TRANSITIONING 

VETERANS

Coast Guard Needs to 

Improve Data Quality 

and Monitoring of Its 

Transition Assistance 

Program

Report to Congressional Requesters

April 2018

GAO-18-135

United States Government Accountability Office
United States Government Accountability Office

Highlights of GAO-18-135, a report to 

congressional requesters

April 2018

TRANSITIONING VETERANS

Coast Guard Needs to Improve Data Quality and 

Monitoring of Its Transition Assistance Program 

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.

View GAO-18-135. For more information, 

contact Cindy Brown Barnes at 

(202) 512-7215 or brownbarnesc@gao.gov.

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 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.
Page i GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Letter 1

Background 3

Coast Guard Lacks Reliable Data and Cites Several Factors that 

Affect Participation 10

Coast Guard Cannot Effectively Measure Performance or Monitor 

Implementation to Ensure Key TAP Requirements Are Met 16

Conclusions 20

Recommendations for Executive Action 22

Agency Comments and our Evaluation 23

Appendix I Objective, Scope, and Methodology 25

Appendix II Comments from the Department of Homeland Security 29

Appendix III GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 32

Appendix IV Related Products

33

Table

Table 1: Coast Guard Installations Selected by GAO for 

Conducting Interviews on Transition Assistance Program 

(TAP)27

Figures

Figure 1: Regions Overseen by the Coast Guard’s TAP Managers 5

Figure 2: Redesigned Transition Assistance Program (TAP) 

Components and Activities Used By Coast Guard for 

Separating Servicemembers 7

Figure 3: Factors That Affected Participation in the Coast Guard’s 

Transition Assistance Program (TAP) 12

Contents
Page ii GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Abbreviations 

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DOD Department of Defense

DOL Department of Labor

SBA U.S. Small Business Administration

TAP Transition Assistance Program

VA Department of Veterans Affairs

VOW Act VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011

This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the 

United States. The published product may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety 

without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain 

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necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.
Page 1 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

April 19, 2018

Congressional Requesters

Over the past several years, thousands of Coast Guard servicemembers 

have left the military with more soon to follow. Some of these new 

veterans may face significant challenges as they transition to civilian life, 

such as finding and maintaining employment. To help them, one section 

of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 (VOW Act)1 generally mandates 

the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assure that all separating 

Coast Guard servicemembers participate in the Transition Assistance 

Program (TAP) to receive counseling, employment assistance, and 

information on federal veteran benefits, among other supports.2 TAP is 

designed to help all servicemembers, including those from the Coast 

Guard, successfully prepare for civilian life.

Concurrently with the VOW Act, the prior administration initiated a 

redesign of TAP which, among other changes, created a standardized 

curriculum sometimes referred to as Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, 

Success). The redesign was led by an interagency task force, which 

included DHS.3 The task force developed an extended, core curriculum 

for TAP that covered employment, veterans’ benefits, and financial 

planning, among other topics. The redesigned TAP also included 

additional 2-day classes for Coast Guard servicemembers interested in 

pursuing higher education, career technical training, or entrepreneurship.4

 1

VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, Pub. L. No. 112-56, Title II, 125 Stat. 711, 713-733.

2

Similarly, the VOW Act also requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure that 

TAP-eligible servicemembers and members of the National Guard and Reserves leaving 

the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force participate in the program. While DHS generally 

oversees the Coast Guard, in times of war or crisis the Coast Guard can operate in the 

service of the Navy. When Coast Guard servicemembers are operating in the service of 

the Navy, the Navy oversees TAP implementation for Coast Guard servicemembers. 10 

U.S.C. § 1145(e).

3

DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs were tasked with leading the Veterans 

Employment Initiative Task Force to oversee the design and development of the 

redesigned program. Other federal partners included the Departments of Education, 

Homeland Security, and Labor, Office of Personnel Management, and Small Business 

Administration. 

4

In 2015, amendments to federal law created a requirement that the Coast Guard ensure 

servicemembers who elect to participate in additional 2-day classes are able to receive 

the training. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, Pub. L. No. 114-92 

Title V Subtitle E § 553, 129 Stat. 726, 823 codified at 10 U.S.C. § 1144(f)(2).

Letter
Page 2 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

In 2014, GAO issued an initial report on TAP implementation.5 You asked 

us to conduct a follow-up review of TAP. We developed two reports 

based on our audit work—a previously issued report that focuses on the 

Department of Defense’s (DOD) TAP implementation,6 and this report 

that focuses on the Coast Guard’s implementation of TAP. This report 

examines:

1. What is known about the reliability of Transition Assistance Program 

data on participation levels and the factors that affect Coast Guard 

servicemembers’ participation?

2. To what extent does the Coast Guard measure TAP performance and 

monitor key areas of Transition Assistance Program implementation?

To address these questions, we surveyed 12 Coast Guard installations 

with on-site TAP managers and achieved a 100 percent response rate.7

We reviewed Coast Guard data on TAP participation for fiscal years 2012 

to 2017 and interviewed Coast Guard officials in headquarters 

responsible for overseeing TAP implementation for the Coast Guard. We 

interviewed 3 of the Coast Guard’s 13 TAP managers—one in person and 

two by phone—selected for diversity in location of the regions they 

oversee. We visited one Coast Guard installation where, in addition to 

interviewing the on-site TAP manager, we interviewed additional TAP 

staff as well as 25 Coast Guard servicemembers (including both officers 

and enlisted personnel) who had participated in the program.8

 5

Transitioning Veterans: Improved Oversight Needed to Enhance Implementation of 

Transition Assistance Program, GAO-14-144 (Washington, D.C.: March 5, 2014).

6

For our report on DOD’s implementation of TAP, see Transitioning Veterans: DOD Needs 

to Improve Performance Reporting and Monitoring for the Transition Assistance Program, 

GAO-18-23 (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 8, 2017).

7

We use the term installation throughout the report when referring to Coast Guard bases. 

Similarly, we use the term TAP manager to refer to Transition Relocation Managers who 

are assigned to oversee TAP implementation for particular geographic areas.

