Skip to main content

United States Coast Guard

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations (95 total)

Disaster Response: Agencies Should Assess Contracting Workforce Needs and Purchase Card Fraud Risk

GAO-21-42
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard should ensure that the agency has adequate data to allow it to conduct analysis of purchase card use in support of disaster response, including both the disaster event supported and sufficient vendor information to allow fraud risk analysis. (Recommendation 11)
Open
The U.S. Coast Guard agreed with this recommendation. In August 2021, Coast Guard officials stated that the Director of Financial Operations-Comptroller continues to be scheduled to begin migrating financial systems in October 2022, which they anticipate will alleviate some inconsistencies, as transactions and supplemental data are linked and stored in the new system. Further, according to Coast Guard officials, data migration to the new financial system is on schedule for completion in December 2022, after which detailed actions and milestones for fully implementing this recommendation can be developed. In January 2023, U.S. Coast Guard officials said that the Coast Guard's data migration to the Financial Systems Modernization Solution is complete. However, Coast Guard continues to refine how the system captures and displays data. For example, Coast Guard requested that the system include a credit card transaction description field associated with each listed transaction. By adding the description field, purchase cardholders and Approving Officials could then identify if the transaction was COVID/natural disaster-related at the transaction-level. U.S. Coast Guard officials said that this data could then be submitted to DHS for access by program offices. In August 2023, Coast Guard officials told us that the system, which will allow cardholders and approving officials to add details in the description field about what was purchased, such as disaster response-related purchases, is being reviewed by DHS Compliance, and is still under development. Officials noted that there is no anticipated completion date. GAO will continue to monitor the U.S. Coast Guard's progress in addressing this recommendation.

Coast Guard: Workforce Planning Actions Needed to Address Growing Cyberspace Mission Demands

GAO-22-105208
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should establish a strategic workforce plan for its cyberspace workforce, to include strategies and implementing activities to address all competency and staffing needs. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In March 2023, the Coast Guard reported that it was developing a workforce management plan and a cyberspace training and qualification instruction. The Coast Guard also reported publishing the Cyberspace Officer Career Guide in October 2022. In January 2024, the Coast Guard provided us with its Cyberspace Workforce Management Plan. As of April 2024, we are awaiting Coast Guard responses to determine how the Coast Guard identified its cyberspace workforce management gaps and assessed its competency needs. We will continue to monitor the Coast Guard's efforts to implement this recommendation.

Coast Guard: Aircraft Fleet and Aviation Workforce Assessments Needed

GAO-24-106374
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should establish a process to regularly evaluate Coast Guard-wide air station readiness data. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, it stated that Coast Guard created a risk dashboard that displays air station readiness data. Given that the Coast Guard is still in the process of establishing procedures to require the uniform collection of readiness data, we will continue to monitor Coast Guard's progress addressing this recommendation.

DHS Privacy: Selected Component Agencies Generally Provided Oversight of Contractors, but Further Actions Are Needed to Address Gaps

GAO-22-104144
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard should direct the USCG Privacy Office to ensure, in conjunction with the acquisition office, that contractors certify their acceptance of their privacy requirement responsibilities. (Recommendation 3)
Open
As of May 2023, the Coast Guard Privacy Office continues to work on the processes for documenting contractor training pertaining to privacy awareness and other privacy-related training required in contractual clauses. In order to close this recommendation, USCG will need to provide documentation that demonstrates contractors certifying their acceptance of their privacy requirement responsibilities.

Coast Guard Health Care: Additional Actions Could Help Ensure Beneficiaries' Access

GAO-23-105574
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should establish a process to routinely monitor data on Coast Guard beneficiaries' access to medical care provided at DHA medical facilities, once routine data sharing is established with DHA. (Recommendation 4)
Open
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation. We will continue to monitor the Coast Guard's efforts in implementing this recommendation.

Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Enhance IT Program Implementation

GAO-22-105092
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard should direct the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support to develop a plan or strategy for aligning all operational technology to the Department of Defense risk management framework, including time frames for completing the alignment. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In January 2024, the Coast Guard stated that its Office of Information Management will develop a standard to ensure that operational technology is securely configured in accordance with applicable Department of Defense policies and security controls. According to the agency, the standard will set expectations for operational technology to undergo a special assessment of functional and security-related capabilities and deficiencies. As of February 2024, the Coast Guard did not have an estimated timeframe for completing the standard. We will continue to monitor the agency's progress in implementing this recommendation.

Merchant Mariner Credentialing: Coast Guard Performance Measures Could Better Address Mariners' Needs

GAO-23-106629
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should, after establishing an overall processing time performance measure, use it to regularly assess and report on the performance of the merchant mariner credentialing program. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. However, according to DHS's written comments on the report, the Coast Guard does not anticipate developing a process to regularly assess its performance against an overall processing time measure until March 30, 2029. As described in DHS's written comments, the Coast Guard is developing a replacement for its credentialing database that will transform the way the agency processes applications, and its efforts to address our recommendations are tied to that effort. The recommendation implementation timeframe, however, does not address mariners' current needs, and the Coast Guard's acquisitions plans could be delayed, extending implementation efforts even more. When we confirm what actions the Coast Guard has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Coast Guard: Workforce Planning Actions Needed to Address Growing Cyberspace Mission Demands

GAO-22-105208
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should incorporate data from the Cyber Mission Specialist rating to inform its strategic workforce planning for the enlisted cyberspace workforce. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In March 2023, the Coast Guard reported that it had begun implementing the Cyber Mission Specialist rating in fiscal year 2023 and was working to finalize the rating implementation. In April 2024, the Coast Guard told us that it has continued working to finalize this implementation and plans to reprogram enlisted billets by April 2026. Once fully implemented, the Coast Guard plans to gather and analyze the workforce data to inform planning for the enlisted cyberspace workforce. Coast Guard's estimated completion date for this effort is September 30, 2026. We will continue to monitor the Coast Guard's efforts to implement this recommendation.

Coast Guard: Aircraft Fleet and Aviation Workforce Assessments Needed

GAO-24-106374
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should assess the type of helicopters the Coast Guard requires to meet its mission demands, as part of an analysis of alternatives. (Recommendation 3)
Open
DHS concurred with this recommendation. In response to our report, DHS noted that, based on a 2020 RAND study, the Coast Guard had found it should move towards greater medium range helicopter recovery capacity, as those aircraft provide favorable cost solutions and increased capability. However, as we note in our report, the RAND study also supported the Coast Guard maintaining a mix of helicopter types. Specifically, the study identified a benefit to the Coast Guard having a fleet composed primarily of MH-60T helicopters along with sufficient short-range helicopters to complete certain missions, such as drug interdiction. We maintain that Coast Guard can benefit from assessing different helicopter types to guide its acquisition approach and address capability shortfalls before the introduction of a successor helicopter. We will continue monitoring Coast Guard's efforts to address this recommendation.

Coast Guard Shore Infrastructure: Applying Leading Practices Could Help Better Manage Project Backlogs of at Least $2.6 Billion

GAO-19-82
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should work with Congress to develop and implement a process to routinely align Coast Guard's shore infrastructure portfolio with mission needs, including by disposing of all unneeded assets. (Recommendation 3)
Open
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. As of January 2023, the Coast Guard reported that its draft updated guidance--to include a formalized process to assess current and projected operational and mission support needs to identify and recommend disposal of unneeded land, buildings, and structures--is substantially complete. The Coast Guard drafted new policy and process to assess land and structures in alignment with the new lease accounting standard issued by the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board in Spring 2023. As of January 2024, the draft is undergoing final review and the Coast Guard expects to publish it in February 2024. GAO will continue to monitor Coast Guard alignment of its infrastructure portfolio with mission needs.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages