Summary: The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 requires federal agencies to complete--no later than September 30, 1997--strategic plans in which they define their missions, establish goals, and set forth strategies for achieving those goals. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) strategic plan compares favorably with the plans of other federal financial regulators that GAO reviewed. CFTC's plan contained all of the components required by the act, although some of the components could be strengthened. The plan could also be improved by additional stakeholder input, including interagency coordination. Finally, because of the complex set of factors that determine regulatory outcomes, measuring program impacts presents challenges to CFTC in addressing the act's requirements, as it does for regulatory agencies in general. However, the use of program evaluation to derive results-oriented goals and to measure the extent to which those goals are achieved is essential if the process is to succeed. Notwithstanding the need for improvements, GAO recognizes that CFTC's strategic plan is a dynamic document that the agency needs to refine.
