EPISODE · May 30, 2026 · 9 MIN
Why Government IT Projects Fail So Spectacularly
from Government Spending with Fexingo: Budget, Deficits, and Public Finance Explained · host Fexingo
Government IT projects fail at a staggering rate — 40 to 60 percent over budget, often years late, and many get cancelled entirely. Lucas and Luna dig into the rollout of the UK's Universal Credit system, a ten-year, £12 billion digital transformation that still isn't fully working. They explore why governments can't seem to build software the way private companies do: rigid procurement rules, political timelines, and the lack of a product mindset. The hosts discuss what went wrong with Universal Credit, how the US Healthcare.gov crash of 2013 followed a similar pattern, and what lessons could make public-sector tech actually work. A concrete look at a hidden cost of government that affects millions of citizens but rarely makes headlines. #GovernmentIT #ITFailures #UniversalCredit #HealthcareDotGov #UKGovernment #DigitalTransformation #PublicSectorTech #Procurement #GovernmentSpending #TechFailures #BudgetOverruns #Economics #PublicFinance #GovernmentSpendingPodcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast #GovernmentEfficiency Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
Government IT projects fail at a staggering rate — 40 to 60 percent over budget, often years late, and many get cancelled entirely. Lucas and Luna dig into the rollout of the UK's Universal Credit system, a ten-year, £12 billion digital transformation that still isn't fully working. They explore why governments can't seem to build software the way private companies do: rigid procurement rules, political timelines, and the lack of a product mindset. The hosts discuss what went wrong with Universal Credit, how the US Healthcare.gov crash of 2013 followed a similar pattern, and what lessons could make public-sector tech actually work. A concrete look at a hidden cost of government that affects millions of citizens but rarely makes headlines. #GovernmentIT #ITFailures #UniversalCredit #HealthcareDotGov #UKGovernment #DigitalTransformation #PublicSectorTech #Procurement #GovernmentSpending #TechFailures #BudgetOverruns #Economics #PublicFinance #GovernmentSpendingPodcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast #GovernmentEfficiency Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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Why Government IT Projects Fail So Spectacularly
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