Reform Requires Readiness The Revolutionary FAR Over- haul seeks to accelerate acquisition outcomes and restore professional discretion. Its success depends not merely on revised text, but on a workforce prepared to apply reform effectively. Through curriculum moderniza- tion, certification alignment, struc- tured analytical tools, collaborative engagement forums, centralized re- sources, and direct participation in the practitioner workstream, WarU is helping translate regulatory reform into operational capability. Reform establishes the framework. Workforce readiness determines its impact. About WarU WarU is the DoW’s premier insti- tution for acquisition education and workforce readiness. It delivers com- petency-based learning, performance support tools, and real-time engage- ment forums that strengthen profes- sional capability across the warfight - ing acquisition enterprise.
sive deep dive, this tool presents a cu- rated selection of over 60 questions in an easy-to-review format, highlight- ing key shifts in the FAR landscape. The RFO Comparison Tool is de- signed not simply to inform, but to enable confident application of re- form in everyday acquisition activi- ties. CONNECT Live! Collaborative dia- logue. To support phased deviation implementation, WarU leveraged CONNECT Live!—an interactive forum where contracting professionals en- gage with subject matter experts and peers across the DoW. Participants analyze newly issued FAR and DFARS deviations, discuss operational impli- cations, share best practices, and ask candid implementation questions. Although Connect Live sessions are usually not recorded, RFO-specific sessions were recorded and added to our curated playlist on the RFO Com- parison Tool page so workforce mem- bers who missed them can still access the information. Current CONNECT Live! Sessions (although again, not recorded) feature extensive discus- sion on the RFO. You can tune in every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at CONNECT Live! to participate in this dialogue. Coming Next Beyond phased deviations, for- mal rulemaking will further codify changes. Legislative proposals may introduce additional statutory ad- justments. Department and agency supplements—including the DFARS and DoW Component-level regula- tions—must be revised to align with the streamlined FAR structure. WarU remains positioned to support this continued evolution through ongoing curriculum up- dates, certification alignment, an- alytical tool enhancements, and enterprise engagement. To read more, visit the WarU RFO Website. This site provides infor- mation such as background infor- mation, announcements, and ar- ticles. It’s your one-stop shop for RFO-related information!
LINDEN is the center director for Contract- ing and Small Business in WarU’s Require- ments and Curriculum Development Direct- orate. Linden has a 30-year contracting car- eer, first with the Navy and then with the U.S. Treasury Department and the Peace Corps. Linden holds a B.S. degree in Accounting and an M.S. degree in Taxation from Widener University. BUTLER recently retired as the Learning Direc- tor for Contract Price, Cost, and Finance at WarU’s Midwest Campus, Kettering, Ohio. She has 36 years’ contracting experience, 15 of which included active-duty Air Force assign- ments as a Warranted Procuring Contract- ing Officer; Squadron Commander; Air Force Materiel Command Chief of Pricing, Finance and Specialized Policy; and Air Force/U.S. Space Command Staff Officer and Instruc- tor of Cost and Price Analysis at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Butler holds a DBA in Finance from Walden University, a B.B.A. in Management from Ohio University, and an M.S. in Management from Troy University. She holds Level I and Level III certifications in Program Management and Contract- ing, respectively, and a certificate in Proj- ect Management. Author(s) can be contacted at Kevin.Linden@waru.edu . The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and not the Department of War. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
Related Resources
– (CON 3910) Online Contracting Certification Exam Prep (Online Training Course) – (RFO WS 101) Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) High Intensity Immersive Training (HIIT): Foundations (Virtual Instructor Led Training) – Revolutionary
– How the RFO Will Affect the Contracting (CON) Professional Certification Program (Article) – Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (“Contracting Conversations” Podcast) – Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (Comparison Tool) – RFO Quick Review Challenge (60-Question Review Tool)
FAR Overhaul (News Articles) – Revolutionary
FAR Overhaul Aims to Streamline Acquisition (Article)
MARCH – APRIL 2026 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE 15
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