CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
Table of Contents
CON 091 Course Syllabus .............................................................................................................................. 4
Module 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Module 1 Schedule ................................................................................................................................... 9
Learning Objectives................................................................................................................................... 9
Online Acquisition Resources.................................................................................................................. 10
FAR Basics, Organization, and Arrangement .............................................................................................. 12
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 12
The FAR and What It Covers ................................................................................................................... 12
What is the FAR? ................................................................................................................................. 12
Where can I find the FAR? .................................................................................................................. 14
What agencies are subject to the FAR? .............................................................................................. 15
What purchases are subject to the FAR? ............................................................................................ 16
What is the relationship between the FAR and a federal contract?................................................... 18
Why do contracting officers have to comply with the FAR?............................................................... 19
Organization and Arrangement of the FAR............................................................................................. 19
How is the information in the FAR arranged? .................................................................................... 20
How does the FAR numbering system work? ..................................................................................... 21
Is the FAR subdivided below the section or subsection level? ........................................................... 22
How do I reference something in the FAR? ........................................................................................ 23
How general or specific do I need to be when referencing information in the FAR? ......................... 24
What information is in a typical FAR part or subpart? ....................................................................... 26
The “Scope of Part” (or “Scope of Subpart”) Section ......................................................................... 27
The “Definitions” Section .................................................................................................................... 28
The “Applicability” Section ................................................................................................................. 29
The “General” Section......................................................................................................................... 30
The “Policy” Section ............................................................................................................................ 31
The “Procedures” Section ................................................................................................................... 31
The “Exceptions” (or “Exclusions” or “Limitations”) Section .............................................................. 32
The “Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses” Section ............................................................... 33
CON091 2 Module 1 v2.2
,CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
How do I find information in the FAR?................................................................................................ 33
FAR Research Exercise ........................................................................................................................ 34
DFARS Basics, Organization, and Arrangement .......................................................................................... 36
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) ............................................................... 36
What is the DFARS?............................................................................................................................. 36
How do I know if the DFARS is implementing or supplementing the FAR?......................................... 39
How do I reference text in the DFARS? ............................................................................................... 40
Do subdivisions below the section or subsection level follow the same parenthetical alpha numeric
sequence as the FAR? ......................................................................................................................... 40
What is the DFARS Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI)? ................................................... 41
Where can I find the DFARS and DFARS PGI? ..................................................................................... 41
FAR/DFARS Research Exercise ............................................................................................................ 42
Deviations from the FAR and DFARS ........................................................................................................... 44
Deviations ............................................................................................................................................... 44
What are deviations? .......................................................................................................................... 44
FAR/DFARS/Class Deviations Research Exercise ................................................................................. 47
Interpreting the FAR.................................................................................................................................... 49
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 49
What are the FAR conventions?.......................................................................................................... 49
FAR Interpretation Exercise ................................................................................................................ 52
Determining the Applicability of Rules ....................................................................................................... 54
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 54
Determining Applicability of a Rule – Remember to “Zoom Out” ...................................................... 55
FAR Reading Exercise .......................................................................................................................... 60
Putting it All Together ................................................................................................................................. 63
Putting it All Together ............................................................................................................................. 63
Module 1 – Practice Questions ........................................................................................................... 66
END OF MODULE 1 .............................................................................................................................. 69
Module 1 – Additional Practice Questions.......................................................................................... 70
CON091 3 Module 1 v2.2
,CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
CON 091 Course Syllabus
A. Course Title: Contract Fundamentals
B. Course Number: CON 091
C. Course Prerequisites: None
D. Reserved
E. Course Description: Contract Fundamentals (CON 091) is a resident Defense
Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level I contracting course for newly
hired GS-1102 contracting personnel, active military personnel, and those who seek
certification in the contracting field. This course is 13 days in length and provides
foundational knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) System. The
course focuses on understanding contract formation and management principles, as
well as regulatory fundamentals and application. It provides fundamental knowledge
and practical application that can be applied immediately in the workplace across the
broad spectrum of Department of Defense (DoD) contracting organizations.
F. Course Objective: Given an acquisition scenario, the student will determine the
contract formation and management principles, as well as the acquisition regulations,
applicable to the DoD.
G. Course Concept: The first module of the course will be focused on familiarizing the
student with using the FAR; Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
(DFARS); DFARS Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI); and DoD Class
Deviations, and developing critical skills necessary to locate, interpret, and apply rules.
