At the centre of the story is a paradox: an effort to shut down a complex development agency by explicitly excluding the very people who understand how it works. Former staff barred in the name of “objectivity”. New contractors were brought in to dismantle systems they did not design, operate, or live with.
Whether one agrees with the political intent or not, the operational lesson is hard to ignore, as it is far easier to announce institutional change than it is to actually carry it out well.
This is not a uniquely American problem. It i
