phone on 202-921-5003.  Please reference the tracking number cited above in any future correspondence.
Extending the FOIA’s Time Limits due to Unusual Circumstances The FOIA provides that an agency  may extend its time limits when “unusual circumstances” occur in the processing of a request. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B)(i) (2016). Those “unusual circumstances” are set forth in the statute, 5 U.S.C § 552(a)(6)(B)(iii), and are described as: 1) The need to search for records from field facilities or other locations separate from the office processing the request; 2) The need to search, collect and examine voluminous records; and 3) The need for consultation with another agency. Based upon the records you have requested, we have determined that one or more unusual circumstances will occur during the processing of your request. Accordingly, your response time-limit has been extended beyond the 20 days required by statute; therefore, 10 additional processing days have been added to your request. To mitigate this action, you may limit the scope of the request so that it can be processed more quickly or to arrange an alternative time to respond. If you have any questions or wish to discuss reformulation or an alternative time frame for the processing of your request, you may contact the assigned FOIA Specialist noted above. You may also contact USAID’s FOIA Public Liaison, Christopher Colbow, at foia@usaid.gov.

Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services offered: Office of Government Information Services National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001 E-mail: ogis@nara.gov Telephone: 202-741-5770; Toll Free: 1-877-684-6448 Fax: 202-741-5769 Thank you for your interest in USAID. Sincerely, Diamond Johnson
FOIA Specialist
Bureau for Management
Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division

Dear Ms. Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 has been reassigned to me,
Michelle Smith, for processing.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

--
Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Good Morning Ms. Lia Russell:

Thank you for your FOIA request to USAID which was received on 2/22/2021.
You requested:

- all correspondence (official letters, text messages, phone records,
emails) between USAID personnel, Drs. James Faghmous and Prabhjot Singh,
and Humale Khan, of Mount Sinai Icahn Medical School's Arnhold Institute
for Global Health, concerning USAID's funding of the ATLAS program with
Dimagi (see press release for more information): (
https://mshs-preprod.ot.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2016/usaid-funds-partnership-between-mount-sinais-arnhold-institute-for-global-health-and-dimagi-to-identify-and-forecast-zika-cold-spots-before-they-become-hot-spots
)

- In addition, I request records pertaining to any audits of this
particular USAID grant, and associated expenses and progress reports.
Please limit your search to records between July 2015 and July 2019. There
is a likelihood that Dr. Singh also corresponds using the name "Dr.
Prabhjot S. Dhadialla." (Date Range for Record Search: From 7/1/2015 To
7/31/2019)

In element one of your request, you mentioned the names of doctors. They
are non-USAID employees. We are not able to search for non-USAID
employees' names. Also, USAID does not maintain text messaging or phone
records. If possible, please provide the names of USAID personnel that may
have communicated with these doctors or the names of the program offices
that may have participated in the handling of this funding.

Please clarify the documents you seek with regards to the *partnership that
USAID funded *between Mount Sinai’s Arnhold Institute for Global Health and
Dimagi. I look forward to a response from you by April 1, 2021. Thank you.
Best regards,

Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Good Morning,

This is a follow up to the email that I sent to you on 3/26/2021. If no
response by 4/26/2021, USAID will assume that you are no longer interested
in this FOIA request and your request case will be administratively
closed. Thank you very much and have a nice day.
Best,
Michelle

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

Thank you for the clarification. This information is extremely helpful. *May
we update your request to the following:*

- I am seeking all emails and official letters between Ms. Fluder and
Mt. Sinai concerning USAID's involvement in the ATLAS Project

Please respond today as this will aid us in the next step of processing
your request. Thank you so much.
Best,
Michelle

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. We
are processing your request and it will take more time.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best,

Michelle

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Your request, F-00116-21, is currently being processed. We do not have an
estimated time on when your request will be completed. USAID is dealing
with a backlog of requests and we will provide you with a response as soon
as we can.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best,

Michelle

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Your
request, F-00116-21, is currently being processed. USAID is dealing with a
backlog of requests and we will provide you with a response as soon as we
can. Also, we are processing requests on a first in and first out basis.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning your
requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Have a nice day.
Best,

Michelle

Dear Ms Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Please
be advised that your request is still being processed.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

Michelle Smith

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 is currently being processed.
At this time, we are not able to provide an estimated date on when a
response will be sent to you.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

Michelle Smith

Dear Ms. Lia Russell,

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 is still being processed. The
searches for responsive documents are still pending.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

Michelle

Dear Ms. Lia Russell,

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. At
this time, I do not have an estimated date of completion. As we move
forward with your request, please contact the assigned FOIA Specialist
Michelle Smith, who will provide you with additional available updates.

Thank you for your patience.
--
*Regards, *

*Theresa A. Morris*
*Project Manager & Senior FOIA Specialist *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex, Room 2.4.2C
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
Direct: (202) 921-5003 - thmorris@usaid.gov

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the
delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 is still being processed.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and
solicits your continued patience. If you have any questions concerning
your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best regards,

--
Michelle L. Smith
*Senior FOIA Specialist/Technical Writer *
USAID - U.S. Agency for International Development
Bureau for Management, Office of Management Services
Information and Records Division (M/MS/IRD)
USAID Annex
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523
michsmith@usaid.gov

Dear Ms. Lia Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets thedelay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 isstill being processed.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and solicitsyour continued patience.  If you have any questions concerning yourrequests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov , between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Best regards, Michelle Smith

Dear Lia Russell,
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 has been reassigned to me, Fanny Ogbonna, for processing. USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and solicits your continued patience.  If you have any questions concerning your request(s), please send me an email at fogbonna@usaid.gov, between 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Sincerely,
Fanny Ogbonna

Dear Ms. Russell:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) regrets the delay in responding to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Please be advised that FOIA No. F-00116-21 is still being processed.  We hope to have a response ready for you soon.

USAID regrets any delay incurred in complying with your request and solicits your continued patience.  If you have any questions concerning your requests, please send me an email at michsmith@usaid.gov , between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Best,
Michelle Smith