ALCOAST 333/22 - SEP 2022 SURGE STAFFING BUSINESS RULES UPDATE

R 121903Z SEP 22 MID200080190257U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 333/22
SSIC 5400
SUBJ: SURGE STAFFING BUSINESS RULES UPDATE
A. Obtaining Personnel Resources To Meet Surge Requirements,
COMDTINST 5400.1B
1. This ALCOAST announces an update to REF (A) and updated business
rules to fulfill Coast Guard Surge Staffing needs. Surge Staffing
directs temporary assignment of active-duty, reserve, civilian, and
auxiliary members for up to 180 days in support of TDY augmentation,
contingency response, and mobilizations. Districts, Areas, DOL,
technical authorities, and PSC-PSD-SSS work independently and in
conjunction with each other to identify and source candidates with
the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities to fill mission
critical gaps.
2. The challenges from recruiting and retention combined with the
increase in contingency operations the last few years put a strain
on units, members, and their families. It also highlighted
shortcomings in the Surge Staffing process, not accustomed to such
unprecedented volume, that hindered the efficient and timely
placement of Coast Guard men and women to meet the needs of the
Nation, Department, and Service. A review of all parts of the Surge
Staffing process identified needed areas of improvement to posture
the Coast Guard to respond appropriately to both current and future
missions.
3. The following changes to REF (A) and the implementation of new
business rules are effective immediately. They are intended to
improve all parts of the Surge Staffing process from initial
requests to member sourcing. They will allow the Coast Guard to
sustain the capability and readiness of our current environment
while being ready for the needs of the future.
a. The last sentence of Paragraph 11 is updated to read:
"Requesting units anticipating a contingency, operational surge, or
short-term requirement for which assigned personnel are considered
insufficient must submit their request(s) as soon as practicable in
accordance with enclosure (1) and the following guidance."
b. Paragraph 11.j. of REF (A) is added to read:
"Reporting Requirements - PSC-PSD-SSS shall produce a quarterly
report to DCMS documenting statistics on volume, unit types,
frequency, and timing of Surge Staffing requests. These metrics will
enable senior leadership to strategically direct resources and lines
of effort to ensure Coast Guard units have the personnel resources
needed to meet current and future missions."
c. The Critical-Need Decision Aid listed in Enclosure (1) of
REF (A) to identify surge staffing personnel needs is replaced.
The new Critical-Need Decision Aid can be found at the PSC-PSD-SSS
Sharepoint site at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/psc_spo/Surge%20Staffing/
Surge%20Staffing/Forms/AllItems.aspx

This new aid implements a mission-based risk assessment applicable
to all unit types and categorizes personnel needs into four areas:
Voluntary, Mission Supplemental, Mission Significant, and Mission
Critical. These expanded choices permit units to appropriately
classify and request the need, communicate the severity of the need
to operational commanders, and allow Surge Staffing partners to
prioritize filling that need.
d. The Critical Need Decision Aid Explanations of Enclosure (1)
of REF (A) is replaced with a table defining the four personnel
needs categories. The new Table of Personnel Needs can be found at
the PSC-PSD-SSS Sharepoint site at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/psc_spo/Surge%20Staffing/
Surge%20Staffing/Forms/AllItems.aspx

This table complements the Critical-Need Decision Aid ensuring the
appropriate category is identified in the request.
e. Request for Forces templates listed as Enclosures (2-5) of
REF (A) are updated to account for these four personnel need
options. Updated Request for Forces templates can be found at the
PSC-PSD-SSS Sharepoint site at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/psc_spo/Surge%20Staffing/
Request%20For%20Forces%20RFF%20Templates/Forms/AllItems.aspx

4. The following Surge Staffing practices are implemented effective
immediately to ensure the health of the overall workforce:
a. The template sent from PSC-PSD-SSS to commands of identified
candidates is updated to include new response options to ensure
Surge Staffing partners receive correct information on member
availability in order to fulfill surge staffing needs. Every unit
and member are critical to the success of this organization;
however, there are times where the Service must prioritize one
mission over another. This updated response template accurately
identifies member exemptions outlined in REF (A) and permits both
command and member input. Surge Staffing partners can appropriately
identify the best candidate to fill the needed position based on
member preference and command concerns.
b. PSC-PSD-SSS shall reduce its internal processing time to
increase lead time for command and member notifications. With the
exception of emergent and contingency operations that require short
notice requests, PSC-PSD-SSS shall request input from commands no
later than three weeks prior to the requested report date. Further,
PSC-PSD-SSS shall notify selected members no later than one week
prior to the requested report date except in the case of emergent
and contingency operations. This increased lead time is obtainable
due to increased efficiencies in identification of members and their
respective rating chains without cumbersome and time-consuming
manual entries. These efficiencies will be included in a future
update to the Direct Access Mobilization Tool (DAMOB) to better
respond to emergent needs.
5. These updates to REF (A) and associated business rules take a
multi-faceted approach to increase fidelity of Surge Staffing
requests, maximize internal efficiencies, and increase candidate
pools for mission critical needs. With improvements to all parts of
the process, Surge Staffing fatigue will be reduced thereby enabling
the Coast Guard to respond to National and Service needs as
efficiently as possible.
6. These changes will be incorporated into the next revision of
REF (A), which will be released within the next year.
7. Refer questions to CG PSC-PSD-SSS at: HQS-SMB-PSC-SSS@uscg.mil or
visit the CG PSC-PSD-SSS Sharepoint Page at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/psc_spo/Surge%20Staffing/
SitePages/SurgeStaffing.aspx

8. RADM B. K. Penoyer, Assistant Commandant for Human
Resources (CG-1), sends.
9. Internet release is authorized.