Canadian Coast Guard

Overview

Operating Context

The Coast Guard’s effectiveness in delivering on services to Canadians depends on a shared understanding of how we conduct our business. This is particularly important given that the organization is highly operational with a wide geographic base of operations with diverse requirements, many of which are related to public safety, security and health.

Effective presence is essentially about having the right assets and capabilities at the right place at the right time. Because "the right place" changes over time, the Coast Guard must be active if it is to be effective. The fleet, for instance, is assigned to different operating areas depending on the anticipated need. Once assigned, officers and crew must be vigilant and ready to respond to situations as they arise within the larger operating context.

A key component of effective presence is acceptable presence. Foreign governments, navies and coast guards; international organizations; and domestic and international non-governmental organizations often regard Coast Guard forces as the friendly face of Canadian waterways, less threatening or potentially objectionable than those of an armed and military presence. This humanitarian face often offers a quick and non-confrontational solution and is a powerful discriminator of the Coast Guard from DND. The Coast Guard provides the federal government a unique option with which to pursue national strategies and support the enforcement of national policy.

It’s important to note that, if Coast Guard is to have the capacity to respond effectively both now and in the future, the organization must ensure that assets are not operated beyond a sustainable level. An approach of short-term gain for long-term pain would do little to advance the needs and interests of Canadians.

Every operation must have a clearly defined and attainable objective, consistent with Coast Guard roles and responsibilities. Clearly expressing the overarching objective to subordinates results in a shared goal, which in turn enhances the potential for operational success. This applies whether the objective is one that has been defined by senior management, or by the on-scene commander. Once the objective has been defined, operations and efforts must be focused to achieve it, while always keeping in mind the broader picture. This applies equally to missions for which Coast Guard is the lead, and those in which we partner with or oversee other public or private sector interests.

Ensuring that all those involved in operations have a clear understanding of the central objective(s) of the mission at hand—and that leaders clearly communicate when, and how, those objectives change in the face of emerging priorities—is particularly critical given the complex operating environment of the Coast Guard, where resources in the field are frequently juggling multiple short- and long-term missions.

The Canadian Coast Guard has established a solid reputation for teamwork and partnering, both internally across directorates, sectors and regions, and externally with other government departments, agencies, other levels of government, other governments, and the private and volunteer sectors.

The role of Coast Guard senior management is to work collaboratively to set operational policies and objectives, articulate roles and responsibilities, define national standards and levels of service and provide guidance to the organization’s operational arm.

Communication and coordination is essential for ensuring the necessary resources, including information, get to the right place at the right time. That means establishing a clear chain of command both from a general organizational sense and in the face of an emergency in the field, and ensuring the networks are in place to support effective decision making.

Coast Guard operations take place in the field, where situations are rarely static. For that reason, individuals must have latitude to act quickly and decisively within the scope of their authority, without waiting for direction from higher levels in the chain of command. This principle goes hand in hand with the need for collaboration, coordination and cooperation.

Advances in technology have revolutionized the ability to communicate with and even control units in the field, but such advances should never replace the concept of allowing the person on the scene to take the initiative — within the perimeters set collaboratively by the organization in Levels of Service and other national standards documents⁴. Individuals on scene are best placed to assess situations quickly and take the action necessary for success, provided such immediate local action is supported by long-term national direction.

The Coast Guard’s multi-mission character requires that people and assets be able to adjust to a wide variety of circumstances and tasks. That may mean interrupting an aids mission to respond to a mystery spill, or an ice routing mission to respond to a distress call.

Since 1962, the Coast Guard has built a reputation for being ready to respond to meet just about any maritime challenge. We’ve gained that reputation by being ready, willing and able — as well as quickly adaptable.

Like all federal government organizations, the Coast Guard must ensure its financial sustainability by conducting its business in the most cost effective manner. To do so, the organization must always consider the various market segments or clients impacted by a program or service, with due consideration given to degrees of both private and public benefit.

Different market segments demand different approaches, all of which must adhere to Treasury Board’s Cost Recovery Policy. In general terms, where there is a direct benefit exclusive to commercial clients, there is a direct fee for service. In instances where support to other government departments is being provided, the organization follows a policy of incremental cost recovery, or collaboratively pursues new funding to meet a specific emerging shared objective. Essential programs and services that support the public good generally are funded as such by the federal government.

In all areas of its business, the Coast Guard actively seeks efficiencies by exploring partnering arrangements, technological advances and other options for alternative service delivery. While the organization can point to many success stories, it’s important to note that such arrangements are entered into only when it can be clearly demonstrated that they are cost-effective and sustainable, and in no way compromise the ability of the organization to realize the benefits of economies of scope critical to an asset-intensive organization or, even more importantly, to the health, safety, or security of Canadians.

4: See Canadian Coast Guard Marine Programs Levels of Service (LOS) for more information.