Government Performance and Results Act
Strategic Planning Document 2008-2011

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Skip to content

Introduction

Monetary Policy Function

Supervision and Regulation Function

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

Internal Board Support

Disseminating Goals and Objectives and Holding Managers Accountable for Results

Program Evaluations

Interagency Coordination of Cross-cutting Issues

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Introduction

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board) is one component of the nation's central bank. See appendix 1 for a complete description of the Federal Reserve System (the System).

Mission

The mission of the Board is to foster the stability, integrity, and efficiency of the nation's monetary, financial, and payment systems to promote optimal macroeconomic performance.

Values

The following values of the Board guide its organizational decisions and its employees' actions.

Public interest. In its actions and policies, the Board seeks to promote the public interest. It is accountable and responsive to the general public, the U.S. government, and the financial community.
Integrity. The Board adheres to the highest standards of integrity in its dealings with the public, the financial community, and its employees.
Excellence. The conduct of monetary policy, responsibility for bank supervision, and maintenance of the payment system demand high-quality analysis, high performance standards, and a secure, robust infrastructure. The pursuit of excellence drives the Board's policies concerning recruitment, selection, and retention policies for Board employees.
Efficiency and effectiveness. In carrying out its functions, the Board is continually aware that its operations are supported primarily by public funds, and it recognizes its obligation to manage resources efficiently and effectively.
Independence of views. The Board values the diversity of its employees; input from a variety of sources; and the independent professional judgment that is fostered by the System's highly valued regional structure. It relies on strong teamwork to mold independent viewpoints into coherent, effective policies.

Goals

The Board has six primary goals with interrelated and mutually reinforcing elements:

Conduct monetary policy that promotes the achievement of the statutory objectives of maximum employment and stable prices
Promote a safe, sound, competitive, and accessible banking system and stable financial markets
Develop regulations, policies, and programs designed to inform and protect consumers, to enforce federal consumer protection laws, to strengthen market competition, and to promote access to banking services in historically underserved markets
Provide high-quality professional oversight of Reserve Banks
Foster the integrity, efficiency, and accessibility of U.S. payment and settlement systems
Foster the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of Board programs

Achievements of Goals and Objectives

The Board employs a comprehensive planning, budget formulation, and budget execution process to ensure the identification, prioritization, and accomplishment of goals and objectives. Planning is coordinated throughout the System by the Strategic Framework (discussed below). Monetary policy work is coordinated through the structure of the Federal Open Market Committee. Supervision and regulation planning is coordinated by the Board's Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation and Division of Consumer and Community Affairs in collaboration with the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, which is composed of senior Board officials and the officer-in-charge of supervision at each Reserve Bank. The Board's budget and accounting systems are closely linked to ensure that expenses can be compared with plans. This process integrates strategic planning, allocation of resources among competing priorities, performance measurement, and ongoing review of the need for existing programs.

Background

In the face of accelerating change in the economy and banking system brought about by numerous factors--including globalization, technology, bank consolidation, and the evolution of payment systems--the Federal Reserve recognized the need for a more comprehensive planning framework. In 1995, a System Strategic Planning Coordinating Group, consisting of Board members, Reserve Bank presidents, and senior managers representing the full range of the Federal Reserve's activities was appointed. This group developed an "umbrella" strategic framework under which the Board, the Reserve Banks, and the product offices develop their own more detailed plans and decision documents. This framework was the basis for the Board's first Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Planning Document, setting forth the mission, values, and goals of the System. The framework was updated in 2003 and is incorporated in this strategic planning document. Key assumptions and external and internal factors that could affect the achievement of those goals, and associated objectives, were reviewed and updated in 2007 as part of the biennial planning process and are discussed in the following section.

The Board's strategic planning effort recognizes key differences between government and private-sector strategic planning and measurement of results. Measures of costs and revenue derived from prices determined in competitive markets can be used in private planning; the results of that planning are reflected in the ability of the private entity to prosper over time. The government does not have direct competition in certain areas and has a monopoly in others (monetary policy, for example), and establishing a proxy for costs and prices is extraordinarily difficult. Moreover, the results are judged relative to public policy objectives embodied in law, which often are not readily measurable. The Board tries to effectively accomplish its mission while creating the efficiencies that come from strategic planning. The Board's central planning objective is oriented toward achieving effectiveness and efficiency specific to the functions it serves.

In monetary policy, for example, the Federal Reserve exerts only partial and indirect influence on the economy. Because the Federal Reserve's performance therefore cannot be measured solely in terms of economic outcomes, the appropriate judgment must be whether our research technology is successful in analyzing problems and changes in the economy. In the area of bank supervision, the mission of contributing to a viable, competitive, efficient banking system demands a sharing of risks between the central bank and private banks, which serve the crucial function of managing the risk of investing in illiquid loans. As a regulator, the Federal Reserve's job is to ensure that the financial institutions it regulates are allowed to take on appropriate degrees of risk in fulfilling their function in the economy, but not to the point that they impose risks on the financial system in general. Measures of our success would include whether the banking system is performing its functions and whether systemic risk is appropriately contained during periods of challenge to individual institutions or groups of institutions.

Planning Considerations

Strategic Planning and the Budgeting Process

To sharpen the focus on strategic priorities, the Board's budget and planning process was restructured in 1997 to lengthen the planning and budgeting horizons and to increase Board member involvement in the setting of priorities. A four-year planning horizon and a two-year budget were adopted.

In developing plans and budgets under the strategic framework, the director of each Board division or office updates divisionwide plans, coordinating efforts with other division directors and Reserve Banks as necessary. These plans and resulting resource requests are reviewed by the Committee on Board Affairs (composed of two or three Board members), which then makes recommendations to the full Board. A Staff Planning Group (SPG) and the Board's Planning and Budget Section provide support to the committee during the planning process by identifying issues and providing analysis of the budget options.

Planning Background

For this 2008-11 strategic plan, the SPG reviewed the planning materials submitted by the Board's divisions and offices and identified the following common themes having Boardwide impact over the planning period:

Projects that will occur during the planning period, including the payment of interest on reserves
Legislative and executive mandates for a number of activities, including the provision of physical and information security and the support of electronic government initiatives
The need to attract and retain highly productive and qualified staff
The difficulty of providing sufficient adequate office space

Return to contents

Monetary Policy Function

Goal

Conduct monetary policy that promotes the achievement of the statutory objectives of maximum employment and stable prices

This goal will be attained through the following five objectives:

Stay abreast of recent developments in and prospects for the U.S. economy and financial markets, and in those abroad, so that monetary policy decisions will be well informed.
Enhance our knowledge of the structural and behavioral relationships in the macroeconomic and financial markets, and improve the quality of the data used to gauge economic performance, through developmental research activities.
Implement monetary policy effectively in rapidly changing economic circumstances and in an evolving financial market structure.
Contribute to the development of U.S. international policies and procedures, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other agencies, with respect to global financial markets and international institutions.
Promote understanding of Federal Reserve policy among other government policy officials and the general public.

