Choosing the Right Acquisition Path
A practical walkthrough of the pathways a contracting officer can actually reach for: federal supply schedules, IDIQs, letter contracts, CRADAs, SBIR/STTR, and the rest of the tool belt. Learners sort the FAR lane from the non-FAR lane, catch the items on the chart that only look like contract types, and practice matching a pathway to a requirement's mission, market, timeline, and risk.
Master the regulatory foundation, tactical guidance, and practical tools behind Guiding Principle #4 of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO): Award Contracts to Contractors Who Demonstrate a Superior Ability to Perform (FAR 1.102(4)).
This course traces contractor performance management from FASA through the RFO's sharpened framework.
Along the way, it walks through the parts of the FAR that carry this policy: 9, 15, 19, 40, and 42, and what each change means in practice.
By the end, you'll be able to:
- Structure responsibility determinations
- Design source selections that actually differentiate performers
- Manage performance accountability in small business contracting
The course puts the RFO's companion resources to work, too: the FAR Companion Guide and the Practitioner Albums, connecting the regulatory reading to what you do on the job.
Finish equipped to select contractors who perform faster, with more confidence, the way the RFO intended.