8

As part of our review of DOD’s Transition Assistance Program for GAO-18-23, we visited 

seven installations, including Naval Base Norfolk in Virginia, where we spoke with Coast 

Guard servicemembers who had taken TAP at that installation. In addition, we visited the 

Coast Guard Base in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, due to its proximity to a large DOD 

installation we had selected to ensure diversity in geography and installation size. We 

interviewed Coast Guard servicemembers at this location to get their perspective on how 

well TAP worked and any challenges they had encountered with participation. To help 

guide the interviews, we asked Coast Guard servicemembers to complete a short 

questionnaire that asked about their experiences with the TAP program. 
Page 3 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

We assessed the reliability of the Coast Guard’s TAP participation data 

and, based on interviews with agency officials knowledgeable about the 

data, determined these data were not sufficiently reliable due to 

limitations with the Coast Guard’s data collection system, which does not 

have sufficient controls to ensure data are complete and accurate. We 

discuss the issues with data reliability in our report. We also reviewed 

relevant federal laws, regulations, policies, documents, and publications. 

Information in this report is current as of the date GAO received formal 

agency comments from DHS. For more information on our methodology, 

see appendix I.

We conducted this performance audit from February 2016 to April 2018 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain 

sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that 

the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and 

conclusions based on our audit objectives.

Coast Guard staffing for the TAP program reflects the organizational 

structure of its Health, Safety, and Work-Life Directorate, which oversees 

TAP policy. The Coast Guard’s TAP managers are assigned to 13 

installations where Health, Safety, and Work-Life offices are located.9

One or two TAP managers are assigned to each of the Coast Guard’s 

nine districts, which often span multiple states and territories, and these 

TAP managers oversee operations both for the installation where they 

work and for units10 stationed throughout the region (see fig. 1).11 For 

 9

We use the term TAP manager to refer to Health, Safety, and Work-Life staff that the 

Coast Guard refers to as Transition Relocation Managers. The Coast Guard refers to the 

areas served by Health, Safety, and Work-Life staff as “Regional Practices.”

10We use the term “units” to describe the different types of Operating Forces that the 

Coast Guard maintains and operates, such as Shore-based Forces and Maritime Patrol 

Forces. Each Operating Force within the Coast Guard is comprised of subordinate units, 

which can include Boat Stations, Marine Safety Units, and Coast Guard vessels, among 

others. For more information about the different Operational Forces the Coast Guard 

maintains, see Department of Homeland Security, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, 

Operations, Coast Guard Publication 3-0 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 21, 2012).

Background

Coast Guard 

Organizational Structure 

for TAP
Page 4 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

example, the TAP manager assigned to Coast Guard Base Cleveland 

oversees TAP implementation both for that installation and for Coast 

Guard units serving in Coast Guard District 9—a region that 

encompasses portions of eight states and the Great Lakes area. The 

program manager in Coast Guard Headquarters manages Coast Guard’s 

Transition Assistance Program. The Coast Guard protects and defends 

over 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways, and 

consequently, TAP-eligible Coast Guard servicemembers sometimes 

work in small, widely dispersed units assigned to remote locations, 

including on Coast Guard vessels. One aspect of the Coast Guard’s 

mission—a first responder for maritime search and rescue in United 

States waters—can require Coast Guard servicemembers to respond to 

emergency situations at a moment’s notice.

 11Over the years, some Coast Guard districts have been combined. There are currently 

nine districts: Districts 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 17.
Page 5 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Figure 1: Regions Overseen by the Coast Guard’s TAP Managers

Note: Over the years, some Coast Guard districts have been combined and there are currently nine 

districts: Districts 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 17.

The Coast Guard, which is overseen by DHS, not DOD, generally 

oversees TAP implementation for its servicemembers.12 Federal law 

requires DOD and DHS to require eligible servicemembers under their 

respective command to participate in TAP, with some exceptions. In 

response to this statutory requirement, DOD has promulgated regulations 

and developed issuances which require that servicemembers complete 

the component parts of the TAP program, and that commanding officers 

 12The Navy oversees TAP implementation for Coast Guard servicemembers when Coast 

Guard servicemembers are operating in the service of the Navy. 10 U.S.C. § 1145(e). 

TAP Process and Timing
Page 6 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

ensure that servicemembers under their command complete these parts, 

with some exceptions.13 In contrast, according to Coast Guard officials, 

Coast Guard has not promulgated any regulations to implement TAP. 

Further, Coast Guard issued its most recent Commandant Instruction in 

2003, approximately 8 years prior to TAP redesign in 2011.14 However, 

Coast Guard issued policy guidance in 2014 that made some limited 

updates to the Commandant Instruction.15 Coast Guard officials also said 

the Coast Guard plans to issue a new TAP Commandant Instruction in 

May 2018. 

Under the redesigned TAP, Coast Guard servicemembers—like their 

DOD counterparts—begin TAP by attending pre-separation or transition 

counseling where they are briefed on TAP requirements and available 

transition resources.16 Pre-separation or transition counseling can be 

delivered by TAP managers, uniformed career counselors, or online (see 

fig. 2).17 Coast Guard servicemembers are able to participate in TAP 

either through the Coast Guard or at a DOD installation, if space is 

available.

 13See 10 U.S.C. § 1142 et seq.; 32 C.F.R. pt. 88; Department of Defense Instruction 

1332.35, Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for Military Personnel (Feb. 29, 2016). 

14U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Instruction 1900.2A, Transition Assistance Program

(April 17, 2003).

15U.S. Coast Guard ALCOAST message 383/14, Transition Assistance Update Mandatory 

Pre-separation Counseling (Sept.15, 2014).

16The Coast Guard generally uses the term “pre-separation counseling” to refer to this 

mandatory prerequisite for attending TAP classes. For the purposes of this report, we use 

the term pre-separation or transition counseling for consistency with previously published 

work. See GAO-18-23.

17According to a Coast Guard official, the Coast Guard is transitioning to offering preseparation or transition counseling online only. 
Page 7 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Figure 2: Redesigned Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Components and 

Activities Used By Coast Guard for Separating Servicemembers

a

VA Benefits I and II briefings are two sessions that provide an overview of VA benefits, including 

health, education, and disability benefits. The sessions cover how servicemembers can apply for 

benefits and connect with VA staff for further assistance.

