U.S. Coast Guard Modernization Study

Current Projects
A review of the United States Coast Guard’s Modernization Program. (posted 7/21/08)

Client/Funder:
The United States Coast Guard

Purpose and Scope:
In Spring of 2006, Admiral Thad Allen became the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).  In response to an increasingly dynamic and ever-changing work environment, the Commandant called for a broad assessment and alignment of the Coast Guard’s command and control structure and mission support system, which includes human resources, maintenance, logistics, financial management, and information systems.  In order to appropriately modernize the Coast Guard in these areas, Admiral Allen signed ten Commandant Intent Action Orders (CIAOs).  The Commandant hopes that the implementation of these CIAOS will result in an overall strategic service-wide transformation that will better enable the Coast Guard to guard the homeland, protect critical infrastructures, uphold U.S. maritime sovereignty, and safeguard the American people and their interests. The Commandant has established a Strategic Transformation Team to lead this Modernization effort.  Although, the Strategic Transformation Team and other leaders across the organization have accomplished a great deal over a short period of time, much remains to be done.

The U.S. Coast Guard has engaged the National Academy of Public Administration (Academy) to conduct a third-party, independent review of the USCG Modernization Program.  The Academy’s will focus its work on two principle tasks:
 
Task 1: Modernization Program Review

Through the engagement of internal and external stakeholders, facilitated leadership sessions, and extensive documentation and data reviews, the Academy will assess the Coast Guard’s ten action plans (CIAOs) with regard to their ability to bridge the gap between the current state and the desired future state of the organization, leadership alignment with the Commandant’s operational vision, and progress to date towards implementation. The Academy will work with the leadership team and the expert Academy Panel to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks involved in the current Modernization Program approach, and deliver recommendations for improvements and/or mitigation steps for key risks. Additionally, the Academy will provide the Coast Guard with access to trusted experts, as well as insight into best practices of similar organizations.

Task 2: Financial Management & Resource Planning Analysis

The Academy will advise and assist the Strategic Transformation Team in undertaking a thorough analysis of the Financial Management and Resource Planning functions of the Coast Guard (currently lead by the Resources Directorate, CG-8). CG-8 has been identified as the pilot Directorate for such an initiative due to its readiness to engage in such a review. The existing CG-8 Transformation Committee, composed of approximately 25 representatives from across CG-8 and representatives external to CG-8, is leading this initiative. However, CG-8 leadership feels strongly that decisions made about how to reorganize should be infused with data and best practices. As a result, they seek guidance and assistance from the Academy with several efforts:

• A baseline assessment of CG-8 functions, with the priority areas being Planning & Performance (CG-81) and Budget & Programs (CG-82), based on data and knowledge of best practices
  
  
• Assistance in identifying and evaluating potential new operational models that deliver on all aspects of the mandate, focus the organization on meeting customer and stakeholder needs, and are aligned with the vision laid out by the Commandant
  
  
• A roadmap to a selected future state
  
  
• Using the CG-8 pilot as a model, a documented methodology that can be applied to the remaining Coast Guard Directorates in a phased approach

Panel:
The Academy has appointed the following individuals to a Panel to oversee and direct the study. The public may send comments on the composition of the panel for a period of seven (7) days after the posted date to mditmeyer@napawash.org.

Norman Y. Mineta, Chair* - Vice Chairman, Hill and Knowlton Consulting Firm. Former Secretary, Department of Transportation; Secretary, Department of Commerce; Member, U.S. House of Representatives (California). Former positions with City of San Jose, California: Mayor; Vice Mayor; Member, City Council; Member, Board of Directors, San Jose Housing Authority; Member, San Jose Human Relations Commission.

Disclosure Statement for Norman Y. Mineta:
I do not believe my work on the Panel would present a conflict of interest. However, I do own a small number of Lockheed Martin shares. I served as a Vice President at Lockheed Martin from 1995 to 1999, and my wife and I have owned shares since my time spent at the organization. I feel that my ownership of these shares would present a potential conflict of interest only if the Panel recommended or endorsed the services of Lockheed Martin, which is neither in the purview of our work, nor a recommendation I would comply with. In addition, although Lockheed Martin has the right to compete and pursue business opportunities at the United States Coast Guard, as a former employee, I will have no bias or conflict as I would neither endorse, nor be part of the pursuit of such an account.

Peri Arnold* - Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame. Former positions with University of Notre Dame: Director, Hesburgh Program of Public Service; Director, Washington Semester; Chairman, Department of Government.

Cora Prifold Beebe* - Senior Associate, Kelley, Anderson and Associates, Inc.  Former Vice President, Jefferson Consulting Group; Chief Financial Officer/Executive Director (Administration), Office of Thrift Supervision, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Branch Chief and Executive Assistant to the Associate Director for Management, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Director, Planning, Budget, and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Commerce; Director, Policy, Budget, and Program Management, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Janice Lachance* - Chief Operating Officer, Special Libraries Association.  Former Management Consultant, Analytica; Director, Deputy Director, Chief of Staff,  Director of Communications and Policy, Office of Personnel Management; Director of Communications, Congressional and Political Affairs, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO; Communications Director, Congressman Tom Daschle; Administrative Assistant, Congresswoman Katie Hall; Staff Director and Counsel, Subcommittee on Antitrust and Restraint of Trade, Committee on Small Business, U.S. House of Representatives; Legislative Assistant, Congressman Jim Mattox.

Robert Mallett* - Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Pfizer, Inc. Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce; Shareholder, Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson, and Hand; City Administrator, Deputy Mayor, Principal Deputy Corporation Counsel, Government of the District of Columbia; Legal Counsel, Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

Sean O’Keefe* - Former Chancellor, Louisiana State University; Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Deputy Director, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business and Government Policy, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University; Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President for Research, Dean of Graduate School, Professor of Business Administration, Pennsylvania State University; Secretary of the Navy; Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Defense; Staff Director, Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Judith A. Youngman – Professor of Political Science, U.S. Coast Guard Academy; Associate Professor of Social Sciences, U.S. Military Academy; Vice President, Public Affairs, Rhone Poulenc Rorer (now Aventis); Executive Director, Public Issues Management, Merck & Co., Inc.; Director, International Affairs, Pfizer Inc.

Disclosure Statement for Judith A. Youngman:
I am an AD-00, excepted service employee of the U.S. Coast Guard employed as a full-time, tenured Professor of Political Science at the Coast Guard Academy. While an employee of the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy recognizes and adheres to academic freedom standards of the American Association of University Professors, consistent with U.S. Statutes.

Since June 2006, my independent, scholarly work as a professional political scientist has included research and analysis of Coast Guard modernization. While none of this work is published, some if its results were previously shared with Coast Guard leadership.

*Academy Fellow


Meetings:
Panel meeting dates and times are yet to be determined.

Contact Information:
For further information, contact Marty Ditmeyer at (202) 347-3190, or at mditmeyer@napawash.org.