In managing its diverse programs, the U.S. Coast Guard seeks ways to best allocate resources across waterways and across programs to achieve the best possible level of marine safety at the best value to the taxpayer and the least cost to the transportation industry. To do this, it has to compare the relative value of more inspections with more aids to navigation, better trained ships' crews, more efficient routing measures, improved vessel design, and better traffic services. Risk assessment is seen as a valuable tool to help do this. The Coast Guard intends to use a systematic risk assessment process called ports and waterways safety assessment (PAWSA) to evaluate navigation safety conditions in ports and waterways and to determine whether additional or alternative vessel traffic risk mitigation measures are necessary. The Coast Guard will also strengthen the use of risk-based decision making in other areas.