Internal Environment Report

Introduction 

The United States Coast Guard is a principal agency of the federal government charged with the responsibility of overseeing maritime security, environmental stewardship, and safety of various waterways and ports within across the nation. To that extent, the US Coast Guard defends and protects the US inland waterways and the coastline which extends to a distance of over 100,000 miles. Additionally, the US Coast Guard is in charge of safeguarding a region that encompasses an area of about 4.5 million square miles described as Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). An analysis of the internal environment of the US Coast Guard is a critical consideration towards the realization of its strategic and successful achievement of its set goals and objectives ( Leung & Welborn, 2011). 

Core competencies and how they are related and critical to the Vision, Mission and Objectives (VMO) execution 

Stubbs (2011) explains that core competencies are concepts in the management of an organization that represent a harmonious combination of various skills, expertise, and resources with the aim of ensuring that the organization remains competitive. The US Coast Guard is ensuring the security, stewardship, and safety of the of the nation’s maritime. The vision of this organization includes duty to the people, service to the nation as well as commitment to excellence in all its operations. In that regard, the core competencies of US Coast Guard represent a formal articulation of important values that it holds dear through its services. The execution of the vision, mission, and objectives of the US Coast Guard finds basis and considerable support in the various core competencies upheld by the US Coast Guard organization. This organization is committed to integrity where it works towards the demonstration of uncompromised moral behavior and ethical conduct in its actions. Moreover, the organization expresses loyalty and accountability to the public trust. The US Coast Guard also values and respects a diversity of workforce where everyone is treated with dignity, fairness, and compassion (Dipietro & Storch, 2015). In this respect, every individual is encouraged through personal growth, creativity, and empowerment in addition to working as a team. The other value that forms part of the core competencies of the US Coast Guard in line with its vision, mission and objectives is devotion to duty. In this regard, the US Coast Guard is made up of both civilian and military professionals who have always demonstrated considerable levels of responsibility, accountability, and commitment towards the achievement of success in offering services to people. 

Rare core competencies of this organization include the demonstration of one of the highest standards of integrity and accountability to the public trust in the delivery of their services. Further, this organization has previously been able to exhibit an exceptional level of leadership towards performance and change. The US Coast Guard has remained committed to its rare competencies despite facing different operational challenges in the last couple of years. As part of their rare core competencies, leaders in this organization have often demonstrated utmost level of performance and ethical consideration in the performance of their daily duties. Strategic thinking and execution of plans is another core competency inhibited by the leadership at the US Coast Guard which is costly and not easy to imitate. Leaders in this organization have always demonstrated a rare and immediate reaction to crises which is a vital requirement in finding amicable solutions to urgent issues and problems. In keeping with the organization’s vision, mission, and objectives, the leadership at the US Coast Guard has been able to demonstrate a consideration of complex interactions and multiple horizons of time factor. Discharging such responsibilities is something that requires competent values as well as an exceptional level of strategic thinking. Moreover, strategic thing calls for the leadership to focus on intent and adopt a systematic view in addressing emerging issues in the course of their operations (Leung & Welborn, 2011). 

Summary of the US Coast Guard’s strengths and weaknesses 

In terms of strengths, the US Coast Guard is equipped with some of the most competent expertise responsible for playing a very crucial role in facilitating its operations at the within the environment of the coastal maritime. Further, this organization is adequately equipped with several assets whose designs are well suited for operations taking place within a coastal environment. Such assets include patrol vessels, motor life vessels and response vessels among several others. The operations of the US Coast Guard are also significantly strengthened by the presence of various sophisticated deep-water vessels with the ability to take part in numerous unique activities. The national security cutter which is a crucial component of the port security plays a critical role in acting as a control and command scene for different port approaches including Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay and New York Harbor. This organization also takes pride in its skilled and experienced personnel who are adequately capable of handling operations and responsibilities using different vessels and aircrafts within the coastal environment. Moreover, the Coast Guard personnel enjoy a rare flexibility of when it comes to discharging the responsibilities and delivery of services. This strength makes it easier and convenient for members of the Coast Guard personnel to shift from one mission responsibility to another without difficulties and restrictions (Stubbs, 2011). 