Objective 1

Stay abreast of recent developments in and prospects for the U.S. economy and financial markets, and in those abroad, so that monetary policy decisions will be well informed.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Staff will provide to policymakers periodic briefings and written reports analyzing incoming economic data and financial information. Staff will also prepare ad hoc analyses, as needed, to address special questions.
Staff will regularly prepare formal, quantitative economic and financial forecasts for use by policymakers.
Policymakers and staff will draw on extensive contacts in the private sector to obtain timely information about tendencies in the economy and in financial markets. The Beige Book, summaries prepared by Reserve Bank staff, will be one source of such information.
Policymakers and staff will maintain close contacts with officials in international organizations and at foreign official institutions to remain current on economic developments and policies abroad.

Objective 2

Enhance our knowledge of the structural and behavioral relationships in the macroeconomic and financial markets, and improve the quality of the data used to gauge economic performance, through developmental research activities.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following action:

Staff will undertake research into the broad range of topics relevant to the conduct of monetary policy. In the period ahead, this research will focus especially on the interaction of financial developments and economic activity, the behavior of inflation, ongoing changes in the structure of financial markets, and the implications of continued globalization.

Objective 3

Implement monetary policy effectively in rapidly changing economic circumstances and in an evolving financial market structure.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

The Federal Open Market Committee will seek, through the operations of the Trading Desk at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to effect changes in money market conditions consistent with the longer-term objectives of policy.
The Board and the Federal Open Market Committee will carefully consider how best to utilize the Federal Reserve's new statutory authority, effective in October 2011, to pay interest on reserve balances and to reduce required reserve ratios, potentially to zero.

Objective 4

Contribute to the development of U.S. international policies and procedures, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other agencies.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

The Board will seek to reduce risks to the U.S. economy and financial system from external shocks and to improve stability in domestic and international financial markets.
The Board will provide leadership in the evolution of international institutions and arrangements in response to the changing shape of the world economy.
Staff research will contribute to international efforts to understand the origins and consequences of, and develop effective responses to, international economic and financial disruptions.

Objective 5

Promote understanding of Federal Reserve policy among other government policy officials and the general public.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Twice a year, the Board will report formally to the Congress on its monetary policy plans. The Board will also seek to improve public understanding of economic developments and policy through congressional testimony, speeches, and other means.
Four times a year, the Federal Reserve will publish enhanced economic projections, with an accompanying explanation of those projections and the associated risks to those projections.
The Board will publish, in downloadable form, data on monetary and financial market developments and on industrial production and capacity utilization to inform the public about the environment in which the Federal Reserve is operating.

Environmental Factors

Independence. The Federal Reserve's independence within the government, a key element of which is its lack of dependence on the appropriations process, is critical in terms of its ability to formulate and implement monetary policy. Preserving this independence will be crucial to the proper discharge of its central banking responsibilities in the future. Important to this independence is responsible management of the resources used. Along these lines, the Board will continue to exercise strict budget restraints and solid internal controls over financial reporting as it performs its current and any expanded future responsibilities.
Data access. The nation's financial system is growing more complex at an accelerating pace. The quantity of data, much of which is available over the Internet, is also growing. Investments in automation and security to enhance timely access to data will be critical during the planning period. Continued investment in efforts to maintain the quality of data will be required, given innovations in financial markets and the growth of activity outside of regulated sectors, which provide data on a consistent basis. Efforts to use data purchased from credit bureaus to analyze issues related to consumer and mortgage debt growth, debt service, delinquency, and bankruptcy will continue. Finally, more of the Board's data will be provided to the public electronically in a downloadable format.
Economic and financial globalization. Individual economies are becoming more open, and links among the world's financial markets are becoming closer. These forces heighten the potential for economic shocks and systemic problems to move across national borders, in some circumstances with great speed. As a result, there will be pressure for greater international consistency of policies, regulations, guidelines, and supervisory procedures.

Legislative Changes

The Congress has authorized the Federal Reserve to pay interest on reserve balances and to reduce required reserve ratios to as low as zero. However, these new authorities are not effective until October 2011. The Federal Reserve continues to recommend that the Congress eliminate the statutory prohibition against the payment of interest on demand deposits. This statutory provision provides incentives for the private sector to expend resources in a manner that is not productive for the economy as a whole.

Performance Measures

The performance of monetary policy in relation to evolving economic and financial circumstances will continue to be reviewed by the Congress in the context of the Board's semiannual monetary policy report and the accompanying testimony. It is recognized that monetary policy has only a partial and indirect influence on economic performance.

Return to contents

Supervision and Regulation Function

Goals

Safety and Soundness. Promote a safe, sound, competitive, and accessible banking system and stable financial markets

Consumer Protection. Develop regulations, policies, and programs designed to inform and protect consumers, to enforce federal consumer protection laws, to strengthen market competition, and to promote access to banking services in historically underserved markets

The safety and soundness goal will be attained through the following four objectives:

Promote overall financial stability, manage and contain systemic risk, and identify emerging financial problems early so that crises can be averted.
Provide a safe, sound, competitive, and accessible banking system through comprehensive and effective supervision of U.S. banks, bank and financial holding companies, foreign banking organizations, and related entities. At the same time, remain sensitive to the burden on supervised institutions.
Enhance efficiency and effectiveness, while remaining sensitive to the burden on supervised institutions, by addressing the supervision function's procedures, technology, resource allocation, and staffing issues.
Promote compliance by domestic and foreign banking organizations supervised by the Federal Reserve with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines through a comprehensive and effective supervision program.

The consumer protection goal will be attained through the following two objectives:

Be a leader in, and help shape the national dialogue on, consumer protection in financial services.
Promote, develop, and strengthen effective communications and collaborations within the Board, the Federal Reserve banks, and other agencies and organizations.

Objective 1

Promote overall financial stability, manage and contain systemic risk, and identify emerging financial problems early so that crises can be averted.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Continue to develop a regulatory framework that promotes a comprehensive and systematic approach to risk taking in banking.
Conduct and encourage effective contingency planning by financial institutions to respond to crises and shocks that could occur in the banking industry.
Maximize the cooperation, coordination, and flow of information with domestic and foreign supervisory authorities and among different functions within the Federal Reserve (macroeconomic, bank supervision, payment systems, and discount window functions) to address systemic risk posed by supervised organizations.

Discussion

Within its regulatory framework, the Federal Reserve will continue its efforts to ensure the stability and soundness of the banking system and financial markets by promoting sound domestic and international risk-management, accounting, disclosure, and auditing standards and overall market transparency.

The problems that occurred in the financial markets in 2007 served to re-emphasize the critical role that sound risk management and measurement practices play in promoting confidence in the financial system. Moreover, recent events have highlighted the need to ensure that the sophistication of risk management and measurement systems keep pace with financial product innovations.

In the coming year, the Federal Reserve and the other banking agencies will be looking at lessons that can be learned from recent experiences. This analysis will lead to appropriate changes in supervisory programs and guidance. In the interim, a number of important supervisory initiatives are already underway that will enhance supervisors' ability to better understand emerging risks.

