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Coast Guard Workforce Mix: Phased-In Conversion of Some Support Officer Positions Would Produce Savings

RCED-00-60 Published: Mar 01, 2000. Publicly Released: Mar 01, 2000.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Coast Guard's phased-in conversion of some support officer positions, focusing on: (1) how the Coast Guard's current workforce mix compares with the workforce mix of other military services and how the workforce mix has changed since 1991; (2) how many military commissioned officer positions in administrative and support functions offer opportunities for conversion to civilian positions; and (3) what the advantages and disadvantages are of converting those military positions to civilian positions.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to develop a plan with milestones for examining the commissioned officer positions that GAO identified, and, after considering factors that the Coast Guard believes are important, implement the conversions by using a phased-in approach so as to minimize implementation costs and disruption to the Coast Guard. GAO would expect that the Coast Guard would identify and convert a significant number of military officer positions and make significant progress in increasing the proportion of civilians in its workforce.
Closed – Implemented
The Coast Guard updated its staffing standards manual in November 2000 and is in the process of applying the revised criteria to all commissioned officer positions. By the end of the fiscal year, the Coast Guard plans to issue internal policy directions on how to proceed with converting additional positions identified do not meet the criteria. Since GAO's March 1, 2000, report, the Coast Guard had converted 45 commissioned officer positions (as of July 31, 2001) for an estimated accrued annual cost savings to the government of $778,770.
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to provide the appropriate House and Senate committees of jurisdiction with an annual report on the status of the conversions.
Closed – Implemented
The Coast Guard developed and implemented a plan for reviewing its commissioned officer positions and reported on the results of its review in its annual budget submission.

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Topics

Civilian employeesCoast Guard personnelCost analysisCost controlFederal employeesStaff utilizationMilitary personnelMilitary officersPersonnel managementU.S. Coast Guard