Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/149372
Partnerships and Governance The Arctic Initiatives Matrix Team Coordinating Coast Guard vision and operational efforts. byCDRKARIN E. MESSENGER Senior Strategic Policy Supervisor U.S. Coast Guard Therapidlychangingenvironmentalconditionsand increasedlevelofhumanactivitytakingplaceinthe ArcticregionrequirestheU.S.CoastGuardtoexaminehowweevaluateandexpandourpreparedness and readiness to address risk to mariners and the environment. This has required that Coast Guard headquarters,areas,districts,andoperationalunits developwellthought-outandcoordinatedplans,priorities,andinitiativesforthisemergingregion ll —a withinthecurrentCoastGuardresourceandbudget footprint. It Takes a Team ThisisthetypeofprojectthattheDeputyCommandantforOperationsEmergingPolicy1staff(DCO-X) wasoriginallycreatedtocoordinateandhasbeen coordinating for the past four years. DCO-X was designedtoexaminetime-sensitive,emerging-policy issues thatthe CoastGuard needs to strategically addressandultimatelytransfertodedicatedprogram managers.Thispastyear,DCO-Xhasevolvedtoalso serveasastrategicinitiativesgroup,whichinvolves buildingstrategies,developingtestimony,andrepresentingtheCoastGuardinhigh-proflevenues.Arcticpolicycoordinationremainsanimportantpartof DCO-X'sportfolio. TheArcticisnotanewmission;ratheritisachallenging,expandingoperationalareafortheCoastGuard to execute its existing statutory responsibilities. However,advancingtheCoastGuard'sactivitiesand prioritiesintheArcticisnotsomethingthatDCO-X 62 Proceedings Summer 2013 canperformindependently;signifcantengagement acrossCoastGuardstakeholdersisneeded.Toaddress thisneed,DCO-Xturnedtoamatrixorganization. The Matrix DCO-XhashostedtheArcticInitiativesMatrixTeam (AIMT)forthepastfouryears.Atitsonset,theAIMT was comprised of a coalition of interested Coast Guardpartiestoshareinformationandcoordinate acrossprogramsanddirectorates.Withthegrowing riskassociatedwithincreasedsummertimemaritime activities,includinganticipationofoffshoreexploratorydrilling,itwasclearthatthisworkgroupneeded additional structure. In October 2011, the Deputy Commandant for Operations chartered the Arctic InitiativesMatrixTeamtoplayadefnitiverolein shapingthewayforwardfortheCoastGuardandthe nation.Thecharteroutlinedspecifcteamtasksand long-termfunctionsalongwithdesignatingrequired CoastGuardstakeholdermembership. Today,theArcticInitiativesMatrixTeam'smembershipisstrongandgrowing.Theteammeetsregularly toshareinformation,projects,andnewinitiatives. Importantly,thesemeetingsbreakdownprogrammaticstovepipesandincreaseinternalCoastGuard collaborationtoeffectivelycoordinateArcticinitiatives.ItiscommonforthemonthlyAIMTmeetingto spuradditionalcoordinationmeetingstofurtherdiscussatopicthatwasonthatmonth'sagenda,which beneftsall. continued on page 64 www.uscg.mil/proceedings