What is the FAR?
The FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) is very important because you must know it if you buy for or sell to the federal government.
The FAR is the set of rules that US government and its suppliers must follow whenever it buys something. Whenever the US government purchases items, it follows the FAR or one of its supplements.
Highlights
Wikipedia provides a good introduction to the FAR. The highlights are:
- 53 sections total.
- Sections 1-12 are very important. Really know these.
- Section 52 is really long.
- Started as an attempt to develop a standardized set of federal buying rules. Hence the irony of the next sentence.
- Some agencies have their own separate rules called supplements. The Department of Defense, US Postal Service, and Federal Aviation Administration are examples.
- The most famous supplement is the Defense Federal Regulation Acquisition Supplement (DFARS) for the Department of Defense.
Learning the FAR
Do NOT attempt to learn the FAR by reading it. It will only confuse you. Believe me, I tried. It is extremely long, boring and hard to understand.
Fortunately, there is help through two paths: the federal government and the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).
The federal government maintains training institutes like the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) and Defense Acquisition University (DAU). However, there are downsides.
Priority at the FAI is given to contract specialists employed by or supporting the federal government. At the DAU, you must be employed by or supporting the federal government to even be considered for classes. Therefore, learning the FAR through these courses can be difficult if you’re just starting your career.
If you’re new to the field, I recommend the NCMA. (And yes, I am a member, but I don’t get any form of compensation from NCMA. In fact, I pay for membership).
NCMA offers study materials for learning the FAR. NCMA doesn’t accept online orders, so this is the order form. Alternatively, call 1-800-344-8096 to order the materials by phone.
You can also join a chapter and join a study group. If there isn’t a chapter or study group in your area, you can always start one.
What about Certifications?
One of the nice things about learning the FAR through NCMA is that you can get certified, but that’s for a future post.
