FTC at 100
Commission looks inward
Approaching the century mark, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a self-assessment to measure how well it has carried out the destiny foreseen by Congress when the agency was established in 1914.

"There is no substitute for the agency's own sustained efforts to get things right," FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic said at a conference in July. He said the self-assessment will help the commission determine how "to continue the valuable work that the agency performs today," and what steps the commission must take to do better in the future.

The assessment will focus on six questions:

   1. When we ask ourselves how well the FTC is carrying out its responsibilities, by what criteria should we assess its work?
   2. By what techniques should we measure the agency's success in meeting the normative criteria by which we determine whether the agency is performing well?
   3. What resources—personnel, facilities, equipment—will the FTC need to perform its duties in the future?
   4. What methods should the FTC use to select its strategy for exercising its powers?
   5. How can the FTC strengthen its processes for implementing its programs?
   6. How can the FTC better fulfill its duties by improving links with other government bodies and nongovernmental organizations?

Public feedback will help shape the assessment. The commission is holding a series of roundtable events to garner input. The FTC also invites comments via online forum: http://ftcblog.gov/ftcat100/.

Upcoming public roundtables:
Brussels (October 21, 2008)
Paris (October 24, 2008)
New York (October 24, 2008)
Boston (October 2008)
For more information, go to www.ftc.gov/ftc/workshops/ftc100/

Save the date!
Chairman Kovacic will headline the IAPP Privacy Dinner in Washington, DC on December 9. iapp.org.