USPTO Performance and Accountability Report - U.S. Patent and ...

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Performance Goals and Results
Introduction to Performance
In FY 2010, the USPTO issued its 2010-2015 Strategic
Plan, which recognizes that innovation has become
the principal driver of our modern economy by stimulating
economic growth and creating high-paying
jobs. America’s innovators rely on the U.S. patent and
trademark systems to secure investment capital and
to bring their products and services to the marketplace
as soon as possible. Therefore, it is critical for
America’s innovators to have a well-run USPTO.
Strategic Planning Performance Framework
The USPTO’s mission is to foster innovation and competitiveness
by providing high quality and timely examination
of patent and trademark applications, guiding
domestic and international intellectual property
policy, and protecting intellectual property rights.
The USPTO 2010-2015 Strategic Plan (www.uspto.gov/
about/stratplan/) provides three strategic goal and
one management goal in support of the agency’s
mission with a focus on achieving results. The strategic
objectives under the first three goals define what the
agency needs to do in order to achieve the goals.
The management goal provides the administrative
support foundation for USPTO to achieve organizational
excellence.
The USPTO strategic planning performance framework
is designed to strengthen the capacity of the USPTO
by focusing on a specific set of goals and the steps
we must take to reach those goals, as follows:
●● Provide timely examination of patent applications:
Reduce the average time to first office action for
patent applications to 10 months (average time
from filing until an examiner’s initial determination
PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT: FISCAL YEAR 2012
on patentability), and average total pendency
to 20 months (average time from filing until the
application is issued as a patent or abandoned)
●● Improve quality of patent examination
●● Improve/enhance patent appeal and post-grant
processes
●● Optimize trademark quality and maintain
pendency
●● Demonstrate global leadership in all aspects
of IP policy development
●● Improve IT infrastructure and tools
●● Implement a sustainable funding model
for operations
●● Improve relations with employees and
stakeholders.
These priorities support the DOC’s theme of economic
growth, and the goal of delivering the tools, systems,
policies, and technologies critical to transforming our
economy, fostering U.S. competitiveness, and driving
the development of new businesses.