Navy Relieves Enterprise IT Program Manager
Washington Navy Yard is one of the facilities served by the Next-Generation Enterprise Network. Flickr user dbking
By
Bob Brewin
Capt. Shawn Hendricks had an “improper relationship” with a female contractor, officials said.
The Navy relieved Capt. Shawn Hendricks, manager of its $4.5 billion Next-Generation Enterprise Network program yesterday for an “improper relationship” with a female contractor yesterday, just days before award of the contract.
Navy spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Sara Flaherty emphasized the female contractor had nothing to do with NGEN, which will serve 800,000 Navy and Marine personnel.
The Navy said Hendricks was relieved of his duties as the program manager for naval enterprise networks, which includes NGEN, “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead.” The decision was based on an investigation by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command into an improper relationship and unprofessional behavior.
Philip Anderson, deputy program manager for Naval Enterprise Networks, will temporarily relieve Hendricks until a permanent replacement is assigned.
NGEN will replace the Navy’s current network, the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, a contract valued at $10 billion over 10 years when awarded in 2000 to Electronic Data Systems, now HP Enterprise Services. To compete for the NGEN contract, HP partnered with AT&T, IBM, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman. The company is facing off against Computer Sciences Corp., which partnered with Harris, Dell, General Dynamics and Verizon. The contract originally was slated for award in December 2012.
In a related development, the Navy announced yesterday it increased the value of the HP’s previously awarded continuity of services contract for the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet by nearly $680 million. The Navy said this covers two months of service in April and May 2014 and will only be exercised if transition to NGEN is not completed by April 2014.
In February, the Navy boosted the ceiling value of the HP’s continuity of services contract to $6.1 billion from $4.9 billion, with a possible extension through September 2014.
(Image via dbking/Shutterstock.com)