So this might be an element of the problem, but having been in government for 17 years (and last 5 dealing with IT), I'm not even sure this is a top 3 problem.

So this might be an element of the problem, but having been in government for 17 years (and last 5 dealing with IT), I'm not even sure this is a top 3 problem. Against all odds, the government manages to recruit and retain people who can do good work. The larger problem is that government seems designed to make it impossible for IT talent to actually apply their talent. Now I understand why one of Grace Hopper's most famous quotes in the Navy was "it is better to beg forgiveness, than to ask permission".