DOGE FAR Overhaul Center for Government Contracting

For the first time in more than four decades, the federal government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). At the center of this transformation is NASA’s Assistant Administrator for Procurement, Karla Smith Jackson, who joins this week’s Fed Gov Today to explain what the changes mean, how they’re being executed, and why they matter for the entire acquisition workforce.

"I think there needs to be an understanding that prevention and those dollars are real dollars," said Jetson Leder-Luis.

DOGE doesn’t seem to follow any of those rules set forth by Congress and citizens in how government agencies are structured, staffed and funded.

A list of Overhauled FAR Parts on Acquisition.GOV

A new era of federal acquisition starts now. Led by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) initiative represents the most significant update to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in over 40 years. The initiative introduces model class deviation text, which are FAR parts, rewritten in plain language, that remove most non-statutory text, other than that which is essential to sound procurement. The initiative also introduces non-regulatory, non-mandatory buying guides and other materials that will provide best practices and “how-to” strategies for helping the workforce execute acquisitions more efficiently and with confidence. Users will be encouraged to comment on the form and content of materials so they can be modified, as appropriate, based on experience. Whether you’re new to contracting or a seasoned professional, the RFO supports smarter buying decisions at every step. It’s people-focused, policy-backed, and mission-ready. Explore the latest RFO guidance, rewritten FAR parts, news, and updates by visiting http://www.acquisition.gov/far-overhaul.

Kevin Rhodes, a senior advisor at OMB, said the team rewriting the FAR will be transparent and consider all comments as they slim down the 2,000 page document.

"This set of revisions would significantly shrink the Federal Acquisition Regulation, as well as empower contracting officers and acquisition teams to use their "business judgment" in pushing innovation."

"President Donald Trump signed on Tuesday an executive order directing his administration to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, as part of efforts to streamline the federal procurement process and remove barriers to doing business with the government."

"Under the President’s Executive Order, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, the Federal government is undertaking the first-ever comprehensive overhaul of the FAR."

The General Services Administration, NASA and Office of Federal Procurement Policy are working to create a leaner acquisition framework that could attract more companies to the market.