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I've personally seen a large government contract for a foreign country(not UK) go to the completely wrong bidder.
Much of the time it seems that there are political undercurrents at work involving the executives - this then leads to decisions which the poor project managers and then developers have to fix after being given impossible deadlines
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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That's the free market for you!
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I'm an optoholic - my glass is always half full of vodka.
=========================================================
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I have attempted to apply for some of the Fed Web site projects and all of the rates have always been abysmally low. Don't know about this one, however, but I am betting it was equally cheaply done as well.
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..you're suggesting to look beyond the price-difference. That way it sounds like work, and that's not tolerated in those environments.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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We recently launched a 250 million dollar software package at my place of employment.
The thing is a total nightmare.
The problem is that I think people are wanting the computers to do too much.
Every time they add a new requirement the complexity goes up exponentially.
How do you code a website to handle thousands of pages of health care law, and more importantly, how can you ever hope to maintain it?
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It would probably be working better had they gone with the cheapest bid. In reality, they went with dozens of companies who are best at bribing the government, several of which have a long history of disastrous projects. The latter is the most puzzling; when hiring someone, you typically pick someone who has a positive history of successful projects, not failures. Instead, they apparently did what my town did when repaving the main boulevard--gone with a buddy who paid the best bribes.
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: they will continue to get piss poor software delivered late and way over budget, and then wonder what the f*ck happened.
I disagree that it's not the fault of programmers. I've seen many programmers drive a project into the ground because they're over-optimistic, terrible at planning, and don't communicate with management (or amongst themselves.)
And the sad thing is, this isn't just rare instances. I've seen this in every company I've worked for in 30 years, and I've been a participant of some of those failure as well.
Marc
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I guess I've been fortunate enough to not observe that. The vast majority of problems I've seen are management related, and the only communications problems I've witnessed occurs between the primary contractor and their subs. Quite literally, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, and the right hand is fine with that because they're more concerned with guarding their piece of the pie rather than making sure the pie comes out of the oven as intended.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: I've witnessed occurs between the primary contractor and their subs.
Well yes, I have seen that too, especially when I was working for various gov't programs. The fiasco surrounding the security system of the MX Missile Train program was one such example. It would have been laughable if not for the fact that taxpayers were paying for that debacle and some obviously very dangerous stuff was needing protection.
Marc
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Why would the US government use a different process for building our national healthcare infrastructure than they used for building our national defense systems? 
Will Rogers never met me.
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From what I've heard (so it must be The Truth), we probably shouldn't be blaming the contractor. The administration was told last year that the website would not work due to various reasons (no interoperability between agencies, for instance), but the administration said shut up and do it anyway.
One could think they kept it quiet to avoid giving ammunition to the opposition during an election year, but it's more likely that they're just morons.
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote: Until the government realizes this, they will continue to get piss poor software
delivered late and way over budget
Which is pretty much the case for all large organizations that attempt large projects regardless of whether they are government or not.
Of course small organizations can't attempt it because they do not have the resources and getting to the point where they had the resources would probably cause even more problems than if a large organization attempted it.
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"Hide quietly, a weapon took out one revolting individual!"(9)
This is quite tough, so good luck.
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Tanpenshu
Hide: Tan
Quietly: p
I think it means a collection of stories written by an individual which is the only tenuous link I can see - will keep trying
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
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Yes, keep trying 
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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The MQOTD isn't even out yet but I sense a hint of Michelle Rodriquez in Machete[^] will complete it.
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While we are busy with your CCC here's my humble attempt to distract you from all those curvaceous legumes you've been counting 
State lottery loses second and third chapter eleven leading case (9)
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Even loud Spanish milk develops a skin.
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Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Reminds me of the recent headline:
President's first chief after confused light energy shield
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Have you solved it ?
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
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Dave, what is the solution/answer ?
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
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There are three more CCCs in that thread all with the same answer as the original posting.
At least one of those should be easier to solve than the original.
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I give up Tom - what's the answer ?
We can’t stop here, this is bat country - Hunter S Thompson RIP
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The answer is parfleche[^]
"Hide quietly, a weapon took out one revolting individual!"(9)
quietly = p
a = a
a weapon = rifle
a weapon took out one = rfle
revolting individual = che[^]
"State lottery loses second and third chapter eleven leading case" (9)
state = pa
lottery = raffle
lottery loses second and third = rfle
chapter = ch
eleven leading = e
"Even loud Spanish milk develops a skin" (9)
even = par
loud = f
spanish milk = leche
"President's first chief after confused light energy shield"
presidents first = p
chief = ch
light = flare
confused light = arfle
chief after confused light = arflech
energy = e
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Jeez, I need to waffle out a thank you letter:
Thank-you for organise the event.
Now, who wants to throw in some good quality Business Level Bull Sheet...
speramus in juniperus
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