If the Iraq War were a design firm/software vendor project:

Strategery Consulting Inc: You need to hire us to build you a web site.

People LLC: Oh. Really? Why?

SC: Well, our research has shown that your main competitor, Widgets Inc., is about to release a new killer app!

PL: Umm…our main competitor is Doodads And More.

SC: Whatever…that’s not important. What’s important is that you hire us.

PL: Well, OK. How much is it going to cost?

SC: It’s too risky to the project to specify any cost, but it shouldn’t cost more than 5 figures.

PL: How long will it take?

SC: A week? Maybe a month? We doubt more than 2 months.

…6 months later…

SC: Mission accomplished! This has been a succeful project!

PL: Great, here’s your check.

SC: Well, hold on, just because we declared the project finished does doesn’t mean you can quit on us now. We’re going to need more money and time.

PL: To do what, exactly?

SC: Doesn’t matter. Just cut us the check already…

PL: *sigh*. FINE, but you need to give us a final deadline ’cause we can’t just keep dishing out money for this project.

SC: Why are you going to risk your entire business by insisting that your overpaid contractor come up with a project plan? WHY!?

(I intended to write this in jest, but then I realized this isn’t really that far from the truth in a lot of vendor projects I’ve seen…)