Condor's wings clipped?

I am gutted.

Yesterday, I got a call from M, one of the Infrastructure guys who have been working on the Condor feasibility workshops with me. You see, the Infrastructure people are all working directly for The Parent Company (TPC), while I and my development colleagues work for The Subsidiary Company (TSC). I'd love to be able to say more, but I can't.

Apparently, the whole idea of Condor as a business proposition was presented to TPC's CEO recently. He liked the idea immensely. Good news, so far, you're thinking, right? Well, yes. But then, M tells me, CEO-fella decides to bring the entire thing in-house, and run the whole project from within TPC. Forget about the fact that the business case for this is based around TSC data and requirements, this is too big to trust those pesky people at TSC with....

M goes on to say that they will not be permitted to reveal any of the performance, capacity or cost figures that we have asked them to provide for the report I need to complete within a week, but they will now be producing their own report. I suspect that they are a little intimidated by what we want to do, and are determined to put some 'spin' on the whole affair to make sure their butts are covered. They have even gone so far as to find a new Executive Sponsor!!

I am determined, however, to make sure that my report reaches the right people and gets escalated up the correct channels. I fully intend that, within a few weeks, the CEO of TSC is chatting to the CEO of TPC, and stating exactly why this should be a TSC-led project, namely that we have the business need, all the required skills, and a plan for delivery. Next year. I doubt that TPC Infrastructure guys could draw up a plan by Christmas next year based on what they've done so far.

I do not understand the logic. After all, we have engaged them in the entire process, accepted their suggestions and agreed on design principles. Why should they not let us go ahead and pay for the first phase of the project before they come along with a completed business case, re-use our code and provide great functionality at relatively low cost? It just does not make sense.

I am just so... frustrated. It feels like I am watching kids in a sandbox, playing with really expensive toys, and someone's just snatched his toy back and won't let anyone else play with it.

Hah! Grown-ups!