Watch the Deep Dive of this post
Beyond Compliance: How the FAR Companion is Reshaping Federal Acquisition
Meta Description: Discover the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion, the new guidance designed to empower acquisition professionals to use sound judgment, prioritize best practices, and drive innovation in government contracting.
A New Era of Judgment-Based Procurement
Federal buying is undergoing a major shift, moving away from rigid compliance toward a system that emphasizes sound professional judgment. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion (FC) is the key resource driving this change. Developed by the FAR Council, the FC is non-regulatory guidance intended to restore common sense to Federal buying by helping acquisition officials exercise their discretion.
The overarching purpose of the FAR Companion is to maximize the flexibilities of the FAR, enabling acquisition professionals to apply sound judgment, balance risk, and efficiently deliver the mission. It is explicitly designed to contain no mandates and is not intended to serve as the basis for protests or legal actions.
Empowering Innovation with Proven Practices
The FAR Companion serves as a centralized source of practitioner insights, consolidating successful strategies—such as innovation and vendor engagement—that save buyers time in finding and leveraging best practices. This resource is structured to preserve many policies and “how-to” procedures previously mandated in the older FAR structure that still reflect good stewardship but are now applied with discretion as part of problem-solving, moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” mandate.
A crucial tool supporting this shift is the Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations (PTAI). The PTAI is a centralized repository of agency-tested strategies and novel practices available to acquisition teams. These tools are designed to increase workforce and industry awareness of effective business techniques, encouraging further testing and adaptation consistent with the FAR.
Innovative approaches pulled directly from the PTAI include:
- Phased Down-Select Processes: Structuring evaluations in multiple phases to progressively narrow the competitive field, which reduces proposal preparation burden for industry.
- Comparative Evaluation: Selecting the best value offer by ranking responses against each other based on evaluation factors, rather than assigning rigid ratings to every single factor.
- Confidence Ratings: Utilizing a system where evaluators assess the overall likelihood of an offeror’s success, holistically incorporating risk into the determination.
Planning Strategically for Mission Success
Effective acquisition planning must start the moment a requirement is recognized, not when funding arrives. This early investment of time allows teams to explore options, understand market dynamics, and make strategic decisions rather than reactive ones.
For complex requirements, especially in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), modern strategies emphasize breaking down large projects:
- Modular Contracting: This strategy breaks complex projects into smaller, interoperable components. This reduces overall risk, increases competition, and enables the rapid adoption and iteration of emerging technologies.
- Outcome-Based Contracting: This approach focuses on defining specific mission outcomes rather than dictating the exact methodologies or labor categories required. This gives commercial providers the flexibility to apply their expertise and innovation, aligning contractor success with agency mission achievement.
Expanding Reach and Engagement
The new environment encourages active and continuous engagement with industry throughout the acquisition lifecycle. While SAM.gov remains the required Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE) for posting notices, acquisition teams are encouraged to supplement official postings using modern digital engagement methods.
Acquisition teams can enhance their reach by utilizing:
- Industry-specific websites and social media platforms to amplify opportunities and attract a wider pool of qualified vendors, including small businesses and technology providers.
- Interactive online portals that allow vendors to subscribe to alerts and engage through comments or Q&A features.
Furthermore, communicating with industry should prioritize clarity and simplicity. Teams are advised to embrace plain language writing principles in crafting solicitations and notices, avoiding technical jargon or acronyms to make it easy for businesses to determine if they can meet the needs.
Tags: Federal Acquisition, Acquisition Reform, FAR Companion, Government Contracting, Procurement, Acquisition Strategy, Innovation, Contracting by Negotiation, Small Business, ICT Acquisition, Best Value, marketus