Information Technology: DOD Needs to Ensure That Navy Marine Corps Intranet Program Is Meeting Goals and Satisfying Customers
GAO-07-51
Published: Dec 08, 2006. Publicly Released: Dec 08, 2006.
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Highlights
The Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) is a 10-year, $9.3 billion information technology services program. Through a performance-based contract, the Navy is buying network (intranet), application, and other hardware and software services at a fixed price per unit (or "seat") to support about 550 sites. GAO prepared this report under the Comptroller General's authority as part of a continued effort to assist Congress and reviewed (1) whether the program is meeting its strategic goals, (2) the extent to which the contractor is meeting service level agreements, (3) whether customers are satisfied with the program, and (4) what is being done to improve customer satisfaction. To accomplish this, GAO reviewed key program and contract performance management-related plans, measures, and data and interviewed NMCI program and contractor officials, as well as NMCI customers at shipyards and air depots.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To improve NMCI performance management and better inform investment decision making, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Navy to ensure that the NMCI program adopts robust performance management practices that, at a minimum, include (1) evaluating and appropriately adjusting the original plan for measuring achievement of strategic program goals and provides for its implementation in a manner that treats such measurement as a program priority; (2) expanding its range of activities to measure and understand service level agreement performance to provide increased visibility into performance relative to each agreement; (3) sharing the NMCI performance results with DOD, Office of Management and Budget, and congressional decision makers as part of the program's annual budget submissions; and (4) reexamining the focus, scope, and transparency of its customer satisfaction activities to ensure that areas of dissatisfaction described in this report are regularly disclosed to the aforementioned decision makers and that customer satisfaction improvement efforts are effectively planned and managed. |
The Department of Navy (DON) has launched its Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) program to replace the NMCI program. To bridge the time frame between the end of the NMCI contract, in September 2010, and the full transition to NGEN, planned for March 2014, the department entered into a continuity of services contract with the NMCI services provider. Meanwhile, the department has taken steps to improve NMCI performance management and better inform NMCI investment decision-making that are consistent with our recommendation. Specifically, (1) in March 2009, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition) approved ten goals for the NMCI contract, which include increased Navy and Marine Corps command and control of network operations and access to NMCI assets, (2) the NMCI program manager implemented an Enterprise Performance Management Database in an effort to better manage program performance and better understand the extent to which each NMCI service level agreement is being met, (3) DON increased its focus on measuring and disclosing program performance, as evidenced by its annual reporting of NMCI performance in its budget submissions to DOD and OMB and in the President's Budget submitted to Congress, and (4) the program office submits a quarterly assessment of NMCI to the Program Executive Officer - Enterprise Information Systems that identifies customer satisfaction objectives, measurements and progress, as outlined in the performance management database, and is made available to other decision makers as requested.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Navy, in collaboration with the various Navy entities involved in overseeing, managing, and employing NMCI, to take appropriate steps to ensure that the findings in this report and the outcomes from implementing the above recommendations are used in considering and implementing warranted changes to the NMCI's scope and approach. |
In July 2010, the Department of the Navy (DON) entered into a continuity of services contract with the NMCI contractor while it launches its Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) program. In addition to providing continuity of network services, the contract includes transition of services and transfer of NMCI infrastructure and intellectual property to DON, as NGEN contractors are to require use of the NMCI infrastructure and access to processes, procedures and technical data. Consistent with our recommendation, DON has taken steps to ensure that lessons learned in the NMCI program are used in implementing NGEN. Specifically, DON has established the NGEN Senior Integration Board, which is led by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition) and includes key DON entities such as the NMCI program, to identify and resolve issues in order to facilitate a successful transition from NMCI to NGEN.
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Computer services contractsComputer support servicesContract administrationCustomer serviceGovernment information disseminationInformation technologyInteroperabilityNaval procurementPerformance measuresProgram evaluationProgram managementStrategic planningSurveys