During or at the end of pre-separation or transition counseling, 

participants register for and attend TAP courses. The core curriculum 

includes three required courses—the Department of Labor (DOL) 

Employment Workshop, unless exempt, and Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) Benefits Briefings I and II—and other courses that focus on 

aspects such as translating military skills and experiences into 

credentialing for civilian jobs and preparing a financial plan.18 Participants 

may also elect to attend additional 2-day classes either at a Coast Guard 

or DOD installation or online through the Joint Knowledge Online 

platform, according to agency officials. These additional 2-day classes 

include Accessing Higher Education, Career Technical Training, and 

Entrepreneurship. Federal law requires the Coast Guard to permit 

servicemembers who elect to take these additional 2-day classes to 

receive them.19

 18In this report, we refer to the DOL Employment Workshop and VA Benefits Briefings I 

and II as “required courses.” Coast Guard officials issued policy guidance in 2014 that 

required pre-separation counseling and stated TAP participation was also mandatory. 

(ALCOAST message 383/14). 

1910 U.S.C. § 1144(f).
Page 8 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Federal law establishes a time frame within which servicemembers with 

anticipated separation or retirement dates should begin the program.20

According to federal law, retirees with anticipated separation dates are 

expected to begin TAP as soon as possible during the 24-month period 

preceding that date, but not later than 90 days before separation. 

Similarly, servicemembers with anticipated separation dates who are not 

retiring are expected to begin as soon as possible during the 12-month 

period preceding that date, but not later than 90 days before separation. 

Servicemembers who learn that they will separate or retire from the 

military fewer than 90 days before their anticipated separation or 

retirement date are expected to begin TAP as soon as possible within 

their remaining period of service.

As we previously reported, officials from multiple federal agencies 

collaborate to deliver and assess TAP.21 The TAP interagency 

governance structure includes senior officials from DOD, VA, DOL, DHS, 

the Department of Education, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 

and the Small Business Administration (SBA), who participate in TAP 

Senior Steering Group meetings at least every month and TAP Executive 

Council meetings each quarter.22 Further, officials tasked to particular 

interagency working groups focus on specific elements of TAP (e.g., 

curriculum or performance measures), meet more frequently (typically at 

least once a month), and generally communicate weekly, according to 

agency officials. The TAP program manager for the Coast Guard told us 

that he participates in several of the working groups.

One such working group is the performance management working group 

that oversees the interagency TAP evaluation plan, which includes 

 2010 U.S.C. § 1142(a)(3). 

21GAO-18-23.

22According to the Interagency TAP Evaluation Plan for fiscal years 2017 and 2018, the 

Senior Steering Group (SSG) is comprised of both executive-level officials and key action 

officers from the agency partners and military services. At regular monthly meetings, these 

members discuss performance findings and evaluation methods, recommend refinements 

to either TAP operations or TAP evaluations, and ensure interagency concurrence on 

program changes. The TAP Executive Council (EC) includes senior executives from the 

agency partners and military services, and is responsible for establishing overall strategies 

and priorities. The EC meets quarterly to review salient findings from program evaluations, 

approve recommendations from SSG, or provide answers to key questions pertaining to 

leadership intent. The Coast Guard is part of the SSG but a non-voting member of the EC. 

Interagency Collaboration
Page 9 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

monitoring performance measures related to TAP requirements, 

indicators of post-program outcomes, and formal evaluations sponsored

by interagency partners. While DOD tracks TAP-specific performance 

measures, other interagency partners track indicators of how well 

veterans fare after leaving military service. For example, DOD tracks 

performance measures prior to servicemembers’ separation, such as TAP 

participation and credential attainment rates, while other agencies track 

post-separation indicators, such as unemployment rates among veterans 

ages 18 to 24.23 The performance management working group also 

reviews the formal evaluation efforts led by individual agencies and 

provides feedback to help shape their efforts in accordance with the TAP 

Evaluation Plan.

 23Officials from DOD, DOL, VA, and SBA told us that because many factors can affect 

such measures, including the strength of the economy, they refer to them as performance 

indicators rather than outcome measures.
Page 10 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

The Coast Guard does not have complete or reliable data on participation 

levels in TAP.24 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.25 Consequently, the data are updated on an ad-hoc basis, 

according to agency officials, and may not be timely or complete. For 

example, one TAP manager said she updates the list of TAP participants 

for her installation only once every few months because of her other 

duties.26 According to federal internal control standards, management 

should use quality information—including current and timely information—

to achieve the entity’s objectives and to communicate quality information 

to external parties.27 Given the lack of timely and complete data, we 

determined the Coast Guard’s TAP data were not sufficiently reliable for 

 24According to data the Coast Guard provided, the percentage of Coast Guard 

servicemembers who participated in TAP ranged from 54 to 64 percent during the past 

three years (2015 through 2017). Coast Guard officials said these figures do not include 

servicemembers who participate in TAP at a DOD installation, or online through DOD’s 

Joint Knowledge online platform. DOD records the servicemember’s information in DOD’s 

TAP-IT system, but because the DOD system and the Coast Guard’s spreadsheets are 

not linked, the information in DOD’s system is not automatically included in the Coast 

Guard’s participation figures, according to these officials. 

25The most recent Coast Guard Commandant Instruction on TAP—COMDTINST 

1900.2A—was issued in 2003, and thus does not reflect VOW Act requirements. Coast 

Guard officials issued policy guidance in 2014 that required pre-separation counseling and 

stated TAP participation was also mandatory (ALCOAST message 383/14). Further, 

Coast Guard officials said an updated Commandant Instruction is expected to be finalized 

in May 2018 and that after it has been released they plan to launch a pilot program to 

begin training Coast Guard commanders on using the TAP-IT Enterprise System.

26A Coast Guard official also said that vacant TAP manager positions and TAP managers 

being spread too thin have negatively affected data completeness.

27GAO, Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, GAO-14-704G 

(Washington, D.C.: September 2014). According to federal standards for internal control, 

quality information is complete, appropriate, current, accurate, accessible, and provided 

on a timely basis.

Coast Guard Lacks 

Reliable Data and 

Cites Several Factors 

that Affect 

Participation

Coast Guard Lacks 

Reliable Data on 

Servicemembers’

Participation in TAP
Page 11 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

an analysis of participation in TAP classes. Because it lacks policies and 

procedures governing reliable data collection, including when data should 

be entered and by whom, the Coast Guard cannot determine to what 

extent its servicemembers attend TAP, although federal law mandates 

that DHS ensure all TAP-eligible servicemembers participate in the 

program.

