The FAR and Beyond: A New Era in Government Acquisition | All About the Base

Federal procurement is undergoing a massive transformation driven by over 50 executive actions aimed at streamlining the acquisition system. Jeffrey Koses, Senior Procurement Executive at the General Services Administration (GSA), details a two-phase overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) that has already eliminated 25% of its content to reduce bloat and speed up processes. The GSA is centralizing the purchase of common goods and services to eliminate duplicative contracts, a move projected to save over $1 billion annually. The "OneGov" initiative further unifies government buying power by prioritizing commercial solutions over government-unique items. However, these reforms face a significant hurdle: a 30% reduction in the acquisition workforce since early 2025. Addressing this requires a cultural shift toward "unlearning" rigid mandates in favor of empowered business judgment and discretionary decision-making by contracting officers to rebuild the federal industrial base.