FMC Issues Final Performance Plan for FY 2005

FMC Mission to Ensure its Oversight Activities Produce Competitive Ocean Trade

Regarding its mission, the FMC states that it is imperative for the FMC to ensure that its oversight activities produce a competitive trading environment in U.S. ocean commerce that is in harmony with and responsive to international shipping practices, and permits fair and open commerce. The FMC notes that its actions must also encourage the development of a sound U.S.-flag liner fleet.

FMC Identifies Five Strategic Goals

In its plan, the FMC identifies the following as its five strategic goals:

Efficient regulatory process. According to the FMC, the primary intention of this goal is to minimize regulatory costs by maintaining timely and decisive regulatory processes, and providing various dispute resolution services.

Compliance. The FMC states that it will address this goal particularly by (1) interacting with all sectors of the industry, and by vigilant monitoring of ongoing commercial activities, (2) increasing industry compliance in order to enable stakeholders to concentrate on fair and legal means of enhancing operational efficiency, secure in the knowledge that competitors are not engaging in widespread illegal actions aimed at improving short-term profits, (3) focusing on the qualifications of intermediaries operating in the U.S. trades in order to afford greater protection to the FMC's stakeholders and contribute to national maritime security, and (4) protecting cruise passengers through the demonstration of financial responsibility by passenger vessel operators.

Balanced enforcement. The FMC states that this goal is a direct link to the FMC mission statement's call for an efficient, secure, competitive, market-driven ocean transportation system. The FMC's continuing efforts to address the actions of foreign governments that adversely affect U.S. interests and the U.S. foreign trade comport with that aspect of the FMC's mission aimed at creating an environment "free of unfair foreign maritime trade practices." According to the FMC, its focus on commercial malpractices enhances its objective of limiting unlawful activities.

Technological efficiencies. According to the FMC, this goal focuses on making effective use of advancements in information technology (IT) to improve the efficiency of FMC operations and enhance the FMC's exchange of information with external parties.

Management capabilities. This goal addresses the FMC's management and operations, and indicates that it is essential that the FMC manage for results, and that it effectively ties its budget needs to its performance.

FMC Identifies Specific Performance Goals in Order to Achieve its Strategic Goals

The FMC states that specific means have been identified to enable the FMC to achieve its strategic goals in the most cost-efficient and least disruptive manner possible. The FMC identifies these performance goals as follows (partial list):

Maritime security - develop additional relationships with other agencies with responsibilities related to maritime security, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and intelligence agencies;

OTI rules - evaluate ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) rules and suggest changes, if necessary, to address industry and FMC concerns;

Service contracts - enhance the reliability and efficiency of the confidential Service Contract Filing System (SERVCON) by ensuring that filers use proper electronic service contract document file names to identify each service contract submission; and

Internal agreement database - by June 30, 2005, redesign internal agreement database to enable more efficient oversight of agreement activities.

FMC final annual performance plan for FY 2005 (dated February 2004) available at http://www.fmc.gov/Dockets/An%20Perf%20Plan%20Final%20FY05.htm