A report criticizing an ongoing IT modernization effort at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service offers a peek into a properly planned project marred by poor execution.

The scathing report, prepared by the IRS Oversight Board and announced today, faults both the project's lead contractor, Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), and the IRS for a laundry list of IT project management and execution no-nos, including:

• Distrust and animosity between the client and the contractor.
• Lack of involvement of the client's affected business units in the IT project.
• Poor governance by the client.
• Unsatisfactory work by the contractor due to lack of skills and experience.
• Unrealistic schedules and deadlines.

CSC, IRS blasted for IT project work according to Computerworld.