Original broadcast 6/8/25
Presented by Synack
For the first time in more than four decades, the federal government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). At the center of this transformation is NASA’s Assistant Administrator for Procurement, Karla Smith Jackson, who joins this week’s Fed Gov Today to explain what the changes mean, how they’re being executed, and why they matter for the entire acquisition workforce.
“We’ve split up the FAR into three parts,” Jackson says. “My team owns some of those parts. We’re evaluating them, identifying what’s statutory or regulatory, and removing anything that’s not essential. Our goal is to streamline the FAR down to about a third of its current size.”
One of the most critical elements of the initiative is clarity. Jackson emphasizes the importance of using plain English, working with both language experts and artificial intelligence to rewrite FAR sections in a way that’s more accessible to the acquisition workforce. This effort supports the broader goal of “restoring common sense to federal procurement,” in line with the Executive Order that launched the reform.
The three agencies on the FAR Council—NASA, GSA, and DoD—each bring specialized expertise to the effort. For example, GSA leads on services contracting, while DoD and NASA focus more on major systems and cost principles. “We each lead parts where we have the most depth,” Jackson notes, “but every team reviews every section. It’s a collaborative, government-wide effort.”
The rewrite isn’t just about rules—it’s also about tools. To help contracting officers implement the new FAR effectively, Jackson and her team are developing companion buyer’s guides. These guides will include best practices from across government, interactive templates, dashboards, and living documentation that evolve with the landscape. “We’re leveraging AI to keep these guides current,” she explains. “They won’t just be PDFs. We want tools the workforce can actually use.”
Another important component of the reform is stakeholder engagement. Jackson encourages both agencies and industry partners to participate in the process. As new FAR parts are posted to Acquisition.gov, the public can provide input before formal rulemaking begins. Once the rewrite is complete, the entire FAR will go through the traditional notice-and-comment rulemaking process.
What does the timeline look like? Jackson says NASA’s assigned sections will be completed by July, and the entire FAR overhaul will be finished by September 30, as required by the Executive Order. “Dr. Rhodes has been very clear,” she says. “That’s our deadline. Once that’s done, we’ll move into the public rulemaking phase, which could take another six months or more depending on agency coordination and public comment.”
She also sees this moment as a rare opportunity to leave a lasting mark on federal procurement. “This is transformational. It’s once in a career. The last time the FAR was rewritten was 41 years ago. The fact that we’re doing this now, together as a government, is incredibly exciting.”
As the process moves forward, Jackson is optimistic that the streamlined FAR, bolstered by plain language and dynamic tools, will make procurement more intuitive, efficient, and results-driven. The goal is clear: simplify the rules, empower the workforce, and improve outcomes for agencies and taxpayers alike.
Key Takeaways:
NASA is helping lead a historic rewrite of the FAR, aiming to cut its size by two-thirds and improve usability through plain language and AI.
New buyer’s guides will serve as dynamic tools that evolve with best practices and technology, helping contracting officers apply the FAR effectively.
Success will be measured by reduction in length, faster acquisition cycles, and better alignment of workforce capabilities with mission needs.