One of the most critical achievements for the U.S. banking agencies in 2007 was issuance of the final rule for the Basel II capital accord. The Basel II rule will apply to the largest and most complex U.S. banking organizations. Implementation of Basel II is anticipated to improve the alignment of regulatory capital requirements with risk and foster continued improvement in risk management. The agencies also believe that the Basel II regulatory framework will be much better able than the Basel I rule to adapt to financial product innovations.

During 2008, the Supervision function and Reserve Bank staff will be working closely with the other U.S. banking agencies to oversee implementation of the Basel II rule as well as identifying possible areas of refinement during the transitional implementation phase. The agencies will also continue their work on a notice of proposed rulemaking for a standardized approach that would offer other banks the option to adopt some of the simpler approaches for credit and operational risk in Basel II.

In the coming year, Supervision function staff will continue to encourage high quality accounting standards and work with supervisory staff to promote reliable regulatory financial reports. Supervision function staff will encourage financial institutions to improve their public disclosure. Supervision function and supervisory staff will also be assessing the reliability of institutions' fair value estimates, including the assessment of market liquidity in valuation methodologies. To further improve the quality of institution public disclosures, Supervision function staff will support Reserve Bank supervision staff in addressing other accounting and corporate governance issues, such as the accounting of allowances for loan and lease losses. Another initiative for the coming year is the development of reporting requirements and interagency supervisory guidance on the Fair Value Option.

Objective 2

Provide a safe, sound, competitive, and accessible banking system through comprehensive and effective supervision of U.S. banks, bank and financial holding companies, foreign banking organizations, and related entities. At the same time, remain sensitive to the burden on supervised institutions.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Refine System processes designed to identify and assess risks within financial institutions and across portfolios of supervised institutions to respond to changes in the planning environment.
In the face of increasingly complex risks, enhance the supervision function's ability to adapt supervision programs to respond to shifting priorities and issues in the most timely, consistent, and effective manner.

Discussion

Continuing growth in the size and complexity of the structure and activities of many banking organizations exposes these firms to a wide array of potential risks, while at the same time making it more difficult for a single primary supervisory or functional regulator to have a complete view of firm-wide risks and controls.

The Federal Reserve, in its role as consolidated supervisor and in its interest in fostering financial stability, is continuing to refine and enhance its programs for the consolidated supervision of bank holding companies (BHCs) and the combined U.S. operations of foreign banking organizations (FBOs). An important initiative for the Supervision function in 2008 will be to continue its work on refining supervisory guidance for the consolidated supervision of BHCs and FBOs. The primary objectives of the guidance are to further specify areas of focus for consolidated supervision activities and thereby provide for consistent Federal Reserve supervisory practices and assessments across institutions with similar activities and risks.

The Board is under a statutory obligation to ensure that the individual Reserve Banks' supervisory operations are conducted in an effective and efficient manner. During the coming planning period, local and Board level oversight of supervisory operations across the System will be further strengthened through the increased use of off-site monitoring, performance metrics, and horizontal reviews across business lines and portfolios to provide in-depth analysis in support of our assessment of Reserve Bank performance.

In the coming year, the Supervision function will continue to actively participate in Basel Committee on Bank Supervision initiatives. Several of the Committee's ongoing initiatives will help address issues and risks arising from recent market events. For example, earlier in 2007, the Committee initiated a review of jurisdictions' approaches to supervising and regulating funding liquidity risk. This review will take into account lessons learned from recent market events, including how liquidity risk is assessed by banks and supervisors under stressed market conditions and the risks related to off-balance sheet exposures. Earlier this year, the Committee launched an initiative to assess the reliability and auditability of fair value estimates, including the assessment of market liquidity in valuation methodologies.

An assessment of the U.S. financial sector under the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) is scheduled to begin in mid-2009. The purpose of the FSAP, which is a voluntary program, is to strengthen the financial systems of member countries through early detection of vulnerabilities and the development of recommendations for addressing any vulnerabilities that are noted. Because of its nature, the FSAP review will encompass a number of U.S. oversight agencies and require extensive preparatory work.

Objective 3

Enhance efficiency and effectiveness, while remaining sensitive to the burden on supervised institutions, by addressing the supervision function's procedures, technology, resource allocation, and staffing issues.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Coordinate the use of examiners throughout the System to ensure that skill sets, schedules, and priorities of the staff at all Reserve Banks are aligned.
Use System resources as efficiently as possible.
Harness the benefits of technology in carrying out responsibilities to improve efficiency and consistency in the supervisory process so as to effectively manage the increased information needs as required. Seamlessly integrate technology into the supervisory business process.

Discussion

The industry's continued expansion into new activities calls for supervisory tools and staff that are capable of analyzing individual institutions and various types of risks. Examination staff must have the necessary authority, skills, and expertise to manage information and reach informed judgments.

Greater consistency and coordination in banking supervision ultimately rely on the ability to access, analyze, and share information in a timely and effective manner. Technological advances in processing information have brought continued improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of bank supervision. These efforts will need to continue, in light of recent laws and regulations that have new information-sharing requirements.

Objective 4

Promote compliance by domestic and foreign banking organizations supervised by the Federal Reserve with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines through a comprehensive and effective supervision program.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Enhance supervised institutions' understanding of relevant rules and regulations and provide education and other resources to help them better manage their legal and reputational risk.
Promote System efforts to develop and implement a risk-focused framework for assessing the overall compliance risk in supervised institutions.

Discussion

The evolution of the banking industry, the recent accounting-related scandals, the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the USA Patriot Act, and recent anti-money laundering cases have further raised concerns about compliance, governance, conflicts of interest, and reputation risks. Promoting greater understanding and awareness by financial institutions of compliance risk--the risk that a financial institution will be harmed by its failure to comply with laws and regulations, prudent ethical standards, or contractual obligations--while also conducting more intensive monitoring for adherence is an integral component of the supervision function's risk-focused framework.

Objective 5

Be a leader in, and help shape the national dialogue on, consumer protection in financial services.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Review select consumer regulations in light of financial industry changes and emerging issues. Modify regulations as necessary to ensure effective consumer protection, delete obsolete provisions, improve consumer disclosures, and respond to technological advances and market developments while remaining sensitive to responsibilities to balance consumer protection with industry burden.
As required by the Bankruptcy Act amendments, establish and maintain, for two years, a toll-free telephone number for small depository institutions offering credit cards that provides their customers a means to calculate the actual number of months to repay their outstanding balance if the consumer pays only the required minimum monthly payments and if no other advances are made.
Review the Board's policy regarding consumer compliance supervision of nonbank subsidiaries of bank and financial holding companies for compliance with consumer protection laws with particular attention to fair lending; make appropriate recommendation for change; and implement any changes agreed to by the Board.

Discussion

Financial institutions continue to develop innovative and fee-based products, such as subprime mortgages, stored-value cards, and bounced-check protection services and because of their structure, costs, and fees, many of these products present high risk in the consumer compliance arena. Additionally, the banking industry continues to highlight areas of regulatory burden and seek streamlining of regulations. At the same time, consumer advocates underscore consumer protection concerns, seeking new protections and urging that existing consumer protections be retained, enhanced, and more vigorously enforced.

