The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report highlighting the U.S. Coast Guard's efforts and areas for improvement in training and assessment as it faces a growing list of mission demands, including cybersecurity, Arctic patrols, and illegal fishing deterrence. GAO's findings show that while the Coast Guard's Force Readiness Command (FORCECOM) follows strong training practices, there are gaps in measuring training effectiveness and evaluating courses to keep pace with emerging operational needs. The report underscores the critical role of accurate data and evaluation in preparing the Coast Guard to meet its expanding missions and offers several actionable recommendations to enhance training programs.

In fiscal year 2023, FORCECOM, the command responsible for Coast Guard training, delivered over 400 distinct courses to more than 23,000 personnel. Despite this significant output, the GAO report indicates that FORCECOM lacks accurate data on course reviews and has outdated guidance for evaluating long-term training impacts. According to the report, 63 percent of course review dates were unrecorded in fiscal year 2023, preventing FORCECOM from systematically ensuring that courses align with current operational demands. Accurate review dates, GAO suggests, would enable FORCECOM to keep training relevant as conditions evolve.

The report also notes that while FORCECOM adheres to five out of seven leading practices for federal training efforts, it falls short in two key areas: including effectiveness measures in training and consistently evaluating training results. "Fully addressing these two leading practices," GAO states, "will help FORCECOM's efforts to ensure its training is effectively preparing the Coast Guard workforce to meet mission demands."

GAO also praised FORCECOM for its recent initiatives to modernize training. One highlighted initiative includes the development of online cybersecurity training to bridge knowledge gaps for marine inspectors, crucial for Coast Guard operations in a technology-driven era. Additionally, FORCECOM has been introducing virtual reality (VR) modules to enhance hands-on training. However, despite these advancements, the report recommends that FORCECOM continue updating and formalizing training assessments, particularly in emerging fields like cybersecurity and Arctic operations.

The GAO report further details FORCECOM's effort to improve unit compliance through an assessment program. By creating a centralized data dashboard, FORCECOM aims to improve transparency and track each unit's compliance with policies and procedures. However, FORCECOM lacks a written, detailed project plan to guide the full development and implementation of this dashboard, a step GAO says is essential to ensuring the program's success.

To address these gaps, GAO has put forth three key recommendations:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Coast Guard, has concurred with GAO's recommendations and is expected to take the necessary steps to improve FORCECOM's training and assessment capabilities.