When you are new to an organization (or new to open records work), the first major request can feel overwhelming. You may be asking: Who owns the record? Where is it stored? What information does it contain? That stress increases when record creators and subject matter experts are unfamiliar with the requirements of open records requests.

This session shares how South Platte Renew (Colorado’s third-largest wastewater facility) used open records request drills to prepare for the real thing and close knowledge gaps along the way. Through practice scenarios, the organization identified challenges, uncovered opportunities for improvement, and strengthened understanding of records responsibilities across staff roles.

Attendees will learn how to run their own open records request drills, use the results to map the records landscape, and increase engagement and confidence across record creators and records professionals (leading to faster, more accurate responses when the real request arrives).