In addition, the data collection system currently used to track TAP 

participation is not sufficient to ensure reliable data. For example, 

according to Coast Guard staff, TAP staff enter TAP participation data 

into a shared spreadsheet that all TAP managers can edit. Specifically, 

staff record the names of servicemembers they identify as TAP-eligible 

and whether these individuals completed required portions of TAP. Coast 

Guard officials said they are in the process of adopting a new data 

system, in October 2018, to more reliably track TAP participation and that 

they expect to fully adopt this system–DOD’s TAP-IT Enterprise 

System—after a new Commandant Instruction is finalized, in May 2018.

28

In November 2016, DOD launched the new system to collect TAP-related 

data for servicemembers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine 

Corps.29 In addition to standardizing data collection and improving data 

completeness and accuracy, the TAP-IT Enterprise System is expected to 

track information related to the time frames of servicemembers’

participation. According to a senior DOD official, the military services will 

not be able to use the system to generate unit-level or installation-level 

reports until October 2018.

 28Coast Guard officials said the updated Commandant Instruction will require that 1) all 

servicemembers enter their information into the DOD TAP-IT system at the start of TAP to 

document having participated in pre-separation or transition counseling, 2)

servicemembers receive pre-separation counseling online and contact TAP managers to 

register for classes, 3) TAP managers verify that servicemembers completed preseparation counseling, 4) commanders verify that servicemembers either met Career 

Readiness Standards or were referred to other resources, and 5) commanders document 

completion of TAP. 

29For more information, see GAO-18-23.
Page 12 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

According to our survey, the most common factor affecting TAP 

participation, cited at 11 of the 12 Coast Guard installations we surveyed, 

pertained to servicemembers assigned to geographically remote 

locations. The next three most commonly cited factors–each cited by 7 of 

the 12 installations surveyed—relate to the timing of TAP participation: 

rapid separation from the military, not being sufficiently aware of the need 

to attend TAP, and starting the transition process too late to attend. (See 

fig. 3.) Headquarters-based TAP officials identified additional factors that 

may affect servicemember participation, such as separating from the 

Coast Guard Reserves or retiring with no plans to work after leaving the 

military. However, the Coast Guard lacks participation data to verify 

whether participation rates for these groups are in fact lower than for 

other Coast Guard servicemembers.30

Figure 3: Factors That Affected Participation in the Coast Guard’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

Coast Guard installations we surveyed did not indicate that unit 

commanders or direct supervisors affected participation in TAP’s required 

courses or additional 2-day classes. However, Coast Guard 

servicemembers and TAP officials we spoke with said unit commanders 

or direct supervisors sometimes prevented participation. All three TAP 

 30We were unable to independently verify how the participation rates of Coast Guard 

servicemembers in these groups compared to those in other groups because we found 

the Coast Guard’s data to be unreliable due to significant limitations with its data 

collection. 

Serving at a Remote 

Installation and Rapid 

Separations Hindered TAP 

Participation, As Did 

Limited Staff Capacity and 

Competing Priorities
Page 13 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

managers we spoke with (of 12 nationwide) told us that while 

commanders generally allowed servicemembers to register for TAP 

courses, they occasionally required them to return to their duties before 

completing the courses. We observed this during a TAP class at a Coast 

Guard installation we visited when a servicemember’s commander 

ordered her to return to the unit during TAP training and she missed a 

briefing she wanted to attend. Two of three TAP managers we 

interviewed also said commanders sometimes required servicemembers 

under their command to wait to take TAP classes until close to their 

separation date because of mission priorities.

Two of three TAP managers interviewed said that commanders in the 

Coast Guard face unique challenges in ensuring TAP participation. They 

said commanders in all branches of the military must balance competing 

demands, including their primary mission and the training needs of the 

personnel they oversee. They said it can be particularly difficult for Coast 

Guard commanders to juggle these priorities because Coast Guard 

servicemembers are sometimes assigned to very small units or called to 

return to duty for emergency situations during scheduled TAP classes. 

One TAP manager said that a commander in a remote location had 

collaborated with her to provide a classroom-based TAP class for 

transitioning Coast Guard servicemembers within the commander’s unit, 

but rescue efforts occurred during the class which resulted in most of 

those servicemembers returning to their vessel to respond to the 

emergency. In addition, all three TAP managers we spoke with said there 

are limited resources for holding TAP in a classroom setting. 

Consequently, classroom-based TAP may not be offered frequently in 

remote locations, making rescheduling difficult. One TAP manager said 

that her installation typically offers three or four TAP classes a year and 

because classes are so infrequent, servicemembers are encouraged to 

start TAP as soon as possible prior to separation.

Coast Guard staff we interviewed said that juggling competing priorities 

affected the Coast Guard’s ability to implement TAP. Both the frontline 

and headquarters staff who oversee TAP implementation said they 

oversee at least three other programs in addition to TAP at their 
Page 14 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

installation and throughout their regions, including the Coast Guard’s 

relocation and spousal employment programs.31

The Coast Guard relies on online delivery of TAP information and classes 

for servicemembers who are rapidly separating and assigned to remote 

and geographically dispersed units, according to our survey results and 

several Coast Guard staff we interviewed. For example, all 12 

installations we surveyed cited servicemembers facing rapid separations 

as a reason for accessing TAP training online, and 11 cited 

servicemembers being remotely stationed as a reason. Coast Guard staff 

also said online TAP was used for servicemembers interested in 

attending additional 2-day classes.

