This is more common than you would think
Here's what will happen:
1. Public announcement of an inquiry
2. The Committee convenes and discusses matters. There is some initial acrimony and finger pointing. At this point, The Committee agrees that the public should be excluded (for its own good).
3. The Committee agrees that they could not have been responsible. The cause of all the trouble was the vendor. The vendor gets duly castigated in public.
4. New members join The Committee. Everyone agrees that things are going to be different.
5. The New Committee pats themselves on the back and starts looking for a new vendor.
I work for a software company that creates software for internet ticketing. In our 20 years of business, we have seen the same pattern many times. The people who make the decisions are usually composed of administrators, accountants, a lawyer, and someone who claims to be computer literate. Conspicuous by their absence, is anyone who has experience on the front lines.
Here's what happens with the New Committee:
1. The New Committee figures its budget, creates a list of requirements, and invites bids.
2. Vendors do their presentations (the dog and pony show).
3. The winning bid goes to the vendor that meets the following requirements:
- a) The highest affordable price
- b) Most attractive salespeople
- c) Most buzzword compliant
4. The New Committee pats themselves on the back and disbands
5. People on the front lines wonder how they are supposed to work with such lousy tools.
And the cycle starts again.