Procurement problems
Lets see if I can put this another way.
Many years ago I worked on a computer system that used magnetic tape as a programming medium. The equipment was also used by another team (Commonwealth) who decided that magnetic tape was too slow and mechanically inefficient. So they designed and built a solid state programming device that worked well.
The magnetic tape device became an engineering maintenance headache and so it was decided to adopt a new programming device.
The team, you and I and in fact most people would have chosen the existing system used by the other team because it worked and therefore the risks were low if indeed not negligible and costs accordingly so.
But no, the projected cost was above a certain limit and therefore under the rules it had to go through the competitive tendering process. This added 18 months at least to the project and of course increased costs. The device ended up with was the solid state device used by the other team with, of course, an on shore UK company producing it.
Whilst the process of competitive tendering is there for good reason, it seems that no one is able to sign it off when the need is clearly not there.
That is a simple example, when the project is more complex, the costs are amplified.
If I seem to criticise individuals, then I apologise. I have to admit it took me a long while to realise that it is the system that is at fault, not individuals.