The three TAP managers we interviewed also identified several reasons 

why installations had to rely on online TAP classes. For example, one 

manager corroborated our survey results, saying that many Coast Guard 

servicemembers worked in small units assigned to remote and 

geographically dispersed locations, making it difficult to convene a 

sufficient number of transitioning Coast Guard servicemembers to meet 

minimum class size requirements.32 In addition, all three managers said 

they used the online version of TAP for remotely stationed Coast Guard 

servicemembers because the Coast Guard lacked the resources for them 

to attend classes in person.33 Although they preferred that 

servicemembers participate in live, classroom-based TAP classes, all of 

the managers acknowledged that the online version of TAP played an 

integral role in ensuring that more servicemembers could participate in 

the program. However, two of them noted that while classroom delivery of 

TAP classes provided an interactive learning environment that allowed 

participants to ask questions and learn from their peers, online 

participants generally clicked quickly through the slides and had difficulty 

understanding the information being presented. Two managers told us 

that they regularly used the online version to deliver parts of the TAP 

 31One of the other tasks TAP managers told us they are responsible for is overseeing the 

Ombudsman program, through which volunteer spouses assist other Coast Guard families 

and serve as advisors to commanding officers.

32Under DHS’s agreements with VA and DOL, at least 10 servicemembers must 

participate in every TAP class offered in person.

33According to Coast Guard staff, the Coast Guard Health, Safety, and Work-Life program 

does not generally fund travel expenses for TAP participation in a classroom setting, 

though individual units may decide to dedicate funds for this purpose.

Coast Guard Relies on 

Online Delivery of TAP for 

Several Categories of 

Servicemembers
Page 15 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

curriculum. For example, one TAP manager said she required 

participants to complete the crosswalk of military and civilian occupations 

class online before attending required classes in person. Two managers 

noted that additional 2-day classes were available online, and one noted 

that some servicemembers attended these classes in a classroom setting 

either on a Coast Guard base or a DOD installation. Finally, all three TAP 

managers said that many participants in online TAP classes would benefit 

from participating in a real-time virtual version of TAP led by live

facilitators. Two managers told us that having a remote facilitator 

delivering TAP in real time would give participants more opportunity to 

ask questions and better understand and absorb class content.34

Despite these challenges, TAP managers and separating Coast Guard 

servicemembers we interviewed provided generally positive feedback 

about the TAP program. All of the 25 Coast Guard servicemembers we 

spoke with said that the information they received during the courses was 

useful and they liked the instructors. One Coast Guard servicemember 

praised the classroom courses for being interactive, and several Coast 

Guard servicemembers said they wanted the opportunity to retake TAP 

before or shortly after they separated from the Coast Guard. 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.”

 34The Army currently allows soldiers to register for real-time online TAP classes taught 

remotely by live facilitators, a model that officials say allows soldiers to ask questions and 

interact with both facilitators and other participants.

Feedback About TAP Was 

Generally Positive

Examples of Positive Feedback on 

TAP from Participants

“This class has been instrumental in my 

preparation to transition.”

-Coast Guard servicemember

“[TAP was] very informative. [It] brought about 

more awareness of my benefits earned and 

crucial knowledge in obtaining a job quickly.”

-Coast Guard servicemember

Source: GAO interviews. | GAO-18-135
Page 16 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

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. Without reliable 

information, the Coast Guard cannot effectively monitor TAP 

implementation or measure program performance. DHS is mandated to 

ensure that all TAP- eligible servicemembers of the Coast Guard 

participate in TAP before leaving military service.35 However, without 

effective monitoring of program participation, the Coast Guard cannot 

know to what extent its servicemembers receive the required training they 

need to prepare for civilian life. 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.36 In addition, establishing 

goals can help agencies define expected performance and articulate 

results.37 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 

 35Pub. L. No. 112-56, Title II § 221, 125 Stat. 711, 715-16.

36GAO-14-704G.

37GAO, The Results Act: An Evaluator’s Guide to Assessing Agency Annual Performance 

Plans, GGD-10.1.20 (Washington, D.C.: April 1998); Agency Performance Plans: 

Examples of Practices That Can Improve Usefulness to Decisionmakers, 

GAO/GGD/AIMD-99-69 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 1999); Agencies’ Annual Performance 

Plans Under the Results Act: An Assessment Guide to Facilitate Congressional 

Decisionmaking, GAO/GGD/AIMD-10.1.18 (Washington, D.C.: February 1998).

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
Page 17 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

performance.38 However, the Coast Guard has not communicated a 

specific, measurable goal to TAP staff implementing the program, or to 

Coast Guard commanders who oversee separating and retiring Coast 

Guard servicemembers, according to a Coast Guard official. Establishing 

and communicating a formal goal could help the Coast Guard define 

expected performance. The official also told us that, like DOD, the Coast 

Guard tracks the elements of TAP mandated under the VOW Act—

transition or pre-separation counseling, VA Benefits I and II, and the DOL 

Employment Workshop.

The Coast Guard does not monitor the (1) timeliness of participation in 

TAP, and (2) access to additional 2-day classes. A Coast Guard official 

said the Coast Guard does not currently monitor TAP beyond tracking 

whether separating servicemembers participate in the required courses, 

and currently lacks the capacity to undertake additional monitoring efforts. 

However, he said additional monitoring would be possible once the Coast 

Guard completed the move to the DOD TAP-IT Enterprise data system.

According to a Coast Guard official, the Coast Guard does not currently 

monitor the timeliness of TAP participation although federal law 

prescribes time frames for servicemembers to begin TAP participation. 

Generally, separating servicemembers who are not retiring are to begin 

TAP participation no later than 90 days before their separation date.39

Without a systematic method for monitoring timeliness, the Coast Guard 

cannot know whether its servicemembers begin the program on time or 

account for the timeliness of TAP participation. 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.

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.40 By not tracking which 

 38DOD defines VOW compliance as attendance in mandatory transition or pre-separation 

counseling, VA benefits briefings, and the DOL Employment Workshop, unless exempt. 

The Coast Guard defines VOW compliance in the same way, according to a Coast Guard 

official. 

3910 U.S.C. § 1142(a)(3).

4010 U.S.C. § 1144(f)(2).

Coast Guard Does Not 

Monitor Compliance with 

Additional TAP 

Requirements

Timeliness of TAP Participation

Access to Additional 2-Day 

Classes
Page 18 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Coast Guard servicemembers participate in 2-day classes or requiring 

transition staff to document when servicemembers ask to attend, the 

Coast Guard cannot determine the extent to which servicemembers who 

wished to attend these courses were able to do so, as required by law.

