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CFTC Organizational Programs


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Below are brief descriptions of the organizational programs within the CFTC.

The Commission

The Offices of the Chairman and the Commissioners provide executive direction and leadership to the Commission. The Offices of the Chairman include Public Affairs and Legislative Affairs.

Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

The OGC provides legal services and support to the Commission and all of its programs. These services include: 1) engaging in defensive, appellate, and amicus curiae litigation; 2) assisting the Commission in the performance of its adjudicatory functions; 3) providing legal advice and support for Commission programs; 4) drafting and assisting other program areas in preparing Commission regulations; 5) interpreting the CEA; and 6) providing advice on legislative and regulatory issues.

Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

The OIG is an independent organizational unit at the CFTC. The mission of the OIG is to detect waste, fraud, and abuse and to promote integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the CFTC's programs and operations. As such it has the ability to review all of the Commission's programs, activities, and records. In accordance with the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, the OIG issues semiannual reports detailing its activities, findings, and recommendations.

Office of the Executive Director (OED)

The Commission's ability to achieve its mission of protecting the public, derivative market participants, U.S. economy, and the U.S. position in global markets is driven by well-informed and reasoned executive direction; strong and focused management; and an efficiently-resourced, dedicated, and productive workforce. These attributes of an effective organization combine to lead and support the critical work of the Commission to provide sound regulatory oversight and enforcement programs for the U.S. public. The Executive Director ensures the Commission's continued success, continuity of operations, and adaptation to the ever-changing markets it is charged with regulating; directs the effective and efficient allocation of CFTC resources; develops and implements management and administrative policy; and ensures program performance is measured and tracked Commission-wide. The OED includes the following programs: Business Management and Planning, Counsel to the Executive Director, Financial Management, Human Resources, Secretariat, Diversity and Inclusion, Whistleblower, and Consumer Outreach.

Division of Market Oversight (DMO)

The DMO program fosters markets that accurately reflect the forces of supply and demand for the underlying commodities and are free of disruptive activity. To achieve this goal, program staff oversee trade execution facilities, perform market and trade practice surveillance, review new exchange applications, and examine existing exchanges to ensure their compliance with the applicable core principles. Other important work includes evaluating new products to ensure they are not susceptible to manipulation, and reviewing exchange rules and actions to ensure compliance with the CEA and CFTC regulations.

Division of Clearing and Risk (DCR)

The DCR program oversees derivatives clearing organizations (DCOs) and other market participants that may pose risk to the clearing process, including futures commission merchants (FCMs), SDs, major swap participants (MSPs), and large traders; and the clearing of futures, options on futures, and swaps by DCOs. The DCR staff prepare proposed regulations, orders, guidelines, and other regulatory work products on issues pertaining to DCOs; review DCO applications and rule submissions, and make recommendations to the Commission; make determinations and recommendations to the Commission to which types of swaps should be cleared; make determinations and recommendations to the Commission as to the initial eligibility or continuing qualification of a DCO to clear swaps; assess compliance by DCOs with the CEA and Commission regulations, including examining systemically important DCOs (SIDCOs) at least once a year; and conduct risk assessment and financial surveillance through the use of risk assessment tools, including automated systems to gather and analyze financial information to identify, quantify, and monitor the risks posed by DCOs, clearing members, and market participants and their financial impact.

Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (DSIO)

The DSIO program oversees the registration and compliance activities of intermediaries and the futures industry self-regulatory organizations (SROs), which include the U.S. derivatives exchanges and the National Futures Association (NFA). Program staff develop regulations concerning registration, fitness, financial adequacy, sales practices, protection of customer funds, cross-border transactions, and anti-money laundering programs, as well as policies for coordination with foreign market authorities and emergency procedures to address market-related events that impact intermediaries. With the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act, DSIO also will be responsible for the development of, or monitoring for compliance with, regulations addressing registration requirements, business conduct standards, capital adequacy, and margin requirements for SDs and MSPs.

Division of Enforcement (DOE)

The DOE program investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the CEA and Commission regulations. For example, the Division brings enforcement actions against individuals and firms registered with the Commission; those who violate these laws in connection with their trading commodity futures and options, and swaps, on designated domestic exchanges and other registered entities; those who improperly market futures and options contracts to retail investors or perpetrate Ponzi schemes; those who use manipulative or deceptive schemes in connection with commodities, futures or swaps; and those who engage in disruptive trading practices.

Office of the Chief Economist (OCE)

The OCE provides economic support and advice to the Commission, conducts research on policy issues facing the Commission, and educates and trains Commission staff. The OCE plays an integral role in the implementation of new financial market regulations by providing economic expertise and cost-benefit considerations underlying those regulations.

Office of Data and Technology (ODT)

The ODT provides technology and data management support for Commission market and financial oversight, surveillance, enforcement, legal support, and public transparency activities. The Commission's over-arching information technology (IT) strategy is to increase the integration of IT into the Commission's operating model. That strategy is followed by giving priority to services that provide the greatest mission benefit; architecting services using small components that can be assembled and reassembled with agility; and delivering solutions in short, iterative phases. ODT ensures that data is managed as an enterprise asset and aggressively promotes and adopts industry data standards. ODT also provides secure and stable network, communication, storage, computing, and information management infrastructure and services.

Office of International Affairs (OIA)

The OIA advises the Commission regarding international regulatory initiatives; provides guidance regarding international issues raised in Commission matters; represents the Commission in international organizations, such as International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO); coordinates Commission policy as it relates to policies and initiatives of major foreign jurisdictions, the G-20, the Financial Stability Board (FSB), and the U.S. Treasury Department; and provides technical assistance to foreign market authorities.

 

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