Objective 6

Promote, develop, and strengthen effective communications and collaborations within the Board, the Federal Reserve Banks, and other agencies and organizations.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Build partnerships and sustain and strengthen relationships within the financial services industry: among Board members, state and federal regulators, consumer and community advocates, financial sector trade groups, researchers, and other interested parties through participation in meetings, seminars, and other appropriate outreach opportunities.
Address emerging consumer financial services issues with high quality research and analysis, responsive examination policies, revised or new regulations, timely industry guidance, and well-reasoned consumer education campaigns.
To highlight leadership on critical consumer protection and community development issues, devise communication strategies that respond to emerging financial services issues such as regulatory changes proposed for Regulation Z, new consumer protection guidance, and other policy proposals. Engage media relations and/or public relations experts to advise staff on effective communication mechanisms developed to meet the needs of key stakeholders.

Discussion

Surveys indicate that many consumers do not have an adequate understanding of financial matters. At the same time, consumers are increasingly faced with more sophisticated financial products, ranging from a wide array of complex mortgage products to credit cards with a variety of features that are not always clear or well-disclosed. Interagency involvement at the Federal level in rulewriting and policy development regarding consumer protection matters has increased, as has the role of the states in this arena, as reflected by the recent addition of the state supervisors to full Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council membership.

Environmental Factors

Economic performance. As always, the Board must be prepared for periodic economic downturns during which systemic risk and the number of financial institutions requiring more frequent and more intensive supervision increase.
Industry consolidation. The U.S. banking system will likely continue to evolve into a smaller number of large, complex banking organizations operating across wide geographic regions and numerous smaller institutions focusing on local communities or larger regions. Financial institutions are increasingly involved in the gamut of financial services, including banking, securities, and, to some extent, insurance, a development that will continue to present new challenges to the Federal Reserve.
Legislative, statutory, and regulatory initiatives. As the industry evolves, important regulatory and legislative developments will continue to emerge in response to industry trends or specific events. Today's largest and most complex banking organizations must implement sophisticated risk-management practices, strong internal controls, and sound corporate governance policies.

The nature of banking risks has become more complex, creating the need for more effective and more robust systems for identifying, measuring, monitoring, and controlling risk-taking. The New Basel Capital Accord, popularly known as Basel II, seeks to build on and advance emerging risk management techniques at large banking organizations and to provide incentives to improve risk management through greater reliance on internal risk measurement systems and on market discipline. Moreover, the USA Patriot Act of 2001, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the recent changes in the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act impose new requirements on the banking industry and highlight the importance of managing operational, legal, and other risks.

Finally, and importantly, the future role of the Federal Reserve in supervision is subject to ongoing debate. Treasury's Blue Print for Financial Regulatory Structure Reform would broaden the role of the Federal Reserve in promoting financial stability. On the other hand, the reform proposal has the potential to reduce the role of the Federal Reserve in the supervision of bank holding companies and banks. During the planning horizon, Federal Reserve leadership will consider its needs with respect to the supervision function, including the role needed to remain effective as a "lender of last resort."

Crisis preparedness. Since September 11, 2001, it has become critically clear that financial institutions must maintain a capacity to resume business after a crisis. Ensuring preparedness for a crisis will continue to be a priority for the supervision function, including the integration of homeland security policies into the function's own policies and procedures. In addition, the function continues to work with other agencies to set high standards for the business-resumption capabilities of regulated entities.
Pandemic preparedness has been an important area of focus for the U.S. banking agencies. In 2006, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council member agencies formed a Pandemic Working Group. The group has been working on several projects designed to help the agencies prepare for a pandemic event. In 2007, the agencies published guidance on planning to minimize the potential adverse effects of an influenza pandemic.
Technology. The rapid pace of technological innovation, especially in telecommunications and electronic data processing, continues to have a profound effect on the economy and on U.S. financial services. The harnessing of technology will be central in the development of new financial services and channels of distribution in the private sector. Technology will likely pose challenges in all of the Federal Reserve's policy areas, including supervision and regulation. Technological innovation will also create opportunities by providing tools to improve the Board's efficiency across organizational units and functions.
Economic and financial globalization. Individual economies are becoming more open, and links among the world's financial markets are becoming closer. These forces heighten the potential for economic shocks and systemic problems to move across national borders, in some circumstances with great speed. As a result, there will be pressure for greater international consistency of policies, regulations, guidelines, and supervisory procedures.
Innovation in the financial industry. The ongoing development of innovative financial products continues to present challenges for supervisors seeking to balance the positive economic benefits of financial market innovation while ensuring the stability of the financial system. Notably, risk management challenges are associated with the increasing complexity of financial instruments and trading strategies; the potential for market illiquidity to magnify the riskiness of these instruments and strategies; and the greater leverage that their use can entail.
Complexity, illiquidity, and embedded leverage also create challenges for supervisors with respect to the objectives of protecting investors and maintaining market integrity. As instruments and trading strategies become more complex and intertwined, even the most sophisticated investors will be challenged to make reliable judgments for their risk exposures. Likewise, complex and difficult-to-value financial instruments could be exploited as vehicles for profiting from insider trading or market manipulation.
The ongoing development by financial institutions of innovative and fee-based products, such as stored-value cards and bounced-check protection services, will continue to present challenges for rule-writing, compliance supervision, and other consumer protection-related efforts. Many of these products and their associated costs and fees, while not unlawful or otherwise regulated by federal law, may be subject to significant public complaint and criticism, placing increased pressure on the Board to take supervisory or regulatory action.

Regulatory burden. There will be continuing pressure on the Board from markets, banking and other financial institutions, the general public, and the Congress to reduce regulatory burden and improve efficiency. This has and will continue to require the streamlining of regulations and the automation and standardization of examination processes.

Performance Measures

Identify and resolve supervisory and financial problems in a timely manner, working alone or in cooperation with other authorities, to minimize disruptions to the financial and payment systems and the economy more generally.
Minimize net losses to the Bank Insurance Fund associated with state member banks consistent with trend data associated with prevailing economic conditions.
Complete financial institution examinations as required by statute and as dictated by review of supervisory data, experience, and an assessment of current risks to the financial industry.
Complete reports of examinations within established timeframes.
To the extent to which they are received by the Board, process applications within established timeframes.
Conduct consumer compliance and CRA examinations in accordance with Board and statutory requirements.
To the extent to which they are received by the Board, process consumer complaints in accordance with established timeframes.
Review and update various consumer regulations for which the Board has rule-writing authority.
Improve the accessibility of consumer information on banking products and services available in the market, such that consumers are better able to make informed choices.
Provide advisory services; conduct outreach; sponsor conferences to promote community development in underserved areas; and provide technical assistance that supports an ongoing dialogue with financial institutions, government agencies, and communities to address barriers and challenges to credit and capital access.
Improve understanding of effective practices in financial and consumer education through research and development of consumer education materials.