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.41 As previously discussed, the Coast Guard’s last 

Commandant Instruction on TAP was issued in 2003, approximately 8 

years prior to TAP’s redesign. 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.42

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, two TAP managers also 

told us that an up-to-date Commandant Instruction might lead some 

commanders to place higher priority on ensuring TAP participation. Coast 

Guard officials said the Coast Guard was in the process of revising the 

TAP Commandant Instruction and anticipated issuing the new instruction 

in May 2018.

The Coast Guard lacks the ability to share data with commanders, limiting 

its ability to monitor TAP participation and ensure servicemembers attend 

the program. According to a Coast Guard official, the Coast Guard’s 

current data collection system also cannot generate installation or unitlevel participation rates to share with commanders who oversee 

transitioning and retiring servicemembers. Federal internal control 

standards state that management should share quality information 

throughout an organization to enable personnel to perform key roles, and 

we have previously reported that by regularly sharing useful performance 

information with leaders at multiple levels of an organization, agencies 

 41Coast Guard officials issued policy guidance in 2014 that required pre-separation 

counseling and stated TAP participation was also mandatory. (ALCOAST message 

383/14). 

42GAO-14-704G.

Roles and Responsibilities 

Are Not Clearly Defined

Coast Guard Does Not 

Share Participation or 

Performance Data with 

Commanders or TAP 

Interagency Partners, 

Limiting Monitoring and 

Evaluation
Page 19 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

can help leaders make informed decisions.43 Without this information, 

individual unit commanders or the commanders’ supervisors cannot 

determine whether Coast Guard servicemembers under their command 

completed TAP or identify whether there is a need for corrective actions 

to ensure they do so.

As we mention earlier in this report, the Coast Guard plans to adopt 

DOD’s TAP-IT Enterprise System, which according to officials, could help 

the Coast Guard ensure eligible servicemembers participate in the 

program. According to a Coast Guard official, once the system is fully 

implemented by the Coast Guard, commanders will be required to verify 

and document whether Coast Guard servicemembers under their 

command completed TAP, potentially making commanders more vested 

in the process. We previously reported that a senior DOD official said that 

the TAP-IT Enterprise System may be able to generate unit- and 

installation-level reports for the four DOD-led military services by October 

2018, and a Coast Guard official said he would work with DOD to identify 

whether this capability could also extend to the Coast Guard.44 Once data 

reliability improves, sharing installation and unit-level TAP performance 

information with Coast Guard commanders could support monitoring 

efforts.

The performance measures tracked by the TAP interagency working 

group do not reflect TAP implementation broadly across all five military 

services, according to a Coast Guard official we interviewed. The Coast 

Guard does not currently share TAP data it collects with DOD or other 

members of the interagency performance working group.45 While the 

benefits of interagency data sharing cannot be realized without the Coast 

Guard first improving the quality and completeness of its TAP data, we 

 43GAO-14-704G. See also GAO, Managing for Results: Enhancing Agency Use of 

Performance Information for Management Decision Making, GAO-05-927 (Washington, 

D.C.: Sept. 9, 2014).

44In our 2017 DOD TAP report, we noted that TAP officials we interviewed from each of 

the four DOD service branches (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy) said that being 

able to generate performance measures at the installation and unit command level had 

already been useful or would make the information more useful. Officials said this was 

either because of enhanced accountability or because reviewing performance this way 

would allow policy staff to identify installations or commands where additional outreach 

and education might be beneficial. See GAO-18-23.

45According to Coast Guard officials, DOD collects participation information for Coast 

Guard servicemembers who attend TAP at a DOD installation and enters it into DOD’s 

TAP-IT system.
Page 20 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

have identified leading practices for interagency collaboration, including 

that members of interagency working groups identify and share relevant 

agency performance data.46 Moreover, federal internal control standards 

call for management to communicate quality information to external 

parties.47 Because the Coast Guard does not share TAP data, the 

performance measures tracked by the interagency group do not reflect 

Coast Guard servicemembers’ experiences and thus do not provide a 

complete picture of TAP implementation across the five military services. 

More specifically for the Coast Guard, without such data sharing, future 

TAP evaluations may not be able to assess the effectiveness of TAP 

delivery, hindering the Coast Guard’s ability to make program 

adjustments to better prepare its servicemembers to successfully 

transition to life after military service. Coast Guard officials said migrating 

to DOD’s TAP-IT Enterprise System will facilitate information sharing with 

interagency partners and that improving data completeness and reliability 

is a top priority for 2018.

Given the sacrifices servicemembers have made to serve their country, it 

is imperative they are afforded every chance to adequately prepare for 

civilian life before leaving military service. In order to make a successful 

transition, servicemembers need to be well-positioned to get a job or 

make an informed decision about whether to pursue additional education 

or start a small business. As such, the Transition Assistance Program 

(TAP) serves a critically important function—to give servicemembers the 

tools and information they need to successfully transition to life outside 

the military. Federal law requires that the Coast Guard ensure all eligible 

servicemembers participate in the program, but thousands of Coast 

Guard servicemembers may have transitioned without the support 

provided by TAP. Reliably tracking participation has proven to be a 

challenge for the Coast Guard, in part because it lacks a current 

Commandant Instruction that defines the roles and responsibilities of staff 

responsible for implementing TAP and ensuring complete and reliable 

 46GAO, Managing for Results: Implementation Approaches Used to Enhance 

Collaboration in Interagency Groups, GAO-14-220 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 14, 2014); 

Managing for Results: Key Considerations for Implementing Interagency Collaborative 

Mechanisms, GAO-12-1022 (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 27, 2012); Results-Oriented 

Government: Practices That Can Help Enhance and Sustain Collaboration among Federal 

Agencies, GAO-06-15 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 21, 2005).

47GAO-14-704G. According to federal standards for internal control, quality information is 

complete, appropriate, current, accurate, accessible, and provided on a timely basis.

Conclusions
Page 21 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

data are collected. In preparing to issue an updated Commandant 

Instruction, the Coast Guard has taken a positive step toward addressing 

the limitations of its current TAP data, and will be better positioned to 

ensure compliance with VOW Act requirements using reliable data.

In addition to collecting reliable data, the Coast Guard could further 

demonstrate its commitment to meeting TAP requirements by 

establishing formal performance goals that measure the extent to which 

Coast Guard servicemembers participate in TAP. By establishing interim 

performance goals, the agency would be able to show its progress 

towards achieving full compliance. Moreover, communicating 

performance goals to unit and installation commanders could enhance 

accountability and might spur progress toward meeting federal program 

requirements.

