There is a good book on this problem called "AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis" by William J. Brown, Raphael C. Malveau, Hays W. Skip McCormick, Thomas J. Mowbray. The book contains Design Antipatterns, which are templates for project failure, including diagnostics and repair strategies. This is a fun book!

As a project member, there are many ways to respond to poor management decisions. An unfortunate but common response is to perform poorly in the assignment. "If it is not worth doing, it is not worth doing well."

Another response is "passive noncompliance." That's when you say, "sure, we are using Story Server" and instead you use mod_perl.

If you are a technical leader, you should work hard to avoid inappropriate tops-down technical "solutions." This is a very old problem. My attempts to avoid this problem are inspired by Benedict de Spinoza's Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect. This is available at Project Gutenberg and elsewhere. This is not as much fun as design antipatterns, but it provides deep insights into the elements of a compelling technical argument.

Update:Added link to Antipatterns book

It should work perfectly the first time! - toma