Content Management - A Process, Not a Technology (hmm, same with CRM, or ERP, or [insert favorite technology acronym here]
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Keith is on to something here. And it's something that we've all run into. In fact, as I sit here with a client's content plan on another screen, I can't help but feel very cynical about the project. I know, for a fact, that they don't grasp the effort that will be required to transform this site map and content plan into a real site. Coming up with content and managing that content is damn hard work, and there's no way around it. This shit doesn't just come out of thin air you know. Life would be a lot better for many people if they'd just hire a copywriter. And this, this is the most bizarre thing - of all the things that people skimp on to 'save money', content is usally first on the list. This is totally baffeling to me. I mean, what the hell do you think people are coming to your site for? A new and unusual navigational experience? Hardly.

How many times have you been working on a project and it’s rolling along and you run into a wall because your client or stakeholder doesn’t have the content to you when they should, or they want to make all sorts of edits at the last minute? This happens to me all the time, on almost every project. This costs everyone involved time and money. It’s bad business, right?

This is a direct result of not placing the content first. The content should be treated with more care than the design, but how often doesn’t that happen? In my experience almost never. It’s always the “fun” stuff first, and we’ll fill the pages later. Shame on us.

Not surprisingly, Gerry McGovern gets this concept too.

I've had a bit of success (after much trial) on this topic.
When possible tie content or the pipeline of content into the operational processes/systems of the organization. ie the product catalog, digital asset management system, etc.
Most of what a web site requires is already part of another process somewhere else in the organization, be it press releases, promotional information, product information and release calendars.
So, do some digging in the organization, find pockets of content and put your change management hat on.
On last minute edits, up front, inform the client the cost associated with these edits and make it part of the SOW and send over a change control doc. the day before due date. That might get some action.

Mike's right on this, and we've done the same thing here with our clients. We do the IA, site map, and content plan, put it on the client extranet, and adhere to it. Works like magic, keeps everyone accountable, and makes for successful web projects!