By expanding its monitoring efforts beyond tracking participation in TAP’s 

required classes, the Coast Guard could enhance its ability to ensure 

other TAP requirements are met and that its servicemembers are able to 

access additional transition resources. Monitoring the timeliness of 

participation would help ensure Coast Guard servicemembers have 

adequate time to complete TAP before leaving the military. Further, by 

monitoring requests to participate in additional 2-day classes and 2-day 

class attendance, the Coast Guard would be in a better position to identify 

whether servicemembers who wish to attend the classes are able to do 

so, to determine whether more classes are needed, and to communicate 

this information to the interagency partners responsible for delivering 

these classes.

Commanders can also play a key role in bolstering TAP participation. 

Having an up-to-date written Commandant Instruction that explicitly 

describes commanders’ roles and responsibilities could enhance 

commanders’ ability to ensure TAP’s proper implementation and 

compliance with VOW Act requirements. Moreover, once data quality 

improves, providing commanders a mechanism to readily determine 

whether servicemembers under their command have completed TAP 

could help them monitor the program to ensure that all TAP-eligible 

servicemembers receive the resources they need to successfully 

transition to civilian life.

Finally, once more reliable data on Coast Guard servicemember 

participation are available, sharing this information with interagency 

partners could improve TAP implementation on a broader scale. Sharing 

reliable data, such as participation figures for the Coast Guard, would 
Page 22 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

give TAP interagency partners a more complete picture of implementation 

across all five military services. Sharing such information would also 

enhance the interagency group’s ability to evaluate how well TAP serves 

the entire population of servicemembers. Improving the reliability of the 

Coast Guard’s TAP data will be essential for the benefits of data sharing 

to be realized.

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 1)

• Establish a formal performance goal with a measurable target for 

participation rates in VOW Act-mandated portions of TAP. 

(Recommendation 2)

• Monitor the extent to which Coast Guard servicemembers participate 

in TAP within prescribed time frames. (Recommendation 3)

• Monitor the extent to which Coast Guard servicemembers who elect 

to participate in additional 2-day classes are afforded the opportunity 

to attend. (Recommendation 4)

• Issue an updated Commandant Instruction that defines the roles and

responsibilities of the personnel who administer the program and 

ensure servicemembers’ participation. (Recommendation 5)

• Once reliable data are available by installation or unit, enable unit 

commanders and the higher-level commanders to whom they report 

to access TAP performance information specifically for the units they 

oversee so that they can monitor compliance with all TAP 

requirements. (Recommendation 6)

• Once reliable data are available, share TAP information with DOD and 

other interagency partners, such as data on participation in required 

TAP courses and additional 2-day classes. (Recommendation 7)

Recommendations for 

Executive Action
Page 23 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

We provided a draft of this report to the Departments of Homeland 

Security, Defense, Education, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, the Office of 

Personnel Management, and the Small Business Administration for their 

review and comment. The formal written response of the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) is reproduced in appendix II. In addition, DHS 

provided technical comments from Coast Guard officials that we 

incorporated into the report as appropriate. The other agencies did not 

provide any comments. 

In its written comments, DHS agreed with all seven of our 

recommendations.

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact 

me at (202) 512-7215 or brownbarnesc@gao.gov. Contact points for our

Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on 

the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this

report are listed in appendix III.

Cindy Brown Barnes, Director

Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues

Agency Comments 

and our Evaluation
Page 24 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

List of Requesters

The Honorable Johnny Isakson

Chairman

The Honorable Jon Tester

Ranking Member

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

United States Senate

The Honorable Jodey Arrington

Chairman

The Honorable Beto O’Rourke

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

House of Representatives

The Honorable Richard Blumenthal

United States Senate

The Honorable Mark Takano

House of Representatives

The Honorable Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M

House of Representatives
Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 25 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

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. We also 

reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, policies, documents, and 

publications. Information in this report is current as of the date GAO 

received formal agency comments from DHS.

Our survey of Coast Guard installations with full-time TAP operations 

asked about how TAP was being implemented. The survey included 

questions about the accessibility of TAP components, challenges Coast 

Guard servicemembers faced in attending the components, and the level 

of commander support for participation. Our survey targeted front-line 

TAP managers, who could draw on the expertise of TAP course 

facilitators, transition counselors, career counselors, and other key TAP 

staff as necessary.

After drafting the survey questions, we pretested them with a TAP 

manager to ensure (1) the questions were clear and unambiguous, (2) 

terminology was used correctly, (3) the survey did not place an undue 

burden on agency officials, (4) the information could feasibly be obtained, 

and (5) the survey was comprehensive and unbiased. We revised the 

content and format of the survey based on the feedback we received.1

We initially sent the survey to TAP managers at all 13 Coast Guard 

installations at which TAP staff were located. We removed one installation 

when we later found that the TAP manager position was vacant and 

 1

As part of our survey, we included DOD installations that conducted TAP. DOD, which 

has jurisdiction over the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, provided a list of 186 

installations that conducted TAP. We contacted TAP officials at four installations to 

provide feedback on the survey. We separately analyzed the survey response from DOD 

installations. See GAO-18-23. 

Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and 

Methodology

Overview

Survey
Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 26 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

revised the total to 12 Coast Guard installations. The survey was 

accessible online from October 31, 2016, through January 18, 2017, 

through a secure server that recipients were able to access using unique 

usernames and passwords. We sent an email announcement to TAP staff 

at all 13 Coast Guard installations at which TAP staff are located on 

October 24, 2016. We sent a second email on October 31, 2016 to notify 

participants the survey was available online, and provided their unique 

passwords and usernames. We sent two follow-up e-mails (November 14, 

2016 and November 28, 2016) to those who had not responded. Finally, 

we contacted all remaining nonrespondents by telephone starting 

December 5, 2016. The survey was available online until we reached a 

100 percent response rate.