Return to contents

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

Goals

Oversight. Provide high-quality professional oversight of Reserve Banks

Policy. Foster the integrity, efficiency, and accessibility of U.S. payment and settlement systems

The oversight goal will be attained through the following objective:

Produce high-quality assessments and oversight of Federal Reserve System strategies, projects, and operations, including adoption of technology to meet the business and operational needs of the Federal Reserve. The oversight process and outputs should help Federal Reserve management foster and strengthen sound internal control systems, efficient and reliable operations, effective performance, and sound project management, and should assist the Board in the effective discharge of its oversight responsibilities.

The policy goal will be attained through the following objectives:

Develop sound, effective policies and regulations that foster payment system integrity, efficiency, and accessibility. Support and assist the Board in overseeing U.S. dollar payment and securities settlement systems by assessing their risks and risk management approaches against relevant policy objectives and standards.
Conduct research and analysis that contributes to policy development and increases the Board's and others' understanding of payment system dynamics and risk.

Objective 1

Produce high-quality assessments and oversight of Federal Reserve System strategies, projects, and operations, including adoption of technology to the business and operational needs of the Federal Reserve. The oversight process and outputs should help Federal Reserve management foster and strengthen sound internal control systems, efficient and reliable operations, effective performance, and sound project management, and also should assist the Board in the effective discharge of its oversight responsibilities.

The Board will continue efforts to integrate its approach to Reserve Bank oversight across individual programs, strengthen off-site monitoring capabilities, and focus attention primarily on strategic Federal Reserve District and System initiatives and key processes and controls.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Oversee strategic infrastructure projects, including Reserve Bank check restructuring and major Reserve Bank information technology initiatives.
Board staff will oversee the Reserve Banks' strategies to meet cost-recovery challenges and to sustain full cost recovery, including efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiency by restructuring their physical check processing infrastructure. Board staff also will continue to oversee the development of new applications to support the delivery of Reserve Bank financial and fiscal agency services, cash operations, and the implementation of information security services and projects to improve operational risk management.
Oversee and continue to evaluate opportunities for improvement in the enhanced COSO and information security policy, controls, and risk-management processes.

Board staff will monitor and evaluate the results of the external audit of the Reserve Banks' control assertions consistent with the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley. Additionally, Board staff will monitor the System's enterprise risk management activities. Staff will also continue to monitor the Reserve Banks' information security program, refinements to information systems governance, and compliance with the Federal Information Security Management Act, as applicable.

Co-lead System workgroup on implications for financial services and accounting of new statutory authority that will allow the payment of interest on reserve balances beginning in 2011.

Board staff will assess the implications for the financial services, accounting, and related programs of specific monetary policy options and develop proposals for these programs that help to address issues raised by potential changes in policy.

Objective 2

Develop sound, effective policies and regulations that foster payment system integrity, efficiency, and accessibility. Support and assist the Board in overseeing U.S. dollar payment and securities settlement systems by assessing their risks and risk management approaches against relevant policy objectives and standards.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Evaluate proposed revisions to the payments system risk policy related to daylight overdrafts. Issue a final revised policy, if appropriate.

Board staff issued for public comment in the first quarter of 2008 proposed revisions to the payments system risk policy and will analyze comments received. Board staff will recommend that the Board approve a final revised policy, if appropriate, and will collaborate with the Reserve Banks on related implementation matters.

Finalize regulations to implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Board staff will collaborate with the Legal Division to consider comments received and finalize regulations, jointly with U.S. Department of the Treasury, to implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Objective 3

Conduct research and analysis that contributes to policy development and increases the Board's and others' understanding of payment system dynamics and risk.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following action:

Study the use of retail payments and publish the results in a Federal Reserve Bulletin article

Board staff will conduct further analysis of data collected on the use of retail payments and publish the results in a Federal Reserve Bulletin article.

Environmental Factors

Technology. System architectures and applications are comprised of multiple hardware and software products, and the inter-operation of these products is increasingly complex to manage and operate. The Reserve Banks have adopted the strategy to move applications from mainframe to distributed environment. The reliability and security of those distributed applications and infrastructure will continue to improve as technology changes rapidly.
Electronic payment alternatives. In addition to existing electronic payment alternatives, continued market innovation and changes in payment preferences will result in new electronic payment methods and continued shift from paper to electronic payments.
Evolving Reserve Bank infrastructure. The Reserve Banks are continuing to restructure their operations to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of their financial services and support functions. These efforts will likely result in further consolidation of operations and reductions in staff.
Staffing. The Board must attract and retain qualified professional staff who have complex analytical skills and leading-edge technological skills to accomplish its oversight, policy development, and research-related activities. The Board also must explore creative training and development opportunities to better position staff to perform the complex quantitative and qualitative analyses required of them.

Performance Measures

Complete all scheduled Reserve Bank on-site reviews and annual Reserve Bank examinations and oversee the external audit of Reserve Bank financial statements each year, as required by the Federal Reserve Act.
Effect positive change within the Reserve Banks by raising issues regarding Reserve Bank operations, internal audit, or proposed or ongoing initiatives
Monitor and ensure the full collateralization of Federal Reserve notes as defined by the Federal Reserve Act.
Inform the Board (through its oversight committees) of important developments and issues in a timely and effectively manner.
Review thoroughly the proposed Reserve Bank budgets.
Assess the implications for the financial services, accounting, and related programs of specific monetary policy options and develop proposals for these programs that help to address issues raised by potential changes in policy.
Analyze comments received on proposed payments system risk policy changes.
Finalize regulations, jointly with U.S. Department of the Treasury, on the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act submitted to the Congress.
Publish the analyses on the use of retail payments in a Federal Reserve Bulletin article.
Respond timely to requests for policy interpretations, deviations, and exception requests from the Reserve Banks.

Return to contents

Internal Board Support

Goal

Foster the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of Board programs

This goal will be attained through the following six objectives:

Develop appropriate policies, oversight mechanisms, and measurement criteria to ensure that the recruiting, training, and retention of staff meet Board needs.
Establish, encourage, and enforce a climate of fair and equitable treatment for all employees regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, age, or sex.
Provide strategic planning and financial management support needed for sound business decisions.
Provide cost-effective and secure information resource management services to Board divisions, support divisional distributed-processing requirements, and provide analysis on information technology issues to the Board, Reserve Banks, other financial regulatory institutions, and central banks.
Efficiently provide safe, modern, secure facilities and necessary support for activities conducive to efficient and effective Board operations.

Objective 1

Develop appropriate policies, oversight mechanisms, and measurement criteria to ensure that the recruiting, training, and retention of staff meet Board needs.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Ensure that the Board's compensation systems continue to attract qualified staff and reward and motivate employees as desired.
Ensure that appropriate processes exist to facilitate development of a Boardwide succession plan that minimizes disruption and maximizes knowledge transfer.
Use data, such as turnover data, exit interviews, and hiring data, and other relevant input to gauge the effectiveness of management actions.

