FAR Workshop

Complete Seminar Details

Two Concentrated days on how to understand and use the Federal Acquisition Regulation in your daily contracting activities including in-depth analysis of the FAR system, the key contract clauses and contract forms. Provides comprehensive coverage of the FAR for new users and an advanced treatment of specific issues for experienced contract professionals.

Course includes an explanation and demonstration of how to use the FAR online for research, reference, and updating.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) directly affects the purchase and sale of over $200 billion worth of supplies, services and construction each year by federal and state procurement offices. This critically important document is comprehensive, complex, and continually changing. All contract professionals involved in a FAR-based procurement must have a detailed working knowledge of the FAR to ensure that they are getting the best possible contract and that they are in full compliance with all applicable laws.

This course is designed to address these challenges in a highly practical and use-friendly way. As the name indicates, this course is a Workshop. The instructor and students will work through practical exercises specifically designed to demonstrate how to work with the FAR. Students will develop and refine the skills necessary to apply the FAR to virtually any acquisition situation. The FAR provides considerable flexibility in many aspects of federal procurement. Often, however, buyers and sellers are unfamiliar with the range of discretion in the FAR. This course will distinguish between those sections of the FAR that are mandatory and those that allow the parties to structure the contract to fit the situation.

The course will also cover court and board decisions that have interpreted the most important FAR clauses. Such knowledge can provide a significant business advantage to those who understand how a particular FAR clause is likely to be interpreted in litigation. Since most users of the FAR access it through their computers, this course will include a computer demonstration of various techniques for searching and updating the FAR. Although not necessary to enjoy the full benefit of the course, students are invited to bring their laptops.

Course Curriculum

• The Federal Acquisition Regulation System
• Where to Find the Regulations
• How to Keep Up With the regulations
• The Contracting Officer
• Definitions of Key Terms, Phrases, and Words
• Improper Business Practices
• Personal Conflicts of Interest
• Procurement Integrity Matters

Acquisition Planning

• Publicizing Contract Actions
• Competition Requirements
• Required Sources of Supplies and Services
• Contractor Qualifications
• Responsibility
• Debarment
• Suspension
• Specifications, Standards, and Other Purchase Descriptions
• Design vs. Performance
• Minimum Needs
• Brand Name or Equal
• Acquisition and Distribution of Commercial Products
• Contract Delivery or Performance

Contracting Methods and Types of Contracts

• Small Purchase and Other Simplified Purchase Procedures
• Sealed Bidding
• Bid Opening
• Late Bids
• Mistakes in Bids
• Contract by Negotiation
• Source Selection Procedures
• Best and Final Offers
• The Truth in Negotiations Act
• Types of Contracts
• Fixed price
• Cost reimbursement
• Other types
• Special Contracting Methods

Socio-Economic Programs

• Small Business and Small Disadvantaged Business Concerns
• Labor Surplus Areas Concerns
• Application of Labor Laws to Government Contracts
• Environmental regulations & restrictions; conservation & occupational safety
• Protection of privacy & freedom of information issues
• Foreign Acquisition
• Buy American Act
• Trade Agreement Act
• Balance of Payments program
• Other Socio-Economic Programs

General Contracting Requirements

• Patents, Data and Copyrights
• Bonds and Insurance
• Taxes
• Cost Accounting Standards
• The OFPP
• CAS Board
• Contract cost principles & procedures
• Contract financing
• Progress payments
• Assignment of claims
• Prompt Payment Act
• Protests, Disputes and Appeals
• The Contracting Officer
• The GAO; Agency Boards
• Agency Boards
• The Court of Federal Claims
• The Boards of Contract Appeals
• The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Special Categories of Contracting

• Major System Acquisition
• Research and Development Contracting
• Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts
• Service Contracts
• Federal Supply Schedule contracting
• Single award schedules
• Multiple award schedules
• Management, Acquisition and Use of Information Resources; IT Procurement

Contract Management

• Contract Administration
• Disallowances
• Contract Modifications
• Change Orders, Constructive Changes and Equitable Adjustments
• Subcontracting Policies
• Government Property
• Quality Assurance; Inspection, Acceptance and Warranties
• Transportation
• Value Engineering
• Termination of Contracts-Convenience and Default
• Extraordinary Contractual Actions
• Use of Government Sources by Contractors

Clauses and Forms

• Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses
• Incorporation by Reference and Full Text
• The Numbering System
• The Clause Matrices
• Using the Forms
• Standard Forms
• Optional Forms

Latest Developments

• The OFPP and FAR Council
• Pending legislation
• Federal Acquisition Circulars (FAC)
• The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act; Clinger Cohen Act, Service Acquisition Reform Act (SARA), and Other Procurement Reforms

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