Revolutionary FAR Overhaul: What Changed for Construction & A/E

This course is for the architects, engineers, and construction professionals — and the acquisition staff who support them — who do federal work and need to know exactly what the FAR Overhaul changed for construction and A/E.

The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul is the biggest rewrite of federal acquisition rules in a generation, and it doesn't treat construction and architect-engineer work as an afterthought. The rules that govern how these projects are solicited, awarded, and administered have moved — and this course cuts straight to the changes that actually touch construction and A/E contracts, so you're not sorting through the entire overhaul to find what applies to you.

We work through what changed and what it means in practice: the restructured FAR framework and where construction and A/E rules now live, the shifts in how requirements are defined and solicited, the commercial-buying changes and how they reach construction, and the contract-administration and clause changes that affect projects once work begins. You'll also learn how to research the new FAR yourself — how to navigate the updated structure, the FAR Companion, and the Practitioner Albums — so when a question comes up on a live project, you can find the current answer instead of relying on what used to be true.

This isn't a generic overhaul briefing with a construction slide bolted on. It's built specifically for the people who build, drawn from the same material Phoenix Canyon presented to the federal AEC community, and focused on the rules you'll actually work under.

This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who spent her federal career in the acquisition workforce. She served as a Contract Specialist, COR, and AOR for the U.S. Navy (and later a Contract Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service), where she worked on more than $7.7 billion in federal contracts across construction, engineering, major weapon-systems, RDT&E, IT, and medical programs — including a tour on the Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18G Growler IPT. She draws on that experience, along with her law degree and MBA studies, to teach the why behind the how — so participants leave with sharper judgment, not just a stack of slides. An award-winning DAU/WarU (DAWIA and FAI) instructor, she has taught more than 1,000 federal acquisition workforce students across 20-plus agencies.

Best for: architects, engineers, construction professionals, as well as federal acquisition and program staff who support AEC work, who need to get current on what the FAR Overhaul changed for construction and architect-engineer contracts.

Format:one-day, delivered in person or virtually. Phoenix Canyon, a DAU/WarU Recognized Equivalent Provider, issues every attendee a certificate of completion documenting the number of training hours as well as CEUs and CLPs earned, which eligible attendees may apply toward Continuous Learning or Professional Development requirements, at their organization's discretion. Please check with your organization to confirm eligibility.

You might also consider

• Revolutionary FAR Overhaul — the big-picture course on how the overhaul reshaped the entire FAR, for those who want the full restructuring, not just the construction and A/E slice.

• CON 2440 / CON 244 / CON 2440V — Construction Contracting — DoD / DoW (DAWIA) — focuses on the unique issues of construction contracting within the federal environment.

• Federal Construction Contracting — For Federal Civilian Agencies (CON 2440 & CON 244 competencies) — the same construction contracting depth, built for the federal civilian acquisition workforce (federal contractors welcome).

Pricing is set per engagement. Contact Phoenix Canyon to request a quote.