"Protecting investors is our core mission. And, everything we do is with that goal in mind."  And with that, the SEC presented its 4th strategic plan, prepared in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993.  The plan sets out the Commission’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals for fiscal years 2010 through 2015.  After the plan surveys the forces shaping the SEC’s environment, it then details the outcomes the agency is seeking to achieve, the strategies and initiatives that will be undertaken to accomplish those outcomes, and the performance measures that will be used to gauge the agency’s progress.

Comments on this Strategic Plan should be directed to strategicplan@sec.gov. For complete details, proceed to:  [ SEC Strategic Plan, 10/21 ]

    Chairman Mary Schapiro: Opening Statement.   Protecting investors is our core mission. And, everything we do is with that goal in mind. When we shut down an insider trading scheme, we are protecting investors. When we detect fraud during an examination, we are protecting investors. When we adopt rules or provide guidance to ensure fair markets or to provide investors with the information that they need, we are protecting investors.

And, when we devised our Strategic Plan for 2010-2015, investor protection was the thread woven throughout.  It makes sense because the SEC’s success as the nation’s securities market regulator rests squarely on our ability to establish and maintain a market in which the interests of investors are paramount.

This Strategic Plan is ambitious. Through the activities described, we are committing ourselves to even stronger enforcement of our securities laws; even more focus on fair and transparent markets; even tougher oversight of those market participants that are registered with the Commission; even higher quality investor-oriented information; and even more effective use of our own resources.

Successful implementation of this Plan will require two things. First, internally, we must continue to drive ourselves as hard as possible. We must maintain our investor-first focus, and must continue to look for ways to build our expertise while also increasing our effectiveness.

Second, we must have access to sufficient resources to hire the necessary staff, obtain the necessary expertise, and secure the necessary technology. As is more fully described in the “Resources” section of the Plan, adequate budgets, over the long run are essential.

The Plan also outlines specific performance metrics. Many of the measures reflect new and innovative approaches for gauging how we are doing as an agency. Collectively, these measures take a much broader view of the work of the agency and the impact it has in fulfilling its mission. We will track our performance against these metrics, and report annually on how we are doing.

This Plan was prepared with significant involvement of our staff, and I thank them for their continued dedication. I also urge each employee to take this Plan to heart; let it guide each of us as we continue to work for America’s investors.

    Strategic Goals and Outcomes

Strategic Goal 1: Foster and enforce compliance with the federal securities laws.

Outcome 1.1:  The SEC fosters compliance with the federal securities laws.
Outcome 1.2:  The SEC promptly detects violations of the federal securities laws.
Outcome 1.3:  The SEC prosecutes violations of federal securities laws and holds violators accountable.

Strategic Goal 2: Establish an effective regulatory environment.

Outcome 2.1:  The SEC establishes and maintains a regulatory environment that promotes high-quality disclosure, financial reporting, and governance, and that prevents abusive practices by registrants, financial intermediaries, and other market
participants.
Outcome 2.2:  The U.S. capital markets operate in a fair, efficient, transparent, and competitive manner, fostering capital formation and useful innovation.
Outcome 2.3:  The SEC adopts and administers rules and regulations that enable market participants to understand clearly their obligations under the securities laws.

Strategic Goal 3:  Facilitate access to the information investors need to make informed investment decisions.

Outcome 3.1:  Investors have access to high-quality disclosure materials that are useful to investment decision making.
Outcome 3.2:  Agency rulemaking and investor education programs are informed by an understanding of the wide range of investor needs.

Strategic Goal 4:  Enhance the Commission’s performance through effective alignment and management of human, information, and financial capital.

Outcome 4.1:  The SEC maintains a work environment that attracts, engages, and retains a technically proficient and diverse workforce that can excel and meet the dynamic challenges of market oversight.
Outcome 4.2:  The SEC retains a diverse team of world-class leaders who provide motivation and strategic direction to the SEC workforce.
Outcome 4.3:  Information within and available to the SEC becomes a Commission-wide shared resource, appropriately protected, that enables a collaborative and knowledge-based working environment.
Outcome 4.4:  Resource decisions and operations reflect sound financial and risk management principles.