GAO: USCG Deepwater Acquisition Schedule Update Needed

The General Accounting Office has called for the US Coast Guard to update it Acquisition Schedule in keeping with the many changes that have been made to the $17 billion program that was announced in 2002.

Specifically, the report concluded: The additional $168 million in fiscal year 2004, while allowing the Coast Guard to conduct a number of Deepwater projects that had been delayed or would not have been funded in fiscal year 2004, will not fully return the GAO recommends the Coast Guard update the original 2002 Deepwater acquisition schedule in time to support the fiscal year 2006 Deepwater budget submission to the Department of Homeland Security and Congress and at least once a year thereafter to support each budget submission. The updated schedule should include the current status of asset acquisition phases, interim phase milestones, and the critical paths linking assets. In written comments, the Coast Guard generally concurred with GAO’s findings and recommendation."

For a copy of the full report visit:

http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-641