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Bewaretheicespiders t1_isv7mff wrote

Reply to comment by ScagWhistle in Phantom Forests: Why Ambitious Tree Planting Projects Are Failing by filosoful

No no no. Have the government pay the private enterprise for results. Dont pay for planting a tree, pay for a tree actually growing there. And dont give 1 contract, give 2-3 competing contract.

Its the same issue for roads, they pay to pave a road and it barely last because they pay for the road to be paved, and not for the road to last.

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Prince_Ire t1_isvemuz wrote

Turns out, paying for the lowest bidder doesn't necessarily mean you get quality results.

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hatchway t1_isw14n0 wrote

In project management we have a principle that you can generally only prioritize one out of speed, quality, or budget. A good, experienced project team can get you two of them, while a miracle can get you all three.

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[deleted] t1_iswsvd9 wrote

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hatchway t1_isyo60y wrote

Correct! I figure I can accelerate one without risking the others. Accelerating two strongly risks the third.

I'm fairly handy with tools, materials, and software so DIY is my version of "cheap and quality". Still can't be too slow, though, or it risks household tension from too many unfinished tasks (lol)

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[deleted] t1_isyuzs3 wrote

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hatchway t1_isz2obr wrote

Good rule of thumb. I buy nicer stuff when I can, because a nice pair of pliers or garden trowel (for example) will likely outlive me, while a cheap one will need to be replaced every 2-5 years.

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Bomamanylor t1_isxamra wrote

Procurement attorney here. This is so incredibly true that the government has to actively encourage contracting officers not to issue LPTA (lowest price technically acceptable) solicitations. It was a whole initiative a few years ago.

These contracts can work, and better than running it in-house (using gov’t employees), but you really have to write your contracts carefully.

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Firebrand-Xana t1_isxukqe wrote

Why would the government want results? All it wants is a problem people are willing to spend cash on. Then it waits for its failed project to fail, and asks for cash again.

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