Subsequent modules will focus on the fundamentals of contract formation and
management principles, to include the practical application of the FAR/DFARS/DFARS
PGI/DoD class deviations to real-world scenarios.
H. Course Materials: CON 091 Student Workbooks
I. The following critical performances are required in this course:
1. Performance: Students must earn a grade of at least 80% to pass (see
Evaluation).
2. Behavioral: To be successful in CON 091, students will have to develop
effective habits and skills. The instructor’s role will be to guide students
through an immersive learning environment. This is part of the learning
process to becoming proficient in the use of procurement regulations in
CON091 4 Module 1 v2.2
, CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
writing and administering contracts. Lastly, students must arrive to class and
return from breaks punctually. Students must actively participate in
classroom activities and complete all assignments to be successful.
J. Evaluation (How performance will be assessed):
1. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their performance on exams and
graded exercises. Students must achieve a final grade of 80% to pass. A
breakdown of the evaluation scheme is provided below:
Assignment Points
Exam 1 100
Exam 2 100
Exam 3 60
Options Exercise 22
Module 5 Capstone 98
Group Briefings 20
TOTAL 400
2. Final Grade: Students’ final grades will be the sum of their overall exam score,
overall exercise score, and bonus points earned. A minimum of 320 points (80%)
must be earned to pass the course.
3. Bonus Points: While completion of the FAR Challenge is optional, students will
receive 10 bonus points if they successfully pass the FAR Challenge during the
first week of class.
As students will learn in Module 1 of this course, one of the most effective
ways to find information in the regulations is to have an idea of which part
of regulation to start in. One way for students to generally know what
information is in the FAR, and where it can be found, is to memorize the
FAR parts by number and title. Students may earn 10 bonus points for
successfully recalling all 53 FAR parts and their titles from memory in the
presence of the instructor (in an order and format chosen by the
instructor). This is referred to as the FAR Challenge. Students may
attempt the FAR Challenge once per day during the first week of class, at
a time chosen by the instructor. Although the value of this exercise may
not be immediately evident, both instructors and students have found that
the memorization of FAR parts significantly increases a student’s ability to
find information in the regulations.
CON091 5 Module 1 v2.2
Table of Contents
CON 091 Course Syllabus .............................................................................................................................. 4
Module 1 ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Module 1 Schedule ................................................................................................................................... 9
Learning Objectives................................................................................................................................... 9
Online Acquisition Resources.................................................................................................................. 10
FAR Basics, Organization, and Arrangement .............................................................................................. 12
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 12
The FAR and What It Covers ................................................................................................................... 12
What is the FAR? ................................................................................................................................. 12
Where can I find the FAR? .................................................................................................................. 14
What agencies are subject to the FAR? .............................................................................................. 15
What purchases are subject to the FAR? ............................................................................................ 16
What is the relationship between the FAR and a federal contract?................................................... 18
Why do contracting officers have to comply with the FAR?............................................................... 19
Organization and Arrangement of the FAR............................................................................................. 19
How is the information in the FAR arranged? .................................................................................... 20
How does the FAR numbering system work? ..................................................................................... 21
Is the FAR subdivided below the section or subsection level? ........................................................... 22
How do I reference something in the FAR? ........................................................................................ 23
How general or specific do I need to be when referencing information in the FAR? ......................... 24
What information is in a typical FAR part or subpart? ....................................................................... 26
The “Scope of Part” (or “Scope of Subpart”) Section ......................................................................... 27
The “Definitions” Section .................................................................................................................... 28
The “Applicability” Section ................................................................................................................. 29
The “General” Section......................................................................................................................... 30
The “Policy” Section ............................................................................................................................ 31
The “Procedures” Section ................................................................................................................... 31
The “Exceptions” (or “Exclusions” or “Limitations”) Section .............................................................. 32
The “Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses” Section ............................................................... 33
CON091 2 Module 1 v2.2
,CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
How do I find information in the FAR?................................................................................................ 33
FAR Research Exercise ........................................................................................................................ 34
DFARS Basics, Organization, and Arrangement .......................................................................................... 36
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) ............................................................... 36
What is the DFARS?............................................................................................................................. 36
