Working with the FAR: An Introduction to the Regulatory System Governing Federal Procurement

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) made its official debut in Federal contracting on April 1, 1984 as the successor to the Federal Procurement Regulations (FPR).  Some saw the April Fool’s Day effective date as a bad omen, but over the last 34 years trillions of dollars have been spent pursuant to the FAR’s authority, covering the procurement of donuts to major weapons systems.  Long-time acquisition professionals consider the FAR a superior regulatory system in many respects to the FAR’s predecessor, the FPR.

If you are engaged in Federal contracting, learning your way around the FAR is essential to efficiently participate in, understand, and enhance your competitive position in the Federal Marketplace.  The FAR is approximately 2,000 pages, consists of 53 Parts, all but four of which are currently used.  The FAR provides great transparency in the Federal contracting process—understand these regulations and use them to your advantage.

This one-day course will introduce newcomers to the FAR and is also a great refresher for contractors with FAR experience.  This is an excellent course for understanding the basics and taking more complex Federal contracting classes—you will speak the language after this class.  

Topics covered during this course include:

• Establishment of the FAR
• How the FAR is organized
• FAR Contract Provisions and Clauses
• Overview of each FAR Part and Significant Subparts and its application in Federal contracting
• FAR Changes—Federal Acquisition Circulars (FAC)
• Agency Supplemental Regulations
• Standard Forms
• Federal contracting terminology
• How and where to search the FAR and Agency Supplemental Regulations