Everyone thinks that data is simple until someone asks for it, then it becomes a hunt: where is that email, which folder holds the document, and who last touched that spreadsheet? It's all fun and games sitting in files until you need it to make sense to others.
Handling public information sounds easy in principle, but in reality, it can be a full-time scramble, and this scramble is what leads to mistakes.
If you're looking for easy ways to handle public information without the hassle, here are four mistakes you need to avoid and the simple tech that can help, not hinder you.
Mistake 1: Treating digital files like paperwork
If you're still treating requests like trips to the filing cabinet, then stop. You're losing time.
Data today is accessed through cloud drives, physical paperwork, inboxes, shared workspaces, and chat logs. There's no one central location, and this can make life tricky when handling requests and compiling data.
And acting like it is in one folder means you are likely to miss something. A digital information process - searchable repositories, indexed files, and quick exports save hours. This removes the idea of the information being "somewhere" to knowing exactly where it is.
Mistake 2: Waiting until the last minute on compliance
Deadlines aren't suggestions, and treating them as such will land you in trouble. When you get a request for public records, the clock starts ticking, and you need to beat it. Missing a statutory deadline, redacting incorrectly, or handing over incorrect information by mistake will result in real fallout. It will be a headache you don't want. FOIA and Open Records Requests are a good example here. They have tight expectations. But automating the first pass doesn't replace judgment; it's just keeping the grunt work off people who should be making the legal calls.
Mistake 3: Letting silos ruin the workflow
One team uses one tool, another team uses a different one, and so on, and soon you can see where issues are arising. No one can see the full picture; things get duplicated, and conflicting versions start floating around. And this is where the response timeline is getting stretched out. You need shared dashboards, clear tagging, and a single source of truth to eliminate this in your workflow and stop the back and forth. Because when everyone can see the same document and leave notes in place, requests move from chaos to tidy with ease.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the human side of the information
Technology can do a lot, there's no denying that. However, it can't explain itself to the public. And if it makes a mistake, it's you who needs to explain why the mistake happened. Technology shouldn't be left to do all the work; it should simply be used as a tool to make life easier, so you need to be on the ball with checking and ensuring details are correct.
Another angle to this is delivering jargon-heavy or poorly organized responses that people can’t make sense of. Transparency and the human aspect of public records come in different ways. It's about delivering accurate information you can explain, and that builds trust.