As noted by Leung and Welborn (2011), the US Coast Guard has always expressed one of its weaknesses through its inability to focus and specialize on the uniqueness of its strengths. Focus on uniqueness is one of the features that clearly distinguish most successful organizations from the rest. The US Coast Guard has not been successful in when it comes to demonstrating proficiency in both divergent and individual missions that would be expected to ensure speedy and effective execution of missions. Additionally, this organization has often found itself in a situation where it lacks real strategies when it comes to operations involving joint world. The nature of the US Coast Guard allow it to execute its duties and responsibilities through Combatant Commanders from the defense department and agencies of law enforcement at the federal, state and international levels of engagement. In this regard, the US Coast Guard has often experience challenges and difficulties in the sense that it has not been able to have an effective channel of and systems of communication with the department of defense as well as the department of homeland. Further, this organization is often faced with challenges emanating from lack of adequate education, training, and experience on internal matters concerning other military organizations. 

The other weakness of the US Coast Guard is associated with the vulnerability of its Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) servers. As such, this organization has not been able to engage itself in an effective security management and control of its databases for MISLE. An evaluation, as well as the performance of the vulnerability of assessment scans in relation to the MISLE databases for this organization, has been able to substantial traces of configuration weaknesses. Moreover, additional configuration weaknesses have been found to exist following the conduction of manual check exercises on the security settings of the main MISLE database. Previous efficiency assessments and evaluations have also managed to identify a myriad of issues in relation to administration of password, rights of accessibility, encryption, and management of configuration among others. This kind of weakness could assist attackers or malicious people to gain unauthorized and inappropriate access to the data present in the custody of US Coast Guard through MISLE (Dipietro & Storch, 2015). 

SWOT Analysis of the US Coast Guard 

STRENGTHS  Presence of competent expertise within the US Coast Guard  adequately equipped with several assets that are suitable for operation in a coastal environment  Presence of various sophisticated deep-water vessels with the ability to take part in numerous unique activities.  Presence of national security cutter which is a crucial component of the port security plays a critical role in acting as a control and command scene  Presence of skilled and experienced personnel capable of handling operations and responsibilities using different vessels and aircrafts within the coastal environment  Rare flexibility of operations among members of the US Coast Guard’s personnel

WEAKNESSES  Lack of sufficient commitment by the US Coast Guard to focus on the specialization of the uniqueness of its strengths  Failure in demonstrating proficiency in both divergent and individual missions in accordance with the public expectation  Lack of real strategies when it comes to handling operations involving joint world missions  Ineffective channel of and systems of communication with the department of defense as well as the department of homeland  Vulnerability of its Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) servers

OPPORTUNITIES  Exploration chances in relation to engagement in joint force missions with other forces  Availability of unexplored duties and responsibilities with regard to various dimensions peacetime military engagements  Suitability and ability of the personnel of this organization to offer expertise and services in other areas of military service other than maritime

THREATS  Insecurity and terrorist attack against the US Coast Guard’s vessels and its personnel  Possibility of the involvement of the US Coast Guards in making significant contributions towards counter-terrorism operations

Table 1: SWOT Analysis of the US Coast Guard 

The identification and selection of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in this analysis are largely based on their role in influencing and affecting the Vision, Mission, and Objectives (VMO) of the US Coast Guard as an organization. Moreover, issues such as the safety and security of the Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) servers form the basis of critical consideration towards the realization of strategic developments at the US Coast Guards. The analysis of the strengths and opportunities associated with this organization ensures that it remains in a strategic position to work towards the attainment of its goals and objectives as well as fulfillment of its mission (Stubbs, 2011). 

