Algorithmic Policy & Governance · Capstone brief

POL-09 · Public records and models

Analyze what Virginia public-records logic implies for model documentation in a public agency — using public FOIA resources your teacher approves, not legal advice.

The question

Analyze what Virginia public-records logic implies for model documentation in a public agency — using public FOIA resources your teacher approves, not legal advice.

Policy / materials

Teacher-approved FOIA primers or agency guidance URLs. One hypothetical model use in a Virginia agency.

Expected failure modes

Practicing law. Asserting exemptions without citing the public source. Ignoring that some docs simply are not created.

Done looks like

Memo: what should be creatable/retainable; what may be withholdable per cited public guidance; request letter a citizen could file; non-advice disclaimer.

Five C's

CT: citizen access vs security theater. CR: citing public guidance. CO: peer checks citations. CM: request letter. CZ: people subject to the model.

Mentor role

Gov teacher reviews disclaimer and citations. School-supervised.

Rubric calibration

R1: one agency use. R2: citations dated. R3: comparator is status quo opacity. R4: uncertainties labeled. R5: letter usable. R6: not legal advice.

Two ways this goes wrong

(a) Blog-post law. (b) “Everything is secret” with no citation.

Credit lane fit

Lane A immediately. No verified credit claim.