How do I know if the DFARS is implementing or supplementing the FAR?......................................... 39
How do I reference text in the DFARS? ............................................................................................... 40
Do subdivisions below the section or subsection level follow the same parenthetical alpha numeric
sequence as the FAR? ......................................................................................................................... 40
What is the DFARS Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI)? ................................................... 41
Where can I find the DFARS and DFARS PGI? ..................................................................................... 41
FAR/DFARS Research Exercise ............................................................................................................ 42
Deviations from the FAR and DFARS ........................................................................................................... 44
Deviations ............................................................................................................................................... 44
What are deviations? .......................................................................................................................... 44
FAR/DFARS/Class Deviations Research Exercise ................................................................................. 47
Interpreting the FAR.................................................................................................................................... 49
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 49
What are the FAR conventions?.......................................................................................................... 49
FAR Interpretation Exercise ................................................................................................................ 52
Determining the Applicability of Rules ....................................................................................................... 54
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 54
Determining Applicability of a Rule – Remember to “Zoom Out” ...................................................... 55
FAR Reading Exercise .......................................................................................................................... 60
Putting it All Together ................................................................................................................................. 63
Putting it All Together ............................................................................................................................. 63
Module 1 – Practice Questions ........................................................................................................... 66
END OF MODULE 1 .............................................................................................................................. 69
Module 1 – Additional Practice Questions.......................................................................................... 70
CON091 3 Module 1 v2.2
,CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
CON 091 Course Syllabus
A. Course Title: Contract Fundamentals
B. Course Number: CON 091
C. Course Prerequisites: None
D. Reserved
E. Course Description: Contract Fundamentals (CON 091) is a resident Defense
Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level I contracting course for newly
hired GS-1102 contracting personnel, active military personnel, and those who seek
certification in the contracting field. This course is 13 days in length and provides
foundational knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) System. The
course focuses on understanding contract formation and management principles, as
well as regulatory fundamentals and application. It provides fundamental knowledge
and practical application that can be applied immediately in the workplace across the
broad spectrum of Department of Defense (DoD) contracting organizations.
F. Course Objective: Given an acquisition scenario, the student will determine the
contract formation and management principles, as well as the acquisition regulations,
applicable to the DoD.
G. Course Concept: The first module of the course will be focused on familiarizing the
student with using the FAR; Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
(DFARS); DFARS Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI); and DoD Class
Deviations, and developing critical skills necessary to locate, interpret, and apply rules.
Subsequent modules will focus on the fundamentals of contract formation and
management principles, to include the practical application of the FAR/DFARS/DFARS
PGI/DoD class deviations to real-world scenarios.
H. Course Materials: CON 091 Student Workbooks
I. The following critical performances are required in this course:
1. Performance: Students must earn a grade of at least 80% to pass (see
Evaluation).
2. Behavioral: To be successful in CON 091, students will have to develop
effective habits and skills. The instructor’s role will be to guide students
through an immersive learning environment. This is part of the learning
process to becoming proficient in the use of procurement regulations in
CON091 4 Module 1 v2.2
, CON 091 Contract Fundamentals Module 1 Student Guide
writing and administering contracts. Lastly, students must arrive to class and
return from breaks punctually. Students must actively participate in
classroom activities and complete all assignments to be successful.
J. Evaluation (How performance will be assessed):
1. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their performance on exams and
graded exercises. Students must achieve a final grade of 80% to pass. A
breakdown of the evaluation scheme is provided below:
Assignment Points
Exam 1 100
Exam 2 100
Exam 3 60
Options Exercise 22
Module 5 Capstone 98
Group Briefings 20
TOTAL 400
2. Final Grade: Students’ final grades will be the sum of their overall exam score,
overall exercise score, and bonus points earned. A minimum of 320 points (80%)
must be earned to pass the course.
3. Bonus Points: While completion of the FAR Challenge is optional, students will
receive 10 bonus points if they successfully pass the FAR Challenge during the
first week of class.
As students will learn in Module 1 of this course, one of the most effective
ways to find information in the regulations is to have an idea of which part
of regulation to start in. One way for students to generally know what
information is in the FAR, and where it can be found, is to memorize the
FAR parts by number and title. Students may earn 10 bonus points for
successfully recalling all 53 FAR parts and their titles from memory in the
presence of the instructor (in an order and format chosen by the
instructor). This is referred to as the FAR Challenge. Students may
attempt the FAR Challenge once per day during the first week of class, at
a time chosen by the instructor. Although the value of this exercise may
not be immediately evident, both instructors and students have found that
the memorization of FAR parts significantly increases a student’s ability to
find information in the regulations.
CON091 5 Module 1 v2.2
