Monopolistic bureaucracies incentivize risk avoidance over accomplishment of goals, especially government bureaucracies. That's the core issue with big project

Monopolistic bureaucracies incentivize risk avoidance over accomplishment of goals, especially government bureaucracies. That's the core issue with big projects. Private entrerprises accomplish them all the time, as long as its THEIR MONEY and their gain. Governments in the US have, over time, allowed for more and more red tape that primarily exists to minimize risks and liability to the government employees overseeing contractors on large projects. This red tape creates a maze of rules and regulations that ensure that only contractors whose primary expertise is navigating the maze get the work. The secondary expertise of actually accomplishing the task is secondary to both the enterprise and the government managers. This is an observation that I make as someone that once upon a time had to deal with the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) when building software for the US Federal Government. Reducing risk is like everything else: Eventually, you hit a point of diminishing returns, and the government red tape, especially for large entities like the California DOT, only grows more complex over time. You never see anyone trying to simplify it.