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Open Recommendations (94 total)

Coast Guard: More Information Needed to Assess Efficacy and Costs of Vessel Survival Craft Requirements

GAO-21-247
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards fully implements OMB and GAO cost and benefit estimate best practices in developing future estimates of the implementation costs for out-of-water survival craft requirements, including relying on the most current inflation information and discounting future costs and benefits for cost effectiveness projections, and documenting its methods for calculating acquisition costs. (Recommendation 2)
Open – Partially Addressed
DHS concurred with our second recommendation that the Coast Guard fully implement OMB and GAO cost and benefit estimate best practices in developing future estimates of the implementation costs for out-of-water survival craft requirements, including relying on the most current inflation information and discounting future costs and benefits for cost effectiveness projections, and documenting its methods for calculating acquisition costs. DHS stated that the Coast Guard Office of Standards Evaluation and Development will ensure that all future out-of-water survival craft economic analyses utilize real discount rates of 3 and 7 percent-per OMB Circular A-4, Regulatory Analysis, dated September 17, 2003, as well as the Coast Guard's current practice for all economic analyses, including regulatory impact analyses, and corresponding GAO cost and benefits best practices. It stated that the office will also utilize best practices for the DHS Chief Regulatory Economist's Value of Statistical Life, dated March 1, 2021, for future out-of-water survival craft economic analyses, and will update the Coast Guard's survival craft cost analysis every 5 years, pursuant to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2016. It estimated completing these actions by December 31, 2021. In September 2021, Coast Guard reported it will continue to ensure it is fully implementing OMB and GAO cost and benefit estimate best practices for future calculations of cost for out-of-water survival craft requirements as CG-REG implements a system of evaluation and control including rigorous peer review, Coast Guard best practices documents, and DHS best practices documents to ensure implementation and alignment of OMB Circular A-4, as well as corresponding GAO cost and benefits practices. This includes relying on the most current cost data, inflation information, discounting future costs and benefits for cost effectiveness projections, and documenting its methods for calculating acquisition costs. Currently the Coast Guard is in the process of finalizing the "Non-Immersion Survival Craft Report to Congress" which is updated every five years, and which the Coast Guard anticipates will be submitted to Congress not later than December 31, 2021. In October 2022, the Coast Guard provided information about its actions to develop 2022 estimates of the implementation costs for out-of-water survival craft requirements for its 2022 report. This included discounting future costs and benefits for cost effectiveness projections. In addition, it provided information about its actions to document its methods for calculating acquisition costs. These actions should help the Coast Guard ensure it more fully implements OMB and GAO cost and benefit estimates best practices. However, these actions partially address our recommendation. This is because the Coast Guard has not implemented OMB practices for developing future estimates that rely on the most current inflation information. Specifically, USCG stated that inflating the value of statistical life from calendar years 2007 to 2012 was not part of DHS guidance when it issued its 2013 or 2022 non-Immersion Survival Craft reports to Congress. Moreover, it reported that DHS guidance had not changed. By not making the inflation adjustments, it is underestimating benefits from requiring out-of-water survival craft on all vessels, resulting in an overestimate of the net cost of implementing the requirements. Coast Guard reported that it adheres to DHS guidance---and therefore has not been able to fully implement the recommendation.

Natural Gas Exports: Updated Guidance and Regulations Could Improve Facility Permitting Processes

GAO-20-619
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should conduct a standards-specific review of the Coast Guard's regulations that incorporate standards and, if necessary, update the regulations or document its decision for not updating them. (Recommendation 7)
Open – Partially Addressed
In February 2022, the Coast Guard issued a final rule amending one of its two regulations for waterfront liquefied natural gas facilities. The amended regulation updates the technical standards identified in our report. In March 2024, Coast Guard officials explained that the Coast Guard has initiated rulemaking to update the other regulation discussed in our report. Officials stated that the Coast Guard is committed to completing the rulemaking but there is no formal timeline to do so. In the meantime, officials stated the Coast Guard allows applicants to propose newer versions of technical standards that the Coast Guard will consider during application review. We feel the Coast Guard's actions demonstrate progress toward implementing our recommendation, and we will consider closing the recommendation once the updated rule has been finalized.

