COAST GUARD: Assessing Deployable Specialized Forces' Workforce Needs Could Improve Efficiency and Reduce Potential Overlap or Gaps in Capabilities

Abstract

The U.S. Coast Guard, within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the principal federal agency charged with ensuring the security and safety of the waters under U.S. jurisdiction. To help carry out its missions, the Coast Guard maintains Specialized Forces units with the capabilities needed to handle drug interdiction, terrorism, and other threats to the U.S. maritime environment. The Coast Guard reorganized the command structure of these units in 2007 and again in 2013. The Maritime Security Improvement Act of 2018 included a provision for GAO to evaluate Specialized Forces units and provide a report to Congress. This report examines the extent to which the Coast Guard addressed key practices and considerations for assessing reorganization of its Specialized Forces units. GAO assessed the Coast Guard report and associated workforce planning documentation and data used for its 2013 reorganization and analyzed the extent to which the agency applied key practices. GAO also analyzed guidance and data on Specialized Forces capabilities and operations to identify potential overlap or gaps andinterviewed agency officials. GAO makes two recommendations to DHS. First, GAO recommends that the Coast Guard conduct an analysis of its Specialized Forces workforce needs, with which DHS concurred. Second, GAO recommends that the Coast Guard assess the extent to which unnecessary overlap or duplication exists. Although DHS did not concur, GAO continues to believe the findings documented in the report support the recommendation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1169896

Entities

People

  • Andrew Curry
  • Ben Atwater
  • Calaera Powroznik
  • Chuck Bausell
  • David Dornisch
  • Dominick Dale
  • Eric Hauswirth
  • Jan Montgomery
  • Jason Berman
  • Michele C. Fejfar
  • Nathan J. Anderson
  • Tracey King

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Coast Guard
  • Coast Guard Personnel
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Drug Interdiction
  • Geographic Regions
  • Governments
  • Homeland Defense
  • Homeland Security
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Law
  • Law Enforcement
  • Maritime Security
  • Port Security
  • Security
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Waterways

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Maritime Security/Maritime Homeland Security