“This Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, coupled with our overhaul of the DFARS, will significantly streamline business practices enabling DoW to timely deliver capabilities and lethality for our nation’s Warfighters.” —John M. Tenaglia, Principal Director, Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Secretary of War
The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) is not a routine regulatory up- date. It represents one of the most ambitious acquisition reform efforts in decades—a deliberate effort to streamline the Federal Acquisition Regula- tion (FAR) , coupled with an overhaul of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) ; eliminate unneces- sary procedural burden; restore pro- fessional judgment; and accelerate mission delivery. But reform language alone does not deliver capability. Reform must be translated into understanding, and understanding must translate into ex- ecution. The Warfighting Acquisition University (WarU) has positioned it- self at the center of that translation effort—aligning curriculum, certifi - cation, performance support tools, and real-time engagement forums to ensure that the workforce is prepared to operate confidently within the evolving framework. Although con- tracting professionals still rely on the same core principles, the curriculum changes will emphasize areas where the workforce can make more inde- pendent decisions within our guide- lines, all aimed at better supporting the Warfighter. Start With the Source: Acquisition.gov The authoritative source for up- dates is the official Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) site. This site serves as the governmentwide repository for reform implementation materials and provides practitioners with the foundational documents needed to understand and apply the changes. Among the most critical resources available are the model deviation texts that provide standardized de- viation language agencies and can adapt to implement reform consis-
tently. The site also includes line-out documents for each FAR part that shows the portions of the regula- tions that are proposed for removal, enabling users to quickly identify high-level changes. To support practical application, the site provides access to the FAR Companion, which offers interpre- tive guidance and context for revised regulatory text, and Practitioner Al- bums, which translate regulatory constructs into practitioner-focused explanations and examples. In addi- tion, the Category Management Buy - ing Guide highlights strategic sourc- ing approaches aligned with reform objectives, and comprehensive Fre- quently Asked Questions (FAQs) ad- dress common implementation ques- tions and areas of uncertainty. Together, these resources estab- lish the baseline understanding of reform intent, structure, and appli- cation. The Department of War (DoW) also posts its specific deviations on its Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy website. WarU directs practitio- ners first to these official sources to ensure alignment with government- wide implementation guidance be- fore layering structured analytical tools and training support. Supporting the Governmentwide Practitioner Workstream Our faculty members have partici- pated in RFO Practitioner Workstream meetings supporting the FAR Coun- cil-led reform effort, which includes representatives from the General Ser- vices Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI), NASA, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), and DoW stakeholders.
But reform language alone does not deliver capability. Reform must be translated into understanding, and understanding must translate into execution. The Warfighting Acquisition University (WarU) has positioned itself at the center of that translation effort— aligning curriculum, certification, performance support tools, and real-time engagement forums to ensure the workforce is prepared to operate confidently within the evolving framework.
Through this engagement, some of our faculty were able to review draft deviation language, identify potential ambiguities, recommend refinements, assist in drafting devia - tion text, and gain early visibility into proposed changes to accelerate cur- riculum and asset updates. Faculty also assisted in develop- ing training to keep the workforce ap- prised of changes to the FAR and how they could incorporate those changes into their current and future acquisi- tions. These events to train and dis- seminate information to the acquisi- tion workforce include: • GSA/FAI FAR Forward Open Office Hours webinars , where presenters walk
MARCH – APRIL 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 13
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