The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) issued a new FAR Companion, Version 2.0, guide on Oct. 30 to help acquisition officials amid the Trump administration’s ongoing Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO).
The RFO aims to modernize the FAR, which is the rulebook that federal agencies follow when purchasing everything from software to military equipment.
“The FAR Council has developed this FAR Companion to help acquisition officials exercise their discretion. The FAR Companion provides context, additional information, and practical advice for planning, awarding, managing, and closing out contracts, consistent with the FAR’s core buying principles,” the FAR Companion says.
The updated companion includes revisions to 27 FAR sections, covering topics such as “required use” contracts, beta content from the Category Management Buying Guide, and citation corrections.
FAR Council officials said the companion aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of federal buying by consolidating practitioner insights in one place and highlighting proven acquisition practices.
It is also designed to build the acquisition workforce’s confidence “to take managed risks, by providing advice – not direction – and avoiding compliance requirements that create a fear of protests,” according to the document.
The council said the FAR Companion is intended to evolve and share the foundations of discretionary practices that complement the FAR.