Skip to main content
 
  • Click to open or close the program search boxShow Me Programs
    • Show me the programs that are
      performing Go
    • Show me the programs that are
      not performing Go
ExpectMore.govExpectMore.gov home pageEXPECT FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO PERFORM WELL, AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
 
Program Assessment

Program

View Assessment Details

Coast Guard: Search and Rescue

The Coast Guard's Search and Rescue program is designed to minimize the loss of life, injury, and property damage or loss by rendering aid to persons in distress and protecting property in the maritime environment.

Rating

What This Rating Means

PERFORMING
Adequate

This rating describes a program that needs to set more ambitious goals, achieve better results, improve accountability or strengthen its management practices.
  • The program design clearly addresses the need for a response capability to assist persons in distress at sea and is not duplicative of efforts by other maritime entities. Resources are effectively targeted to minimize response times and ensure lifesaving takes precedence over saving property.
  • The program's performance result, in terms of its long-term measure "percent of mariners in distress saved," has slightly decreased since 2003 from 88% to 85%. Annual measures are in place but ambitious targets have not yet been developed. Performance data are used to manage the program; however, a 2006 independent evaluation identified significant problems with the data collection system.
  • Independent evaluations report that the program is effective at mission execution. Additionally, system-wide recapitalization efforts like the communications system project "Rescue 21" will probably have more impact on top-level mission performance than individual asset replacements.

Improvement Plan

About Improvement Plans

We are taking the following actions to improve the performance of the program:

  • Developing ambitious targets for new annual measures related to property saved and time-on-scene.
  • Developing and implementing program-specific corrective actions to improve the performance data collection system, Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement.
  • Developing and implementing a new annual performance measure to reflect cost, schedule and quality performance for the program's key acquisition project, Rescue 21.

Learn More
The content on ExpectMore.gov is developed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and Federal agencies.