"NOT ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND DEMANDING ANSWERS?"

I'm not certain exactly what leverage you think a federal manager has. We've just seen this week, U.S. Senators, with cameras on them, presumptively with the power to ultimately refer folks for criminal prosecution, unable to get any answers out of the Attorney General, who seems to be suffering from an acute case of amnesia.

Like most of gov't, there's probably a dozen or more people who all have a say on matters and whose approval must be won but not one of which is personally given the authority and power to see that "Project X" is done.  (Indeed, doing so would only raise the risk of fraud and mismanagement.) Bottom Line: the VA had no business taking on a construction project this size/complexity; Congress resolved by taking this power away.

There's plenty of blame to assign here but the idea that one guy can pound the table and impose his will on the entire VA is not only absurd but an assertion of great comic relief!