Discussion

Effective management of human resources is one of the most critical tasks facing the Board through the planning period. Changing requirements associated with technology, communications, demographics, employee needs and expectations, performance measurement, and market rates of pay are among the factors that will cause the Board to focus more carefully on steps to attract, retain, and train staff to meet increasingly complex requirements.

Objective 2

Establish, encourage, and enforce a climate of fair and equitable treatment for all employees regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, age, or sex.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Develop, implement, and ensure compliance with policies, practices, and procedures that foster fair and equitable treatment of all staff.
Monitor Board EEO training and awareness activities (including disability and sexual harassment awareness training and EEO training for officers, managers, and supervisors) and career development, recruitment, outreach, and intern programs.
Support special interest groups and sponsor ongoing programs and awareness activities.

Discussion

The Board of Governors is committed to the hiring, development, compensation, and promotion of staff based on an individual's qualifications, abilities, and job performance. The policy of the Board is to promote equal opportunity in every aspect of employment.

The Board's policies and practices address the issue of equal treatment of all employees in employment practices and hiring initiatives and include targeted initiatives for women, people of color, and those with disabilities. The Board emphasizes that equal employment opportunity is part of effective management, as well as a legal requirement, because it focuses on using the talents of all human capital. The Board's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program Director continually reviews the criteria for measuring success in accomplishing the Board's EEO objectives; validates Board practices, programs, and procedures against those objectives; and continuously monitors results and discusses issues with division directors and their oversight committees, and with employees, in order to establish and maintain an equitable and fair environment in which all employees have the opportunity to attain their full potential.

Objective 3

Provide strategic planning and financial management support needed for sound business decisions.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

In cooperation with individual divisions, review, evaluate, and revise as needed the Board's objectives and goals developed during the 2006–07 planning process to prepare for the future.
Provide management with information, data, and procedures to facilitate planning, budgeting, financial decision making, and procurement of goods and services, resulting in effective and efficient Board operations.
Manage the Board's financial resources in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Implement the COSO framework for internal controls over financial reporting.
Contract for an outside audit of the Board's financial statements and for a future attestation of internal controls over financial reporting.
Ensure compliance with laws and regulations, minimizing potential for waste, fraud, and mismanagement.

Discussion

The Board's financial management system must continue to provide high-quality, timely data that managers need in order to make decisions between competing priorities, operational procedures, and investments. The current budget and accounting systems are closely linked to one another and to payroll and benefits, information technology, and procurement systems that generate critical data. These data must be timely and easily available to all managers. Further, these data must provide information about the costs of major Board programs, such as monetary policy, for decision-making by the Board as well as for performance measurement. The Management Division provides regular analyses of the information to the Board and its managers.

Unlike the budgets of most other government agencies, the Board's budget is not subject to the congressional appropriations process or to review by the administration through the Office of Management and Budget. The Board, like the framers of the Federal Reserve Act, considers the continuance of its budgetary independence directly relevant to the Board's independence in managing monetary policy. The Board demonstrates effective and efficient use of its financial resources by establishing budget formulation procedures, conducting strategic planning to identify changes to its critical activities and the proper amount and allocation of resources to support its mission, approving its budget, and providing various reports and budget testimony to the Congress.

Objective 4

Provide cost-effective and secure information resource management services to Board divisions, support divisional distributed-processing requirements, and provide analysis on information technology issues to the Board, the Reserve Banks, other financial regulatory institutions, and central banks.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Customer Projects. Staff will provide timely, quality support for customer projects.
Infrastructure Projects. The Board will make investments in the automation infrastructure to include projects such as information security, disaster recovery, technical training programs, and e-mail and Internet services.

Discussion

Changes in technology have significantly altered the issues facing the Board in the monetary policy and supervision and regulation areas. Fortunately, the very advances in technology that have caused these adjustments have also enhanced our ability to conduct real-time surveillance. Nevertheless, obtaining the benefits from technology requires ongoing investment in a mix of mainframe and distributed-processing equipment; communications capability, including appropriate bandwidth; and a well-trained and motivated staff. Investments in human capital and technology must be made carefully to ensure that the results are timely and effective. The infrastructure for maintaining these investments must be efficient and effective in meeting the diverse needs of the organization. The infrastructure must provide security for data, software, and communications and the redundancy needed for rapid recovery of operations at other facilities. Finally, the work at the Board must be carefully synchronized and coordinated with that at the Reserve Banks and frequently with other agencies, particularly in support of large databases and software required for the supervision and regulation function.

Objective 5

Efficiently provide safe, modern, secure facilities and necessary support for activities conducive to efficient and effective Board operations.

This objective will be pursued in part through the following actions:

Continue to provide a work environment that is safe and conducive to the high level of productivity that is necessary for Board staff to accomplish assigned tasks.
Provide and protect a safe and secure environment for staff and others on Board property.
Train staff to recognize security problems and be able to evacuate or move to safe havens as necessary.
Establish and provision relocation sites.

Discussion

The Board will continue to maintain the infrastructure (including electrical, plumbing, and safety infrastructure) of its current facilities and physical plant. Employee safety, continuity of operations, and enhancement of facilities security will remain key priorities.

Environmental Factors

Staffing. At a time when a significant portion of the Board staff is, or will soon be, eligible to retire, the labor markets for key job families are become much more competitive, challenging our compensation and benefits programs and our ability to attract qualified candidates for our positions. Technology continues to change, and with it the requirements and job content of many positions, resulting in increasing needs for staff training. Increased costs for salaries and benefits are only partially offset by improved productivity resulting from automation. These changes are resulting in continued pressure to find more-efficient ways to perform operations and to eliminate lower-priority work.
Security. The safety and security of Board staff and facilities is of paramount concern. Actions necessary to mitigate security threats, particularly to harden facilities and provision multiple relocation sites to support continuity-of-operations plans, will continue to require significant resources.
Leadership. With significant changes in the scope and complexity of the Board's mission, developing and maintaining leaders of the organization is critical. The Board is spending significant time and resources to ensure that current and future leadership is capable of meeting challenges.

Performance Measures

Continually review the Board's compensation program and implement any desired changes.
Develop qualified and diverse pools of internal and external candidates for all position postings.
Provide appropriate feedback to division directors and oversight committees via periodic management reports.
Enhance management accountability for EEO, diversity, and inclusion strategy execution.
Maintain budgetary independence.
Receive an unqualified opinion for the Board's annual financial audit, and the accompanying reviews of internal controls and compliance with laws and regulations.
Enhance Boardwide physical security to protect Board resources
Reduce the threat of disruption to operations, and improve our capacity for disaster recovery to reduce the time needed to resume normal operations.

Return to contents

Disseminating Goals and Objectives and Holding Managers Accountable for Results

Five standing committees, each made up of up to three Board members, administer the activities of the Federal Reserve Board. These committees include the Committee on Consumer and Community Affairs; the Committee on Economic Affairs; the Committee on Federal Reserve Bank Affairs; the Committee on Supervisory and Regulatory Affairs; and the Committee on Board Affairs. These standing committees, in cooperation with the division directors, determine any adjustments to strategic goals and review and adjust priorities to help establish resource levels. The Committee on Board Affairs oversees the planning and budget process, which includes preparation of the Board's Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) materials.

