The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the straw that stirs the acquisition process for all executive agencies.
Acquisition professionals and stakeholders know first-hand the complexities and problems involved in updating a Government Agency’s Supplemental FAR.
In the three-part series on Understanding the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Process, we will cover:
How Markon can help
To streamline the process, Markon developed a branded, industry-tested solution called xFAR™ that is customizable for each client. xFAR™ utilizes a 5-step methodology to develop a unique process for addressing individual agency updates. Our solution is based on rigorous trial and error, and lessons learned from our real-time experience.
We have also included project management and change management best practices to create a seamless, repeatable way to implement rulemaking.
xFAR™ provides:
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Complete review of the regulation – An agency that conducts significant procurements will have more supplemental policy. The xFAR™ methodology considers the whole agency and the size of procurements to determine the type of support they need.
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Missing requirements analysis – The xFAR™ methodology incorporates the review of current FAR requirements, thresholds, definitions, and titles.
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Update checks – Federal policy is constantly changing due to Executive Orders, FAR Rules, OMB memos, court orders, new legislation (these are some pain points in the policy process). These are public-facing policies that should be addressed by each agency and if not addressed can result in OIG, GAO reports and audits.
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Support for the Government acquisition workload and training challenges – In a 2018 GAO report, workload and training was reported as an ongoing challenge for the Government acquisition workforce. Our xFAR™ methodology will help support the agency in meeting workload and training as part of the xFAR™ Management Plan.
A custom checklist delivers the goods
Our 5-step methodology utilizes a custom checklist that outputs a xFAR™ Management Plan and a xFAR™ Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to assist agencies in delivering rule changes more efficiently and with less stops and starts.
Markon’s xFAR™ solution increases the odds for approval, helps gain stakeholder buy-in, and follows a thorough communication plan for holistic success.
Our five-step methodology
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Scope – The first step focuses on defining the scope, communications, research, and risk mitigation.
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Assess – The next step is to assess existing policy for impact areas, evaluate policy gaps and develop your case for change.
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Updates – This step is all about improving the change through updates, quality control and ensuring staff has proper training.
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Strategy – The fourth step is a comprehensive approach to identify goals, stakeholder impact, and your communication plan.
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Implement –The last step is implementation, which includes updates to stakeholders and training on how to interpret and incorporate new policy.
Save time and increase buy-in
With this methodology, you increase stakeholder buy-in and create trained workforce that understands the change and what it means to them and what to do. Markon’s xFAR™ has effectively reduced the time it takes for a rulemaking package to be sent to the Office of Regulation at Veterans Affairs by more than 50 percent, from 90 days to 30 days.
“The Markon team has been a tremendous help in resolving some of our problem areas and helped research and develop a sound solution. Markon’s responses to requests for information and assistance has allowed me [Director] to provide well-researched, detailed information to my leadership in a timely manner.” - Client Testimonial
