How do I assign a request to departments in the Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) module?

In the Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) module, custodians can assign one or more departments to help gather records. Department assignments are tracked in the Departments tab, allowing you to monitor progress, set internal deadlines, and collect all responses in one place.

✅ Pro Tip: Assign departments early to allow them maximum time to locate records, especially if the request spans multiple departments.

Before assigning departments

You can optionally set a Departments Deadline in the high-level section of the form. This is an internal date that appears on all assignments for the request and can help ensure you have time to review responses before the public deadline.

• Example: If the public deadline is Friday, you might set the Departments Deadline to Wednesday.

Steps to assign a department

1. Open the request in Form View.
   
   

2. Go to the Departments tab within the record and click the Assign Department button.
   
   

3. A new assignment window will open. Several fields are automatically filled in for you:
   
   

   • Date Assigned is set to today’s date.
     
     

   • Deadline is auto-filled with the Departments Deadline you entered earlier, if applicable.
     
     

   • Department Request is pre-filled with the original text of the requester’s message, so the assigned department knows exactly what’s being asked.
     
     

   • In the Department Response section on the right, the Status defaults to Assigned.
     
     

   • Select the department from the dropdown list.
     
     
     
     

4. Click Save to complete the assignment.

What happens next

• The assignment appears in the Departments grid, where you can track multiple assignments for the same request.

• The assigned department user receives an email notification with the request details and deadline.

• Departments can upload attachments and provide responses directly in the request record.

Additional Resources in GovPilot Academy

• Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) Module Certification
• How do I manually enter a request in the Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) module?
• How do I mark a request as received in the Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) module?
• How do I fulfill a request in the Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) module?
• How do I deny a request in the Public Records Request (OPRA/FOIA) module?

Related terms: assign OPRA request, send FOIA request to department, OPRA department deadline, department assignment, interdepartmental OPRA process