Innovation Council
2010 Innovation Award Winner:
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The Vessel Response Plan (VRP) Program began in 1996 as a result of the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and
the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Coast Guard Headquarters CG-5431 is responsible
for the oversight of the Vessel Response Plan Program that included an inventory
of over 3000 paper plans that covered 22,000 vessels. Until 2009, 24
geographically dispersed contract staff conducting VRP reviews that took 45-60
days to complete. Due to the lengthy approval rate, shipping companies found
themselves incurring costs of $20,000-30,000 per day. In addition, the cost of
contract support had grown to over $2.6 million in 2009.
The VRP staff leveraged database technology, ISO 9001/2008, Lean and Six Sigma
methodology to improve workflow and customer service reducing review times from
45-60 days to 5-8 days. Contract staffing levels were cut in half and co-located
at Coast Guard Headquarters with the CG-5431 staff resulting in savings of $1.4
million. In addition, MST1 Christopher Johnson noted “additional annual savings
of more than $50,000 by using email rather than the postal service” for
correspondence to the maritime industry. The reduction in costs and review time
has resulted in an increased improvement in customer service. Most importantly,
VRP program improvement has strengthened our partnerships with vessel owners and
operators throughout the commercial maritime industry and positioned the Coast
Guard to meet the challenges of the future.
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