The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in the US has launched a public consultation on proposed goals and objectives for its strategic plan covering 2026–30.
The plan acts as a road map for the PCAOB’s work and underpins the development of its annual budget.
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It is intended to align the PCAOB’s programmes, operations and activities with its mission to safeguard investors and serve the public interest through the preparation of “informative, accurate and independent” audit reports, the audit oversight board said in a statement.
PCAOB chairman Demetrios Logothetis said: “The PCAOB’s strategic priorities, goals and objectives represent a unified approach to strengthening our investor-protection mission and guiding our work across the organisation.
“Receiving stakeholder feedback at this stage will help ensure that our final 2026–2030 Strategic Plan is both ambitious and practical – one that advances audit quality, enhances transparency and positions the PCAOB to meet the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly evolving environment not only over the next five years but well into the future.”
On 31 March, the board initially invited views from the public on what its strategic priorities should be.
Those responses, together with input from specialists serving in the PCAOB’s advisory groups, shaped the current draft.
The PCAOB identified three mutually reinforcing priorities: advancing audit quality and investor protection; clarifying expectations and the bases for its decisions so that outcomes are more easily understood; and transforming the way oversight is delivered.
The board is now seeking comments on six draft strategic goals and related objectives for the 2026–30 plan.
The first two goals focus on updating core regulatory processes. These initiatives aim to modernise standard setting and implementation as well as the inspections and registration programmes.
The next two goals prioritise direct action and communication. The objectives are to sharpen enforcement focus on conduct harmful to investors and deepen stakeholder engagement and communication.
The organisation also plans to modernise oversight through technology and data, and strengthen organisational effectiveness and stewardship.
Further stakeholder input will be used to refine these goals before the final strategy is approved later this year alongside the PCAOB’s fiscal year 2027 budget.
Comments on the draft goals and objectives must be submitted to the PCAOB by 4 September 2026 and may be sent by email or postal mail.
