How can this situation be described in a word(or a concise phrase)?

Question

I would like to describe the funded project of someone incompetent who has failed to properly complete it mainly due to his incompetence but who has managed to present it in its failed state as a success even though it is essentially useless and bears little resemblance to the pre-agreed specifications of the project.

cigien · Accepted Answer

While it's most commonly used in a political context, I think spin control can be used to describe  your situation

The shrewd management of the way in which a piece of news or information is presented or interpreted so that it best serves one's own interests.

You could say

The project was a useless failure, but the spin control made it appear as if the project was actually successful.

Jesse Berry · Answer

An ideal phrasing would run thus:
Mr Smith undertook the funded project, and presented his finished work as having been a success, but he was incompetent, and his was a useless result that failed to meet the project's pre-agreed specifications.

Anton · Answer

He has presented a simulacrum.

simulacrum: something that looks like or represents something else
“ In other words, he prefers the bland, dumbed-down sounds which represent a diluted simulacrum of the real thing.”
Cambridge

simulacrum: an insubstantial form or semblance of something
Merriam Webster

Canadian Yankee · Answer

From Wikipedia, the phrase smoke and mirrors describes "any proposal that, when examined closely, proves to be an illusion."  It comes from a common technique used in magic shows to make objects appear to float in the air.
In your specific case, you could say something like,

He put on a great show for senior management, but in the end it was nothing but smoke and mirrors.

How can this situation be described in a word(or a concise phrase)?

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