Homeland Security: Challenges Facing the Coast Guard as it Transitions to the New Department Page: 4 of 17
This text is part of the collection entitled: Government Accountability Office Reports and was provided to UNT Digital Library by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
My testimony today, which is based on a large body of work we have
completed in recent years, both on governmental reorganization in general
and the Coast Guard in particular, focuses on six key factors for
implementation success: strategic planning, communication and
partnership-building, performance management, human capital,
information management and technology, and acquisition management. In
prior reports and testimony before the Congress, we have identified these
factors as among those that are critical to success in organizational
change.4 Our recent work in reviewing the Coast Guard has focused on
challenges the Coast Guard faces in dealing with these six success factors.
In summary, even though the Coast Guard has in many respects done a
credible job of managing such things as strategic planning, partnership-
building, and aligning its work force with its missions, it now faces major
challenges in implementing all six of the implementation success factors.
Its expanded role in homeland security and its relocation in a new agency
have changed many of its priorities and working parameters, and its
adjustment to this new environment remains a work in process. Thus,
there is much work to be done. Some of the work is strategic in nature,
such as the need to better define its homeland security mission and the
level of resources needed to meet not only its new security mission
responsibilities but its existing missions as well. Others include
accommodating a sudden surge of thousands of personnel that are being
added and trying to ensure that its most ambitious acquisition project-the
Deepwater Project to modernize its fleet of cutters and aircraft-is well
managed and remains on track. Overlying these challenges is a
fundamental tension that the agency faces in balancing its many missions.
On the one hand, it must still do the job it has been doing for years in
fisheries management, search and rescue work, ship inspections, marine
environmental protection, and other areas. On the other hand, a sizable
portion of its resources are now deployed in homeland security work. In
addition, the Coast Guard is contributing to the military buildup in the
Middle East. Effectively addressing these implementation challenges in the
context of this overarching tension is a sizeable task.
4Homeland Security: Proposal for Cabinet Agency Has Merit, But Implementation Will
Be Pivotal to Success (GAO-02-886T, June 25, 2002). Highlights of a GAO Forum: Mergers
and Transformation: Lessons Learned for a Department of Homeland Security and
Other Federal Agencies (GAO-03-293SP, November 14, 2002). GAO has identified several
other factors as important to success, including organizational alignment, knowledge
management, financial management, and risk management. However, these factors, as
they relate to the Coast Guard were not covered in the scope of completed GAO work.GAO-03-467T
Page 2
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This text can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Text.
United States. General Accounting Office. Homeland Security: Challenges Facing the Coast Guard as it Transitions to the New Department, text, February 12, 2003; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc289460/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.