The procedures followed by the Committee are designed to facilitate the effective performance of the Committee's statutory functions with respect to the regulation and direction of open market operations conducted by the Federal Reserve banks and with respect to certain direct transactions between the Reserve banks and the United States. In determining the policies to be followed in such operations, the Committee considers information regarding business and credit conditions and domestic and international economic and financial developments, and other pertinent information gathered and submitted by its staff and the staffs of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board) and the Federal Reserve banks. Against the background of such information, the Committee takes actions from time-to-time to regulate and direct the open market operations of the Reserve banks. Such policy actions ordinarily are taken through the adoption and transmission to the Federal Reserve banks of regulations, authorizations, and directives.