The Board's goals and objectives are communicated to the staff by division directors and by the strategic plan. Managers and the staff are held accountable for meeting the objectives that support these goals through the Board's performance management program, which ties base compensation and a modest amount of variable pay to achievement of specific objectives. The Board's goals and objectives are also posted on the Board's public and internal web sites where the strategic plan is posted for employees.

The Board maintains vigorous public affairs and publications programs to assist the public in understanding the actions, regulations, and rules of the Board. It also disseminates a large number of educational materials, many dealing with consumer affairs issues, to assist the public. Increased emphasis on e-government and the electronic availability of data and reports has led to changes in the Board's distribution of information. Electronic distribution of Board materials, via the Board's public web site, helps ensure the efficient dissemination of this information to the public on a timely basis.

The Board voluntarily complies with the GPRA and distributes the resulting reports, including its Strategic Plan, Performance Plan, and Performance Report, via its public web site under "Annual Reports to the Congress".

Return to contents

Program Evaluations

The activities of the Board are critical to the economic well-being of the country. The Federal Reserve affects the lives of American citizens through its monetary policy actions, supervision and regulation activities, consumer affairs regulation, and payment systems policies and oversight activities. These effects are significant, ongoing, and highly visible. It is essential that the analyses performed by the staff to influence policy decisions be reviewed at later dates to determine whether the desired effect was achieved and if the benefits of the activity outweighed its costs. The effectiveness of Board programs is subject to review by the Office of Inspector General, which provides copies of its reports to the Congress. Many functions of the Board are also subject to review by the General Accounting Office.

Monetary Policy Function

The Federal Reserve's conduct of monetary policy is evaluated frequently through a number of means. First, the Federal Reserve Act, as amended, requires the Board of Governors to report to the Congress semiannually on the conduct of monetary policy. The Chairman of the Board of Governors presents testimony to Senate and House committees on these reports. More generally, Federal Reserve policymakers testify frequently before congressional committees on monetary policy and other Federal Reserve responsibilities, and from time to time congressional hearings include evaluations of monetary policy by academic and other experts from outside the Federal Reserve. As a matter of critical national importance, national and business newspapers and magazines report on and analyze monetary policy decisions and their effects on a daily basis.

Supervision and Regulation Function

As part of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991, the Inspector General of the Federal Reserve is required to review any failure of a state member bank that results in a material loss to the Bank Insurance Fund. The purposes of this review are to identify the cause of the failure, to determine whether supervision was in accordance with policy standards, and, if so, to determine whether policies and standards are in need of revision.

The effectiveness of the consumer protection function is also subject to review by the Office of Inspector General. In addition, a system of metrics is being developed to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the consumer compliance and complaint processes.

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

The effectiveness of the Payment System Policy and Oversight function is subject to review by the Office of Inspector General and the General Accounting Office. In addition, the effectiveness of this function is evaluated on the basis of feedback received from the Reserve Banks, the financial industry, the Congress, and others and the extent to which staff's research is accepted and cited by others. Another factor in evaluating the effectiveness of this function is the extent to which the staff brings to the attention of the Board members issues that may hamper the Reserve Banks' ability to comply with the Monetary Control Act.

Internal Board Support

The effectiveness of Board support programs is subject to review by various management sources. Financial operations are reviewed annually by an outside independent auditor. Information technology activities are subject to competitive pressures because operating divisions may use allocated resources to purchase support from the Division of Information Technology or outside vendors, or may provide the support themselves. Human resource operations are evaluated by management on the basis of the ability of the operating divisions to attract and retain the high-quality staff required for Board operations. All of these activities are subject to review by the Office of Inspector General.

Return to contents

Interagency Coordination of Cross-Cutting Issues

While many aspects of the Board's mission are unique to the organization, the Board does not operate in a vacuum. To coordinate its activities, the staff works closely with a wide variety of organizations and individuals on a daily basis. Regular meetings with senior officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other executive branch agencies help ensure consistency of purpose and coordination of actions. One area of the Board's mission, supervision and regulation of financial institutions, is shared with other regulatory agencies. As required by the GPRA and in conformance with past practice, the Board works closely with other federal agencies to consider plans and strategies for programs, such as bank supervision, that transcend the jurisdiction of any one agency. Coordination of activities with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other agencies is evident throughout both the strategic and performance plans.

Given the degree of similarity in missions and the existence of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), the most formal effort has occurred with the other depository institution regulatory agencies (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Office of Thrift Supervision). The FFIEC promotes uniformity in the supervision of financial institutions by the five federal regulatory agencies. It was established in 1979 pursuant to title X of the Financial Institutions Regulatory and Interest Rate Control Act of 1978. It is a formal interagency body empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions and to make recommendations to promote uniformity in the supervision of financial institutions. In addition, the FFIEC provides uniform examiner training and has taken a lead in developing standardized software needed for major data collection programs to support the requirements of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). These actions have eliminated redundancy and lowered costs and, in the case of the HMDA and the CRA, have significantly lowered compliance costs while enhancing public access to the data.

In connection with the GPRA, a coordinating committee of the depository institution regulatory agencies was created to address and report on issues of mutual concern. The interagency working group has been meeting since June 1997 to work on issues related to those general goals and objectives that cross agency functions, programs, and activities. The results of the interagency coordination, whether effected through the FFIEC, the coordinating group, or interaction between staff, have been positive and have yielded better plans, creating substantial benefits to the public.

Stakeholder Consulations

The goals and objectives of the Board have been developed keeping in mind feedback regularly received from the public, the Congress, industry groups, federal and state regulators, academics, and others. The Board relies heavily on advisory and working committees to provide input on a wide variety of issues. These committees include the Federal Advisory Council, which provides input on economic and banking matters; the Consumer Advisory Council, which provides input on consumer protection matters; the Thrift Institutions Advisory Council, which provides input on the needs and problems of thrift institutions; and Federal Reserve Bank advisory committees, which provide advice to Reserve Banks on agriculture and small business matters. The Board also consults regularly with a variety of banking and financial services industry groups. Strategic initiatives are developed and implemented in close coordination with other federal and state banking regulatory agencies through participation in the FFIEC and with state banking regulators through regular consultations.

Return to contents

Appendix 1

The Federal Reserve System: The Nation's Central Bank

The Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States, established by the Congress to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. Over the years, its role in banking and the economy has expanded, and today the Federal Reserve's duties fall into five general areas.

Conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing money and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment and stable prices
Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking system, maintaining the stability of the financial system, and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets
Protecting the credit rights of consumers, and encouraging banks to meet the credit needs of consumers, including those in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods
Playing a major role in operating the nation's payment systems
Providing certain financial services to the U.S. government, the public, financial institutions, and foreign official institutions

The Federal Reserve System was created by passage of the Federal Reserve Act, which President Woodrow Wilson signed into law on December 23, 1913. The act stated that its purposes were "to provide for the establishment of Federal reserve banks, to furnish an elastic currency, to afford means of rediscounting commercial paper, to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States, and for other purposes."

