The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has unveiled a series of measures designed to increase co-operation with its enforcement investigations.

The new initiative establishes incentives for individuals and companies to fully co-operate and assist with SEC investigations and enforcement actions, and provides new tools to help investigators develop evidence.

Among other things, the commission’s enforcement division is authorizing its staff to use various tools to encourage individuals and companies to report violations and provide assistance to the agency, including: formal written agreements that would see a co-operator receive credit for co-operating in investigations or related enforcement actions; deferred prosecution agreements in which the commission agrees to forego an enforcement action against a co-operator in certain circumstances; and non-prosecution agreements where it would agree not to pursue an enforcement action against a co-operator if they co-operate fully and comply with express undertakings.

Additionally, the SEC streamlined the process for submitting witness immunity requests to the Justice Department for witnesses who have the capacity to assist in its investigations and related enforcement actions. And, it has set out, for the first time, the way in which it will evaluate whether, how much, and in what manner to credit co-operation by individuals to ensure that potential co-operation arrangements maximize the commission’s law enforcement interests.

The SEC says that the steps announced Wednesday are part of a broader series of initiatives that represent the most significant reorganization of the enforcement division in more than 30 years, including vastly expanding staff training programs, hiring staff with new skill sets, streamlining management, adding more experienced investigators to the front lines, revising internal enforcement procedures, restructuring processes to ensure better sharing of information, leveraging the knowledge of third parties, and revamping the way tips are handled.

“This is a potential game-changer for the Division of Enforcement,” said Robert Khuzami, director of the division. “There is no substitute for the insiders’ view into fraud and misconduct that only co-operating witnesses can provide. That type of evidence can expand our ability to conduct our investigations more swiftly, and to act quickly to file charges, freeze assets, and protect investors.”