According to Coast Guard officials, a major reason why  the data are not reliable is that the Coast Guard lacks an up-to-date  Commandant Instruction that specifies when to record TAP participation  data. Consequently, the data are updated on an ad-hoc basis,  according to agency officials, and may not be timely or complete. However, Coast Guard  servicemembers and TAP officials we spoke with said unit commanders  or direct supervisors sometimes prevented participation. However,  many said the volume of information presented in a short period of time  could be overwhelming and was like “trying to drink from a firehose.”

	Coast Guard Cannot Effectively Measure Performance or Monitor Implementation to Ensure Key TAP Requirements Are Met

		Coast Guard Has Not Set a Formal Performance Goal for TAP Participation and Cannot Effectively Measure Program Performance Because it Lacks Reliable Data

The Coast Guard has not set a formal performance goal for TAP  participation, according to a Coast Guard official, and as previously  discussed, does not have complete, reliable data. According to federal internal control  standards, management should consider external requirements—such as  the laws with which the entity is required to comply—to clearly define  objectives in specific and measurable terms. A Coast Guard official said the Coast Guard’s long-term goal is  for full compliance with TAP requirements, but in the interim, the Coast  Guard uses DOD’s 85 percent VOW compliance goal as an informal  benchmark against which to gauge the Coast Guard’s TAP  performance. Establishing  and communicating a formal goal could help the Coast Guard define  expected performance. As a result, the Coast  Guard cannot know whether its servicemembers are starting TAP early  enough to complete the training they need to adequately prepare for their  transition to civilian life. Access to Additional 2-Day Classes

The Coast Guard does not track which of its servicemembers participate  in the additional 2-day classes, according to a Coast Guard official we  interviewed, even though federal law requires that DHS ensure those who  elect to participate are able to receive the training. Roles and Responsibilities Are Not Clearly Defined

Coast Guard commanders and TAP managers do not have clearly  defined roles and responsibilities in implementing TAP because of the  lack of an up-to-date Commandant Instruction, according to TAP staff we  interviewed. According to federal internal control  standards, to achieve the entity’s objectives, management should assign  responsibility and delegate authority to key roles throughout the entity. Without an up-to-date Commandant Instruction, TAP managers and  commanders may be unclear on who is ultimately responsible for  ensuring servicemembers attend TAP. Moreover, federal internal control standards  call for management to communicate quality information to external  parties. Monitoring the timeliness of  participation would help ensure Coast Guard servicemembers have  adequate time to complete TAP before leaving the military. Recommendations for Executive Action

To ensure that all eligible Coast Guard servicemembers are provided the  opportunity to complete the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), we  recommend the Commandant of the Coast Guard take the following  seven actions:  Issue an updated Commandant Instruction that establishes policies  and procedures to improve the reliability and completeness of TAP  data by including when and by whom data should be recorded and  updated. (Recommendation 4)
Issue an updated Commandant Instruction that defines the roles and  responsibilities of the personnel who administer the program and  ensure servicemembers’ participation. The formal written response of the Department of  Homeland Security (DHS) is reproduced in appendix II. Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and Methodology

	Overview

This report examines (1) what is known about the reliability of Transition  Assistance Program (TAP) data on participation levels and the factors  that affect Coast Guard servicemembers’ participation, and (2) the extent  to which the Coast Guard measures TAP performance and monitors key  areas of TAP implementation. To address these questions, we surveyed  Coast Guard installations with full-time TAP operations; reviewed Coast  Guard data on TAP participation for fiscal years 2012 to 2017; visited one  Coast Guard installation and interviewed TAP managers from two  additional Coast Guard installations selected for diversity in location,  among other reasons; and interviewed Coast Guard officials responsible  for overseeing TAP implementation for the Coast Guard. The survey was available online until we reached a  100 percent response rate. Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Observations on the Transition  Assistance Program, GAO-02-914T (July 18, 2002).
Why GAO Did This Study

Thousands of Coast Guard servicemembers have left the military and transitioned into civilian life, and some of these new veterans may face significant challenges, such as finding and maintaining employment. To help them prepare, federal law mandated that DHS provide separating Coast Guard servicemembers with counseling, employment assistance, and information on veterans' benefits through TAP. GAO was asked to examine TAP implementation.
This review analyzes (1) the reliability of TAP data on participation levels for Coast Guard servicemembers and the factors that affect participation, and (2) the Coast Guard's performance measures and monitoring efforts related to TAP. GAO interviewed Coast Guard headquarters staff; surveyed 12 Coast Guard installations that conduct TAP (100 percent response rate); collected and reviewed participation data for reliability; and interviewed TAP managers from three installations selected for size and location, and 25 Coast Guard servicemembers at one location. (For a companion report on TAP implementation for separating and retiring servicemembers in other military services, see GAO-18-23 .)

What GAO Found

The United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard), which is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), lacks complete or reliable data on participation in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), designed to assist servicemembers returning to civilian life. According to senior Coast Guard officials, a major reason why data are not reliable is the lack of an up-to-date Commandant Instruction that specifies when to record TAP participation data. Consequently, the data are updated on an ad-hoc basis and may not be timely or complete, according to officials. Federal internal control standards call for management to use quality information to achieve the entity's objectives. Until the Coast Guard issues an up-to-date Commandant Instruction that establishes policies and procedures to improve the reliability and completeness of TAP data, it will lack quality information to gauge the extent to which it is meeting TAP participation requirements in the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.
According to GAO's survey of Coast Guard installations, various factors affected participation, such as servicemembers serving at geographically remote locations or separating from the Coast Guard rapidly. TAP officials and Coast Guard servicemembers GAO interviewed said commanders and direct supervisors sometimes pulled servicemembers out of TAP class or postponed participation because of mission priorities. TAP managers also said they rely on delivering TAP online because many Coast Guard servicemembers are stationed remotely.
The Coast Guard cannot effectively measure performance to ensure key TAP requirements are met because it lacks reliable data and does not monitor compliance with several TAP requirements. Further, the Coast Guard has not established a formal performance goal against which it can measure progress, although federal internal control standards stipulate that management should consider external requirements—such as the laws with which the entity is required to comply—to clearly define objectives in specific and measurable terms. Establishing a goal could help the Coast Guard define expected performance. In addition, the Coast Guard does not monitor TAP requirements regarding the timeliness of servicemembers' TAP participation or their access to additional 2-day classes. Consequently, it cannot know whether servicemembers are starting TAP early enough to complete the program or those who elected to attend additional 2-day classes were able to do so before separation or retirement, as required by the Act. Finally, the Coast Guard lacks an up-to-date Commandant Instruction that establishes the roles and responsibilities of Coast Guard staff in implementing TAP. Federal internal control standards stipulate that management should assign responsibility and delegate authority to key roles throughout the entity. Issuing an up-to-date Commandant Instruction that defines roles and responsibilities would clarify who is ultimately responsible for ensuring Coast Guard servicemembers attend TAP, thereby facilitating accountability.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making seven recommendations, including that the Coast Guard issue a new Commandant Instruction establishing data collection policies, set TAP performance goals, monitor timeliness and access, and define roles and responsibilities. DHS agreed with all of GAO's recommendations.