Some folks might consider it a boring timesink. But it also happens to be the important meta-problem that stands between us and increased government transparency and accessibility. Take almost any government data set, request / report interface, tax service, or help center you can imagine. It's very hard to believe that we'll ever have a quality online version without first fixing the procurement process.
I'm sure somebody thinks this is an interesting challenge to tackle. The Uruguayan equivalent (AGESIC) did make a pretty nifty website for government procurement:
It's a good initiative, but it has the side effect of making my blood pressure rise when I see the awarded projects (all relatively transparent, but still bad contracts)
I think it would be something awesome to work on. I'm in software to make a difference, and dropping a digit or two off the cost of government projects could be quite an impact.
If that's the democratically decided priority and it can be achieved without cutting other budgets, raising taxes or running a deficit, then that's a good thing.
Conversely, fighting a bloated military by wasting money on IT boondoggles is not a strategy with a whole lot of long term potential IMO.
Tell what to the people being bombed? That you're hard at work changing their fortune by refusing to reform the IT procurement process of the US government? They will be eternally grateful.
As a USian, sometimes it seems like the high cost of war is the only reason we haven't invaded yet more countries. The vast cost is certainly one of the few arguments that has resonance across the political spectrum.