Overview
FAR 1.101 establishes the Federal Acquisition Regulations System to provide uniform policies and procedures for all executive agency acquisitions. It defines the system as comprising the core FAR and various agency-specific supplements that implement or expand upon those rules.
Key Rules
- Uniformity: The system is designed to codify and publish standardized acquisition policies across the entire executive branch.
- Dual Components: The system consists of two levels: the primary FAR and individual agency acquisition regulations (such as the DFARS for Defense or GSAR for GSA).
- Implementation and Supplementation: Agency-specific regulations are permitted only to the extent they implement or supplement the primary FAR.
- Exclusion of Internal Guidance: Administrative or internal agency procedures (described in FAR 1.301(a)(2)) are officially excluded from the FAR System.
Practical Implications
- Standardization: Contractors can rely on a consistent set of "ground rules" regardless of the executive agency they are contracting with, reducing the administrative burden of cross-agency bidding.
- Regulatory Hierarchy: Practitioners must check both the FAR and the specific agency’s supplement to ensure full compliance, as the supplement may add unique requirements not found in the base FAR.