Coast Guard National Maritime Center's Oversight of Merchant Mariner Training and Examinations

Date Issued

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Submitting OIG

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Other Participating OIGs

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Department of Homeland Security

Components

United States Coast Guard (USCG)

Report Number

OIG-24-08

Report Description

The United States Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center (NMC) struggled to approve merchant mariner training offered by NMCapproved third-party training providers in a timely manner, and it routinely extended merchant mariner training courses and programs past their 5-year regulatory approval period. NMC also did not have adequate quality control measures, resulting in training providers offering training that did not meet all regulatory and policy standards.

Report Type

Inspection / Evaluation

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Open Recommendations

This report has 7 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1	No	$0	$0
Develop and implement a course approvals plan to address the existing backlog and to avoid future approval delays.
2	No	$0	$0
Establish and implement quality control measures for course approvals to include peer review or other mechanisms to ensure course approvals meet requirements.
3	No	$0	$0
Develop and implement goals and requirements for the course oversight auditing program, including the number and type of audits to be conducted by each auditor in a given time period.
4	No	$0	$0
Establish and implement controls to ensure audit results are used to improve operations and apply enforcement actions to MTPs, such as suspension or withdrawal of course approvals, after serious nonconformities are identified.
5	No	$0	$0
Develop and implement policy and procedures for routinely conducting in person-audits of mariner training sites to ensure sites are operating in accordance with the site approval.
6	No	$0	$0
Develop and implement a policy for routinely conducting audits of thirdparty course approvers to ensure they have processes for reviewing, approving, and monitoring training that are equal to the Coast Guard’s course approval and oversight processes.
7	No	$0	$0
Develop and implement a plan to modernize NMC’s examination processes, with a milestone timeline endorsed by the Coast Guard offices whose support and assistance is needed.