The Document Management Unit (DMU), Office of the Executive Secretariat, forwards congressional requests requiring a global search for records to the appropriate bureaus.

The Assistant Director – Budget, Planning and Human Capital is the Service’s senior contact for congressional requests and serves as the Service’s certifying official.

The Service’s policy and procedures for responding to congressional requests that involve a Department-wide or Service-wide search for documents or records is contained in the Service’s Manual Chapter, Records Operations, 282 FW 3.

The Division of Policy and Directives Management:

• Forwards the incoming request to all Service and Regional Offices who may have responsive documents or records with specific instructions for submission and the appropriate certification forms via Document Tracking System (DTS).
• Set internal due dates to allow time for adequate review and/or preparation for submission to DMU.
• Reviews all submissions for proper indexing and certifications.
• Submits all records received to DMU for review by the Solicitor for responsiveness and Privacy Act/FOIA relevancy.
• Prepares certification for submission to DMU that a good faith search was conducted and included all documents and records thought to be responsive to the request, including the number of hours and the labor rate costs of personnel, for the signature of the Senior Contact.

PDM Contact:  Phyllis Cook, (703) 358-2503, Phyllis_cook@fws.gov