In 2006, we began work on the second cycle of Project Evergreen under Commandant Thad Allen. Evergreen II was a comprehensive four-year strategy and planning cycle, envisioned both as a tool for developing long-range enterprise strategies and as a process for instilling strategic intent throughout the Coast Guard. Under Evergreen II, an entirely new set of future operating scenarios was developed by FSG and the USCG project core team.
An initial set of Evergreen II strategy workshops explored common or “robust” implementation considerations for the new Coast Guard strategies, building on the experiences of junior officers and enlisted, civilian, and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel. This was followed by a four-day offsite workshop with senior officers and enlisted personnel and civilian leaders, leading to the formation of a new set of draft long-term strategies.
In April 2008, FSG engaged the perspectives of the Coast Guard’s entire senior leadership at their semi-annual Flag Conference. Later in 2008, FSG conducted a scenario planning training session at the USCG’s Chief Petty Officer Academy in Petaluma, CA, as part of the ongoing effort to “institutionalize” Evergreen strategic thinking throughout the service. These efforts continued with a January 2009 Evergreen strategy workshop with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, focused on the Auxiliary’s strategic challenges and opportunities.