To increase our understanding into how TAP was being implemented at 

installations and supplement our survey findings, we visited one Coast 

Guard installation and interviewed TAP managers from two additional 

installations. We selected the installations based on several factors, 

including the size of the installation, proximity to Department of Defense 

(DOD) installations, and diverse locations in the United States. (See table 

1.) At Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in North Carolina, the installation 

we visited, we interviewed the TAP manager, uniformed career 

counselors, and senior installation leadership. During our interviews with 

TAP managers at all three installations, we asked about the extent to 

which Coast Guard servicemembers participate in TAP’s required and 

additional 2-day classes, including whether the servicemembers attended 

classes online or in a classroom setting, challenges to ensuring Coast 

Guard servicemembers participate in TAP, and the extent to which they 

monitor Coast Guard servicemembers’ participation in TAP. At Coast 

Guard Base Elizabeth City, we also interviewed 25 Coast Guard 

servicemembers (both officers and enlisted personnel) to get their 

perspective on how well TAP worked and any challenges they had 

participating. To help guide the interviews with the Coast Guard 

servicemembers, we asked them to complete a short questionnaire that 

asked about their experiences with the TAP program.2

 2

As part of our prior review of DOD’s Transition Assistance Program, we visited seven 

installations, including Naval Base Norfolk, where we spoke with Coast Guard members 

who had taken TAP at that installation. See GAO-18-23.

Interviews with Coast 

Guard Installation 

TAP Staff and 

Servicemembers
Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 27 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Table 1: Coast Guard Installations Selected by GAO for Conducting Interviews on 

Transition Assistance Program (TAP) 

Installation Name Location Interview in-person or by phone

Coast Guard Base 

Elizabeth City

Elizabeth City, 

North Carolina

In-Person

Coast Guard Base 

Kodiak

Kodiak, Alaska Phone

Coast Guard Base 

New Orleans

New Orleans, 

Louisiana

Phone

Source: GAO. | GAO-18-135

We also interviewed TAP staff at Coast Guard headquarters to learn 

about TAP policy, monitoring efforts, and performance measures for the 

service overall. For example, we asked what policies and procedures 

guide installations’ TAP implementation; what performance measures the 

Coast Guard uses to monitor TAP; how performance results are reported 

and shared with different levels of Coast Guard leadership; and to what 

extent the Coast Guard uses results from TAP participant satisfaction 

assessments. We also asked whether the Coast Guard plans to shift to 

DOD’s new TAP-IT Enterprise System and how using the new system 

could affect its monitoring efforts in the future.3 In evaluating the Coast 

Guard’s performance measures, we focused on measures related to 

servicemembers’ transition experiences before leaving the military. We 

did not gather information on post-program evaluations and outcomes 

because they were determined to be outside the scope of this review.

We reviewed DHS data on TAP participation for fiscal years 2012 to 

2017. To assess the reliability of the Coast Guard’s TAP participation 

data, we interviewed agency officials knowledgeable about the data. We 

determined these data were not sufficiently reliable due to limitations with 

the Coast Guard’s data collection system. Specifically, the system lacks 

adequate controls to ensure TAP data are complete and accurate.

 3

In November 2016, DOD launched a new system for electronically collecting TAP-related 

information—the TAP-IT Enterprise System—which Coast Guard officials told us is being 

gradually introduced at Coast Guard facilities. DOD officials said they shifted to the new 

TAP-IT Enterprise System to standardize data collection and improve data completeness 

and accuracy. The TAP-IT Enterprise System is expected to allow multiple authorized 

users—including transition counselors and commanders and their designees—to enter 

information directly into TAP’s database, minimizing the risk that data will be lost. 

Interviews with 

Agency Personnel

Data Reliability 

Assessment
Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and 

Methodology

Page 28 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

We conducted this performance audit from February 2016 to April 2018 in 

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 

Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain 

sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our 

findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that 

the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and 

conclusions based on our audit objectives.
Page 29 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Appendix II: Comments from the Department 

of Homeland Security
Page 30 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans
Page 31 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans
Page 32 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Cindy Brown Barnes, (202) 512-7215 or brownbarnesc@gao.gov

In addition to the contact named above, Meeta Engle (Assistant Director), 

Amy MacDonald (Analyst-in-Charge), James Bennett, Holly Dye, David 

Forgosh, Ying Long, Jonathan McMurray, Jean McSween, Andrew 

Sherrill, Benjamin Sinoff, and Timothy Young, made significant 

contributions to this report.

Also contributing to this report were Susan Aschoff, Jessie Battle, 

Ramona Burton, Melinda Cordero, Elizabeth Curda, Dawn Hoff, Ben

Licht, Serena Lo, Sheila McCoy, Almeta Spencer, Christopher Schmitt, 

James Whitcomb, and Jill Yost.

Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments

GAO Contact

Staff 

Acknowledgments
Appendix IV: Related Products

Page 33 GAO-18-135 Transitioning Veterans

Transitioning Veterans: DOD Needs to Improve Performance Reporting 

and Monitoring for the Transition Assistance Program, GAO-18-23. 

Washington, D.C.: November, 8, 2017.

Transitioning Veterans: Improvements Needed in DOD’s Performance 

Reporting and Monitoring of the Transition Assistance Program, 

GAO-18-225T. Washington, D.C.: November 8, 2017.

Department of Defense: Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for Military 

Personnel, GAO-16-302R. Washington, D.C.: December 17, 2015.

Veterans’ Employment: Need for Further Workshops Should Be 

Considered before Making Decisions on Their Future, GAO-15-518. 

Washington, D.C.: July 16, 2015.

Military and Veteran Support: DOD and VA Programs That Address the 

Effects of Combat and Transition to Civilian Life, GAO-15-24. 

Washington, D.C.: November 7, 2014.

Veterans Affairs: Better Understanding Needed to Enhance Services to 

Veterans Readjusting to Civilian Life, GAO-14-676. Washington, D.C.: 

September 10, 2014.

Transitioning Veterans: Improved Oversight Needed to Enhance 

Implementation of Transition Assistance Program, GAO-14-144. 

Washington, D.C.: March 5, 2014.

Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Enhanced Services Could Improve 

Transition Assistance for Reserves and National Guard, GAO-05-544. 

Washington, D.C.: May 20, 2005.

Military and Veterans’ Benefits: Observations on the Transition 

Assistance Program, GAO-02-914T (July 18, 2002).

Appendix IV: Related Products

(102293)
The Government Accountability Office, the audit, evaluation, and investigative 

arm of Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional 

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