Natural Gas Exports: Updated Guidance and Regulations Could Improve Facility Permitting Processes

GAO-20-619
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should develop and implement workforce planning for the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards that addresses the four remaining key principles for strategic workforce planning. (Recommendation 9)
Open – Partially Addressed
As of February 2024, the Coast Guard has made some progress addressing the workforce planning principles discussed in our report but has not taken key actions needed to fully implement our recommendation. Specifically, Coast Guard officials provided documentation that the Coast Guard offers special incentives (such as student loan repayment) to fill specific positions in the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards (OES), and has used such incentives to address vacancies in OES since fiscal year 2022. However, Coast Guard officials stated that while the Coast Guard intends to conduct manpower requirement analyses for about 20 units over the next five years, OES was not included in this list as it was not a critical mission priority. As we stated in our report, determining OES's critical skill requirements will help the coast Guard better ensure that OES has the right number of staff with the right expertise to perform future work related to permitting LNG export facilities. Addressing this principle must be done before the remaining three principles-and our recommendation-can be fully addressed.

Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Close Stations Identified as Overlapping and Unnecessarily Duplicative

GAO-18-9
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1 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard
Priority Rec.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard should take action to close the stations identified according to its plan and target dates. (Recommendation 3)
Open – Partially Addressed
In 2017, GAO reported that the Coast Guard has not taken action to implement the results of its analyses which recommended station closures even though it has completed requirements to pursue some station closures. For example, a 2013 analysis of Coast Guard stations identified unnecessary duplication and recommended certain stations that could be permanently closed without negatively affecting the Coast Guard's ability to meet its 2-hour search and rescue response standard and other mission requirements. However, as of August 2017 the Coast Guard had not closed any stations, nor developed a plan with time frames for closing stations even though Coast Guard leaders said the results of the analysis remain valid. GAO reported that the Coast Guard had not closed stations because past efforts to close stations (eight attempts since 1973) were met with resistance from affected communities and instances where the Congress intervened. Nevertheless, the Coast Guard agreed with GAO's recommendation that it establish a plan with target dates and milestones for closing stations. In its December 2017 60-Day letter response, DHS said it would commence Congressional engagement and public outreach regarding any operational changes to D1 and D5 stations, including processing feedback from stakeholders before making final decisions on any recommended changes. As of November 2023, six stations had been consolidated with adjacent stations and closed. The fiscal year 2023 Coast Guard budget proposed the consolidation of three additional stations, which we will continue to monitor. The Coast Guard did not propose additional closures in its fiscal year 2024 budget but informed GAO it will continue to evaluate future closures. DHS, through the Coast Guard, should close boat stations that provide overlapping search and rescue coverage and are unnecessarily duplicative, according to its plan and target dates. By closing unnecessarily duplicative stations, the Coast Guard could be better positioned to improve its operations and achieve cost savings over time.

Coast Guard Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Reduce Risk for the Offshore Patrol Cutter Program

GAO-21-9
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure the Coast Guard Component Acquisition Executive revises Coast Guard's acquisition policy to include criteria and a methodology for demonstrating design maturity for shipbuilding programs that are aligned with shipbuilding best practices, including specifying the completion of basic and functional designs and maturing critical technologies to a TRL of 7. (Recommendation 4)
Open – Partially Addressed
In providing comments on this report, the Coast Guard concurred with our recommendation and stated that it planned to identify guidelines outlining design stability parameters to be reviewed before starting construction of shipbuilding programs. In September 2022, the Coast Guard issued formal guidance on design stability but did not specify full completion of the basic and functional designs or maturation of critical technology to a TRL 7. In April 2023, the Coast Guard revised its guidance to specify that critical technologies should be matured to a TRL of 7 by Production Readiness Review, which occurs right before construction and well after design. However, this is not aligned with shipbuilding best practices which call for programs to require critical technologies to be matured to a TRL 7 before the award of the contract for lead ship design. Additionally, the Coast Guard's revised guidance did not specify full completion of basic and function design consistent with GAO's shipbuilding best practices, which call for programs to achieve completion of the basic and functional ship designs prior to starting construction.

Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Organizational Changes and Determine Workforce Needs

GAO-20-223
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1 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard
Priority Rec.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard should update its April 2018 Manpower Requirements Plan to include time frames and milestones for completing manpower requirements analyses and determinations for all positions and units. (Recommendation 5)
Open – Partially Addressed
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation and said it would update its Manpower Requirements Plan during the next required periodic report submission to Congress, in fiscal year 2022. The Coast Guard stated that this would be completed by March 31, 2022. In June 2022, it stated that it estimated submitting the updated plan to Congress by the end of December 2022. In March 2023, Coast Guard provided its Manpower Requirements Plan to Congress. However, the plan did not include milestones or timeframes for completing manpower requirements analysis and determinations for all positions and units, as Coast Guard had previously stated it would do to implement the recommendation. Therefore, the plan submission did not meet the intent of our recommendation. In May 2023, Coast Guard officials told us it had been difficult to develop accurate timeframes and milestones, in part because the service did not have adequate resources to complete the necessary MRDs. Coast Guard officials told us that they could develop an estimate of how many positions it plans to assess in the next five years given their current resource constraints and agency priorities. In September 2023, Coast Guard officials provided a memorandum outlining its manpower study intent for fiscal years 2023 to 2028. According to this August 2023 document, the Coast Guard intends to begin or complete manpower requirement analysis for about 20 units, subject to resource availability, shifting priorities, and other factors. We will continue to monitor actions Coast Guard takes to fully implement this recommendation.

Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Ensure Investments in Key Data System Meet Mission and User Needs

GAO-20-562
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support assesses and addresses the causes of data errors and inconsistent entries in MISLE as identified by program offices and MISLE users, including reviewing MISLE training and data validation processes. (Recommendation 1)
Open – Partially Addressed
The Department of Homeland Security concurred with this recommendation and said that it will assess the data errors and inconsistencies reported by program offices and users to address the cause of both in the short-term, or as a long-term strategy for correction. In January 2021, the Coast Guard reported it had completed a review of data errors and inconsistencies reported by program offices. According to the Coast Guard, it has submitted, for preliminary review by the Non-Major Acquisition Oversight Council, a MISLE function designed to merge duplicate records. The Coast Guard said that it will reassess data errors and inconsistent entries following completion of the project, which the Coast Guard calls the MISLE Merge project. As of June 2023, Coast Guard officials stated that the service had kicked off the Merge project in April 2023 and expected to complete it early in fiscal year 2024. Further, Coast Guard officials said that, based on their review of data associated with the Merge project, the Coast Guard expects to make additional recommendations for improving MISLE data quality, and that such recommendations will be incorporated into the MISLE user guides and MISLE user training. We are monitoring Coast Guard's progress on the Merge project and plan to follow up in the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 for an update.

Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Improve National Vessel Documentation Center Operations

GAO-21-100
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Deputy Commandant for Operations documents decisions in future years in which it elects not to conduct operational analyses for VDS and its replacement. (Recommendation 2)
Open – Partially Addressed
In November 2020, DHS stated that, in fiscal year 2021, the Coast Guard will update its policies and procedures to include documenting decisions to exclude an information technology system from an operational analysis. DHS also stated that the Coast Guard will document such decisions in the final report on the findings of the operational analysis. In March 2021, the Coast Guard conducted an operational analysis of VDS. In September 2021, the Coast Guard developed an instruction for conducting operational analyses of operational information systems, including VDS and its replacement. In December 2023, Coast Guard officials told us that VDS's replacement will be eligible for an operational analysis after it is completed, which, as of March 2023, they estimate to occur in March 2025. They also told us that they will conduct operational analyses of operational information systems, including VDS's replacement, no less than every five years.

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

GAO-19-82
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should direct program managers to establish shore infrastructure performance goals, measures, and baselines to track the effectiveness of maintenance and repair investments and provide feedback on progress made. (Recommendation 2)
Open – Partially Addressed
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. As of November 2023, the Coast Guard had developed a memo describing how maintenance and repair projects should be prioritized, including metrics to measure the condition of shore assets. According to the Coast Guard, the service is in the process of entering data into its system for evaluating and tracking investment decisions, which is a key step toward establishing shore infrastructure baselines, performance goals, and measures. GAO will continue to monitor Coast Guard progress toward tracking the effectiveness of maintenance and repair investments and providing feedback on progress made. Establishing baselines, goals, and measures based on the data the Coast Guard is in the process of recording would better position the Coast Guard to assess its effectiveness and take appropriate actions to improve the condition of its shore infrastructure.

Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Improve National Vessel Documentation Center Operations

GAO-21-100
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Assistant Commandant for Resources, in coordination with the Deputy Commandant for Operations, documents the decision if NVDC elects not to implement a recommendation from its user fee reviews. (Recommendation 7)
Open – Partially Addressed
In November 2020, DHS stated that the Coast Guard will develop procedures for documenting any decision not to implement a recommendation from user fee reviews. DHS estimated that the Coast Guard would do so by September 30, 2021. As of May 2023, the Coast Guard developed an internal website with work flows to document its decisions to implement recommendations from its user fee reviews. As of March 2024, DHS reported that the Coast Guard had not received information it needed from DHS to populate the website. DHS also stated that the Coast Guard was preparing for the next round of Biennial Fee Reviews due to DHS in December 2023. DHS provided an estimated completion date of December 2023. To fully address this recommendation, the Coast Guard should provide documentation that the Coast Guard has incorporated its decisions to implement recommendations from the next round of Biennial Fee Reviews into its website.
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