Tangible and intangible assets of the US Coast Guard through Resource-Based View (RBV) 

Various tangible and intangible assets associated with the US Coast Guards are identifiable through the adoption and application of the Resource-Based View (RBV). In this regard, the assets forms part of the strategic resources considered in the management framework of this organization with the aim of accomplishing its different intended strategies as well as achieving sustainability ( Hickey, 2012). Different tangible and intangible assets belonging to the US Coast Guards are tabulated below: 

Tangible Assets	Intangible Assets
Patrol vessels  Motor life vessels  Response vessels  Deep-water vessels  Aircraft  Control and command scene  Maritime personnel	Expertise  Proficiency of service delivery  Professionalism  Security system  Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) system

Table 2: Tangible and intangible assets of the US Coast Guard 

The above selected tangible and intangible assets have a collective role to play towards the strategic achievement of the goals and objectives set out by the US Coast Guard. In this regard, the various types of vessels including Patrol vessels, Motor life vessels, Response vessels and Deep-water vessels as well as other maritime equipment are critical in facilitating the operations within different missions undertaken by this organization. Additionally, intangible assets belonging to this organization such as expertise, professionalism, proficiency of service delivery, security system and Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) system are aligned to its vision and mission as well as intended strategies ( Hickey, 2012). 

Value Chain Analysis of the US Coast Guard resources and capabilities 

Various things are capable of making it difficult to imitate the capabilities and resources belonging to the US Coast Guard. These things include rare core competencies of this organization that can be demonstrated through respect, honor, and devotion to duty. Furthermore, it is difficult to imitate the commitment to service by this organization which is often demonstrated through considerably high standards of integrity and accountability to the public trust. The organization also takes pride in the members of its personnel who are adequately equipped with rare expertise and experience as well as the ability to exercise flexibility of duties and responsibilities (Talley, Jin & Kite-Powell, 2005). 

Organization’s infrastructure: Planning, Operations, Finance, Legal
Human Resource Management: Hiring, Training, Retention, Research
Technology Development: Continuous development and enhancement of US Coast Guard’s assets
Procurement of resources: Purchase and acquisition of relevant resources
Inbound Logistics  Mission planning  Inventory control  Storage	Operations  Surveillance  Scheduled attacks  Peacekeeping missions	Outbound Logistics  Transportation  External planning and coordination	Services  Maritime security  Public relations and engagements

Table 3: Value Chain Analysis of the US Coast Guard resources and capabilities 

The analysis of the resources and capabilities belonging to the US Coast Guard presents organizational infrastructure, Human Resource Management, development of technology and procurement of resources as support processes along the value chain. Inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, and services are presented as primary processes within the US Coast Guard organization ( Talley, Jin and Kite-Powell, 2005). 

Conclusion 

In summing up, it is worth noting that the successful implementation of the strategies, goals, and objectives of the US Coast Guard is largely dependent on its Vision, Mission and Objectives (VMO) as well as core competencies. To this extent, it is clear that the analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the US Coast Guard as well as the examination of the organization’s tangible and intangible assets play a crucial role understanding its internal and external environments. Moreover, the organization and operation of resources and capabilities belonging to the US Coast Guard are clarified through Value Chain Analysis. 

References 

Dipietro, A., & Storch, R. L. (2015). The U.S. Coast Guard 87' patrol boat maintenance program: An analysis of a scheduling and resource leveling problem . Seattle: University of Washington Libraries 

Hickey, J. (2012). A system theoretic safety analysis of U.S. Coast Guard aviation mishap involving CG-6505 . Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Leung, A., & Welborn, K. (2011). Admiral Thad Allen, MPA ‘86, 23rd Commandant of the US Coast Guard. Policy Perspectives , 18 (1), 130. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.4079/pp.v18i0.9363 

Stubbs, C. (2011). The US coast guard. Marine Policy , 18 (6), 506-520. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0308-597x(94)90074-4 

Talley, W., Jin, D., & Kite-Powell, H. (2005). The US Coast Guard Vessel Inspection Programme: A Probability Analysis. Maritime Economics & Logistics , 7 (2), 156-172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.mel.9100127