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Abstract: In an effort to decentralize decision-making, the US Coast Guard undertakes a program to allow its field units to try new ways of doing things without going through the many layers of bureaucratic approvals which new ideas had traditionally required. Only a veto from the Coast Guard chief of staff, the number three official in the organization, could stop a new approach for which a field commander sought approval. The case details the subsequent problems which plagued the so-called Model Unit program, until the point that it was discontinued.
Learning Objective: This case allows for discussion of factors beyond obvious changes in organization charts which facilitate or impede the adoption of new procedures. The stages of the case track the program through its life, allowing for both prospective and retrospective discussion of the idea.
