The Standard Form 311, authorized by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and prescribed by the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) under 32 CFR 2001.60, is a crucial document for managing agency security classification programs within United States federal entities. This comprehensive form touches upon every facet of classification management, from identifying data such as the reporting fiscal year, the entity being reported on, and contact information for responsible officials to detailed records of original and derivative classification decisions. It outlines the stringent protocol for categorizing information as TOP SECRET, SECRET, or CONFIDENTIAL based on the damage its unauthorized disclosure could pose to national security. Furthermore, it addresses mandatory declassification review requests and appeals, highlighting the procedural steps for handling classified information requests, be they fully declassified, partially declassified, or denied. The form also provides metrics for automatic and systematic declassification review procedures, underscoring the government’s commitment to transparency while safeguarding national security. Lastly, it encourages internal agency oversight through inspections, surveys, and reviewing challenges to classifications, ensuring rigorous adherence to classification standards. The Standard Form 311 is not merely a bureaucratic requirement; it represents the complex balance between national security interests and the public's right to know.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Form Name | Standard Form 311 |
| Form Length | 2 pages |
| Fillable? | No |
| Fillable fields | 0 |
| Avg. time to fill out | 30 sec |
| Other names | form 311, NARA, irs form 311, restating |
AGENCY SECURITY CLASSIFICATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM DATA
PART A: Identifying Information
1.Enter the Fiscal Year that this report covers.
2.Identify the Department, Independent agency or Establishment that is covered by this report.
3.Enter the name, title, address, phone, fax, and email address of the Senior Agency Official (as defined in EO 12958, as amended, Section 5.4(d)) responsible for this report.
4.Enter the name, title, phone, fax and email address for the
PART B: Officials with Original Classification Authority
5.Enter the number of agency officials whose highest level of original classification authority is TOP SECRET.
6.Enter the number of agency officials whose highest level of original classification authority is SECRET.
7.Enter the number of agency officials whose highest level of original classification authority is CONFIDENTIAL.
8.Total number of officials with original classification authority. (Sum of blocks 5, 6, & 7)
5.
6.
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8.
PART C: Original Classification Decisions
Original classification is an initial determination that the information to be classified has not been previously classified by any other authority. It also meets the following conditions: (1) it was classified by an original classification authority; (2) the information is owned by, produced by or for, or is under the control of the United States Government; (3) it falls into at least one of the categories found in Section 1.4 of EO 12958, as amended; and, (4) unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to result in damage to the national security. [Provide information only on classification decisions contained in finished products for dissemination or retention, regardless of the media. Do not count reproductions or copies.]
9.Enter the number of original TOP SECRET classification decisions made during the reporting period with declassification instructions of 10 years or less.
10.Enter the number of original TOP SECRET classification decisions made during the reporting period with declassification instructions ranging from over 10 years to 25 years.
11.Total number of TOP SECRET original classification decisions. (Sum of blocks 9 & 10)
12.Enter the number of original SECRET classification decisions made during the reporting period with declassification instructions of 10 years or less.
13.Enter the number of original SECRET classification decisions made during the reporting period with declassification instructions ranging from over 10 years to 25 years.
9.
10.
11.
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14.Total number of SECRET original classification decisions. (Sum of blocks 12 & 13)
15. Enter the number of original CONFIDENTIAL classification decisions made during the reporting period with declassification instructions of 10 years or less.
16. Enter the number of original CONFIDENTIAL classification decisions made during the reporting period with declassification instructions ranging from over 10 years to 25 years.
17.Total number of CONFIDENTIAL original classification decisions. (Sum of blocks 15 & 16)
18.Total number of original classification decisions. (Sum of blocks 11, 14, & 17)
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18. |
PART D: Derivative Classification Decisions
Derivative classification is the incorporating, paraphrasing, restating, or generating in new form information that is already classified. This includes classification based on classification guides or other source documents. [Provide information only on derivative classification decisions contained in finished products for dissemination or retention, regardless of the media. Do not count reproductions or copies.]
19.Enter the number of derivative TOP SECRET classifications during the reporting period.
20. Enter the number of derivative SECRET classifications during the reporting period.
21.Enter the number of derivative CONFIDENTIAL classifications during the reporting period.
22.Total number of derivative classification decisions. (Sum of blocks 19, 20, & 21)
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22. |
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION |
AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION |
STANDARD FORM 311 (REV |
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Previous edition is unusable |
Prescribed by NARA/ISOO |
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32 CFR 2001.60 E.O. 12958, as amended |
Enter the Fiscal Year that this report covers.
Identify the Department, Independent agency or establishment that is covered by this report.
PART E: Mandatory Declassification Review Requests and Appeals
A “request” is an individual review request or appeal, regardless of the number of documents or pages to be reviewed as part of the request. Report only requests for your agency in which your agency is responsible for the final decision. Please provide an explanation in Part I below where the number of requests or appeals carried forward between reporting periods changes.
23. Enter the number of requests carried over from the previous reporting period. |
23. |
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24. |
Enter the number of new requests received during the reporting period. |
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25. |
Enter the number of requests carried over to the next reporting period. |
25. |
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26. |
Enter the number of appeals carried over from the previous reporting period. |
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27. |
Enter the number of new appeals received during the reporting period. |
27. |
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28. |
Enter the number of appeals carried over to the next reporting period. |
28. |
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PART F: Mandatory Declassification Review Decisions in Pages
29. Enter the number of requested pages that were declassified in full. |
29. |
30.Enter the number of requested pages that were declassified in part.
30.
31.Enter the number of requested pages that were denied declassification.
31.
32.Total number of requested pages acted on. (Sum of blocks 29, 30, and 31)
32.
33.Enter the number of appealed pages that were declassified in full.
33.
34.Enter the number of appealed pages that were declassified in part.
34.
35.Enter the number of appealed pages that were denied declassification.
35.
36.Total number of appealed pages acted on. (Sum of blocks 33, 34, & 35)
36.
PART G: Automatic Declassification and Systematic Review
37.Enter the number of pages reviewed during the reporting period that were subject to declassification under Sections 3.3 & 3.4, EO12958, as amended.
38.Enter the number of pages declassified under Sections 3.3 & 3.4, EO 12958, as amended.
37.
38.
PART H: Internal Agency Oversight
39. |
Enter the number of inspections, surveys, or program reviews, covering any aspect of the security classification program, |
39. |
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completed during the reporting period. |
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40. |
Enter the number of challenges processed by your agency to the classification of information believed to be improperly |
40. |
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classified or unclassified. (See EO 12958 as amended, Section 1.8) |
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PART I: Explanatory Comments
Use this space to elaborate on any section of this form. If more space is needed, provide as an attachment to this form. Provide explanations for any significant
changes in trends/numbers from the previous year's report.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION |
AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION |
STANDARD FORM 311 BACK (REV |
|
Previous edition is unusable |
Prescribed by NARA/ISOO |
|
|
32 CFR 2001.60 E.O. 12958, as amended |