Week 7
Extra Credit Discussion

You are a contracting specialist with the government. You are assigned to assist the chief information officer’s team with procuring information technology software and services. You schedule a call with the program specialist who informs you she finds the FAR absolutely confusing and finds no logical organization to it. You indicate you took a course, and it is organized in a logical manner. Explain the organization of the FAR as if you would explain it to the program specialist.

I can certainly relate to the concerns of the program specialist! As a non-government employee, the FAR was quite foreign and intimidating to me as well. However, as I have taken a couple courses in contracts and acquisitions, my knowledge regarding the regulations has broadened however honestly I probably haven’t even scratched the surface. However this is what I share with you!
The basic set of regulations relating to federal procurement is the FAR. The FAR, which went into effect on April 1, 1984, is the primary set of regulations for all feral executive agencies, unless otherwise excluded. (Feldman, 2013)
The Federal Acquisition Regulation is contained within Chapter 1 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Chapter 1 is divided into Subchapters A-H, which encompass Parts 1-53.
Each of the 53 parts of the FAR addresses a separate aspect of procurement. The first six parts address general contracting matters, and the next six cover acquisition planning.
Chapter 1 appears in two volumes, with Subchapters A-G appearing in Volume 1 while Subchapter H occupies all of Volume 2. The volumes are not formal subdivisions of Title 48, but refer instead to the fact that the FAR is printed by the Government Printing Office in two volumes for convenience.
The single most heavily regulated aspect of acquisition is contract