Many IT projects start with an optimistic air, a feeling that no matter what's occurred in the past, this one will be different. It'll be done right the first time, no shortcuts will be taken, enough time will be available for proper planning and execution, and the result will be a shining example of IT done right. All those involved will be lauded by the rest of the company for a job well done.
It generally takes just a few hours before those lofty goals start to lose altitude. Unexpected problems arise, existing workloads eat into planning time, budgets shrink, and deadlines loom. An opportunity to escape the shackles of poor implementation gets stuck in the same slog that took down the last dozen projects.
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At some point along the way, several admins realize there's no way the project is going to happen unless they bust out the Chainsaw of Reality and begin lopping off parts of the project. What remains is not nearly as ambitious as the original plan, but should be feasible in the time and budget allotted.
Those who have no visibility into the situation assume this downsizing is mere laziness or the "usual" IT jackassery and complain bitterly about the reduction of scope. Awkward meetings drag on, more time is wasted, and when all the posturing is over the project limps forward in reduced form. All the joy is gone. The project becomes an albatross, a loose noose among many surrounding IT's collective neck.
After all the hue and cry, IT knows that there's no going back for further reductions or reorganization, so it's gonna happen one way or the other. This is where the duct tape and sealing wax come into play. As with any project, there are unforeseen circumstances all the way down the line, but there's no time to deal with them properly, and everything becomes good enough, yet not really good at all.
