Contracting’s New Revolution: FAR 2.0, Empowered COs, and a Staffing Crunch

Last week at the APMP Mid-Atlantic Conference, I had the chance to moderate a lively panel on the implications of Revolutionary FAR 2.0 and other acquisition innovations shaking up the contracting world.

The conversation with Lynn O’Connell of Diamond Technology and Olga Wall of Avallon Consulting revealed a striking shift underway across the federal acquisition landscape. 

Just do it! That’s the new mantra in the contracting community. FAR 2.0 gives Contracting Officers (COs) greater decision-making freedom to pilot new approaches, take smart risks, and move faster. In other words, fewer gatekeepers, more green lights. 

Meanwhile, the  General Services Administration (GSA) is on a mission—1,600  new or transferred COs. It’s a bold goal tied to one truth: unlike the 1990s, when agencies resisted using GSA centralized resources, they don’t have the contracting staff numbers this time and will need to lean more heavily on GSA’s contracting support. 

Another surprise? CORs often have more hands-on training in emerging procurement options than many of their CO counterparts—particularly in the new generation of acquisition professionals. 

The bottom line: this is an era of opportunity for contractors who understand the new flexibilities and can help overstretched acquisition teams navigate them. FAR 2.0 isn’t just a rewrite—it’s a reinvention.