Please imagine someone is going to do an action which is a phase / step of a series of completely related actions, but whereas they have not accomplished the most primary steps properly are there are some lacks in previous steps and prior to beginning of this phase, they cannot fulfill this step too.
-----------OR-----------
Please suppose a government which is taking the necessary measures for some higher steps of a national project in a country, but whereas they have not laid the requisite foundations to the higher steps beforehand, they are unable to go forward anymore or their progress will not be quite satisfactory as it was predicted from the outset.
In the both of the above mentioned scenarios and many similar cases like a soccer team which its responsible have not worked on its youths teams in the past and expect its adult team work well (which consists of those old youths who were not trained well), we can use an identical proverb / saying in our language.
I will put a direct translation of it here. We say:
- The foundation of the house is shaky.
I am sure it makes sense to you, but I need to no if there is an equivalent for it in (especially American) English?