My professional experience dealing with government jobs -
We bid to redo a roof and they gave it to the lowest bidder.
When we pointed out that what they were proposing was going to leak and why and where (not in a rude way) this was their reply -
"I don't care, I'm not in the maintenance department!"
He was rewarded for getting it cheap not getting it right.
Needless to say, we never again bid on government work.

IIRC, in Scotland the company that paves the roads have to maintain the roads for a certain period of time.
That changes things a bit!
Over here a company low-balls a bid, does a crappy job, then bids on the repair work and gets it.