Soon after the creation of the Federal Reserve, it became clear that the act had broader implications for national economic and financial policy. As time has passed, further legislation has clarified and supplemented the original purposes. Key laws affecting the Federal Reserve have been the Banking Act of 1935; the Employment Act of 1946; the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 and the amendments of 1970; the International Banking Act of 1978; the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978; the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980; the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991; the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999; and the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act of 2003. The Congress defined the primary objectives of national economic policy in the Employment Act of 1946, in an amendment to the Federal Reserve Act in 1977, and in the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 978, which is sometimes called the Humphrey-Hawkins Act after its original sponsors. These objectives include economic growth in line with the economy's potential to expand; a high level of employment; stable prices (that is, stability in the purchasing power of the dollar); and moderate long-term interest rates. Major financial services reform legislation, incorporated in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, reflects changes in the nature of the industry and the economy in general. Both the legislation and the underlying changes that had been occurring will continue to have a significant effect on the operations and workload of the Federal Reserve.

Since the late 1960s, the number of federal laws intended to protect consumers in credit and other financial transactions has been growing. The Congress has assigned to the Federal Reserve the duty of implementing these laws to ensure that consumers receive comprehensive information and fair treatment. Thus, consumer protection laws such as the 1968 Truth in Lending Act, the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, the Expedited Funds Availability Act of 1987, the Truth in Savings Act of 1991, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, and others have given the Federal Reserve rule-writing, compliance, and consumer education responsibilities.

The Federal Reserve System is an independent central bank, but only in the sense that its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive branch of government. The entire System is subject to oversight by the Congress because the Constitution gives to the Congress the power to coin money and set its value--and that power was delegated to the Federal Reserve by the Federal Reserve Act. The Federal Reserve must work within the framework of the overall objectives of economic and financial policy established by the government; therefore, the description of the System as "independent within the government" is more accurate than "independent."

Board of Governors

The Board of Governors is composed of seven members appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The full term of a Board member is fourteen years; the appointments are staggered so that one term expires on January 31 of each even-numbered year. The Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Board are also appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The nominees to these posts must already be members of the Board or must be simultaneously appointed to the Board. The terms for these positions are four years.

Structure of the System

The Federal Reserve System was structured by the Congress to give it a broad perspective on the economy and on economic activity in all parts of the nation. It is a federal system, composed of the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks located throughout the nation. These components share responsibility for supervising and regulating certain financial institutions and activities, for providing banking services to depository institutions and the federal government, and for ensuring that consumers receive adequate information and fair treatment in their business with the banking system.

A major component of the System is the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which is made up of the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and presidents of four other Federal Reserve Banks, who serve on a rotating basis. The FOMC is charged under law with overseeing open market operations, the principal tool of monetary policy. The FOMC also directs operations undertaken by the Federal Reserve in foreign exchange markets.

Return to contents

Appendix 2

Management Issues

The latest strategic planning exercise did not identify material changes in the mission or goals of the Board. There was a strengthening of programs for managing and developing human capital as workload demands increase, and emphasis on information security and dissemination was increased.

Because of the complexity, scope, and volume of the Board's responsibilities, a highly qualified and trained staff is necessary to accomplish its mission. The Board has developed programs to provide the salary and benefits needed to compete in the market for a diverse, highly skilled workforce as well as training programs to maintain skills necessary in a dynamic, financial, and regulatory environment. The Board also requires the ability to gather, store, retrieve, and analyze large quantities of complex economic and financial data. Doing these things requires modern automation and telecommunications capabilities and a supporting infrastructure. The Board emphasizes the need to ensure that appropriate resources are devoted to maintain this infrastructure.

The Board is organized along division lines; each division with specific functions. The divisions conducting the basic programs and activities of the Board are described below:

Monetary Policy Function

The Division of Research and Statistics

develops and presents economic and financial data to the Board, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and other System officials as background for the formulation and conduct of monetary, regulatory, and supervisory policies; and
fosters a broader understanding of issues relating to economic policy by providing leadership in economic and statistical research and by supplying data and analyses for public release.
Note: Those portions of this division that focus on microeconomic policy support the Supervision and Regulation function.

The Division of Monetary Affairs

supports the Board and the FOMC in the formulation of monetary policy and its implementation through open market operations, the discount window, and reserve requirements.

The Division of International Finance

provides the Board, the FOMC, and other System officials with assessments of current and prospective international, economic, and financial developments;
evaluates and forecasts major economic and financial developments abroad, developments in foreign exchange and other international asset markets, and U.S. international transactions; and
prepares economic data and analyses for public release.

Supervision and Regulation Function

The Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation

informs the Board of current and prospective developments in bank supervision and banking structure,
coordinates the System's bank supervision and examination activities,
processes applications required to form or expand bank holding companies or make other changes in banking structure, and
administers certain regulations.

The Division of Consumer and Community Affairs

provides support needed for the Board to accomplish its federal consumer protection responsibilities.

The Legal Division

provides legal advice and services to the Board to meet its responsibilities under bank supervisory statutes and regulations.
Note: This division supports Supervision and Regulation, Monetary Policy, and overhead.

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

The Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems

oversees the efficiency and effectiveness of, and the adequacy of controls over, Reserve Bank financial services; Reserve Bank fiscal agency services; and certain significant Reserve Bank support functions, such as information technology, human resources, financial and cost accounting, operating and capital budgets, facilities management, and internal audit; and
develops and recommends to the Board policies and regulations that foster the efficiency and integrity of the U.S. payment system, and works collaboratively with other central banks and international organizations to improve the payment system more broadly.

Return to contents

Government Performance and Results Act Strategic Planning Document 2008-2011

Introduction

Mission

Values

Goals

Achievements of Goals and Objectives

Background

Planning Considerations

Strategic Planning and the Budgeting Process

Planning Background

Monetary Policy Function

Goal

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Objective 4

Objective 5

Environmental Factors

Legislative Changes

Performance Measures

Supervision and Regulation Function

Goals

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Objective 4

Objective 5

Objective 6

Environmental Factors

Performance Measures

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

Goals

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Environmental Factors

Performance Measures

Internal Board Support

Goal

Objective 1

Objective 2

Objective 3

Objective 4

Objective 5

Environmental Factors

Performance Measures

Disseminating Goals and Objectives and Holding Managers Accountable for Results

Program Evaluations

Monetary Policy Function

Supervision and Regulation Function

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

Internal Board Support

Interagency Coordination of Cross-Cutting Issues

Stakeholder Consulations

Appendix 1

The Federal Reserve System: The Nation's Central Bank

Board of Governors

Structure of the System

Appendix 2

Management Issues

Monetary Policy Function

Supervision and Regulation Function

Payment System Policy and Oversight Function

Government Performance and Results Act
Strategic Planning Document 2008-2011