I think the problem is that the implementation of the system is outsourced to companies who have more expertise navigating government bureaucracy than actually

I think the problem is that the implementation of the system is outsourced to companies who have more expertise navigating government bureaucracy than actually building good software. All the money gets spent on papers and endless meetings (and maybe passed under the table if not outright handed over if in a jurisdiction where corruption aka "lobbying" is legal) so there isn't much left to pay to attract & retain good talent. A few months/years down the line, even the sub-par talent working on it will probably realize how terrible their product is, but speaking up would be akin to admitting defeat (and might have career risks), so nobody says anything and congratulates themselves for having "delivered" the project. When the end client receives the deliverable the same situation applies, it's too late to backpedal even though the product is shit, so they also keep quiet and pretend like it is fine.