Is this a bad example of Private Cloud, in the end you can easily argue this is what was being attempted in this CRN Article?  Does this illustrate that the larger and more complex you make an environment the more expensive it becomes to manage?  Or do you just want to put it down to mis-management and/or government bureaucracy?

If you note the article, a major issue is the heavy customisation and the demands of many varied departments - sounds like many corporates to me.

Or is it the need for public service organisations to employ layers of consultants to cover their backs?

My exposure to government IT technical resources has mostly been very positive, often they are some of the best technically I have met.

So my questions are:

Is this because of the un avoidable layers of bureaucracy?

Is there a level of complexity where you get a diminishing return on centralised infrastrucuture?

I have always promoted the benefits of centralisation but would be keen to hear any comments on this.