The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a draft strategic plan for fiscal years 2022 to 2026 for public comment on Wednesday.
The draft strategic plan has three major goals: to protect working families against fraud, manipulation, and misconduct; to develop a regulatory framework that keeps pace with evolving markets, business models, and technologies; and to support a skilled workforce that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and fully equipped to advance agency objectives.
“We can’t take our leadership in capital markets for granted,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said. “Technology and business models always are changing, and it is important for our agency to evolve in kind. Through the goals we’ve laid out in this strategic plan, we will continue to bring a skilled and steady hand to the capital markets of a changing world.”
To meet these goals, the SEC plans to launch several initiatives. It seeks to enhance the use of market and industry data to prevent, detect, and prosecute improper behavior. Further, it plans to modernize the design, delivery, and content of disclosures to investors so they can access consistent, comparable, and material information while making investment decisions.
In addition, the SEC intends to update existing SEC rules to reflect evolving technologies, business models, and capital markets. Also, to support its diversity and inclusion efforts, the SEC will focus on recruiting, training, and retaining staff with the right mix of skills, experience, and expertise.
The plan was prepared in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010. This law requires federal agencies to outline their missions, planned initiatives, and strategic goals for a four-year period.