1 person-year is pretty much the smallest labor unit when quoting for modifications to government contracts.
If the government wants to change the logo on the login screen, they're gonna pay 1 person-year. Why would I quote less? It'll take over 1 person-year for another contractor to pick up and start supporting the codebase, and we won't support a codebase that another contractor has touched.
It's just the nature of government IT. Lowball the initial quote, then charge massively for any modifications and support now they're locked in.
If the government wants to change the logo on the login screen, they're gonna pay 1 person-year. Why would I quote less? It'll take over 1 person-year for another contractor to pick up and start supporting the codebase, and we won't support a codebase that another contractor has touched.
It's just the nature of government IT. Lowball the initial quote, then charge massively for any modifications and support now they're locked in.