FAR 53.108—Recommendations concerning forms.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 53.108 explains how users of the FAR can suggest changes to the forms prescribed or referenced in the regulation. It covers four specific kinds of recommendations: creating new forms, revising existing forms, eliminating forms, and consolidating forms. The section also distinguishes between recommendations made from within an executive agency and those made by other users outside the executive branch. In practice, this provision is a process rule, not a substantive form requirement: it tells stakeholders where to send suggestions and how those suggestions move through the system. Its purpose is to keep the FAR forms set current, reduce unnecessary paperwork, and ensure proposed changes are reviewed through the proper channels before any action is taken.
Key Rules
New form recommendations allowed
Users may recommend the creation of new forms when existing prescribed or referenced forms do not adequately meet a procurement need. The section does not itself authorize adoption; it only establishes the avenue for proposing the change.
Existing forms may be changed
Users may recommend revision of forms already prescribed or referenced in the FAR. This includes suggestions to improve clarity, usability, data collection, or alignment with current acquisition practice.
Forms may be eliminated or consolidated
Users may also recommend eliminating forms that are no longer needed or consolidating multiple forms to reduce duplication and administrative burden. The rule recognizes that the forms inventory should be streamlined when appropriate.
Executive agency route applies
Recommendations originating within an executive agency must be submitted to the cognizant council under that agency’s procedures. The section requires agencies to use their internal governance process rather than sending recommendations directly to the FAR Secretariat.
Non-executive submissions go to Secretariat
Recommendations from outside executive agencies should be submitted directly to the FAR Secretariat. This provides a direct path for non-executive users to raise form-related issues for consideration in the FAR system.
Responsibilities
Users of the FAR
Identify form-related problems or improvement opportunities and submit recommendations for new forms, revisions, eliminations, or consolidations through the proper channel.
Executive agencies
Follow internal agency procedures for routing form recommendations and submit them to the cognizant council for review and coordination.
Cognizant council
Receive and process recommendations from within executive agencies in accordance with agency procedures and coordinate further consideration as appropriate.
FAR Secretariat
Receive recommendations submitted directly from non-executive agencies or other external users and handle them through the FAR process.
Practical Implications
This section is about how to propose form changes, not how to use or complete forms, so it is easy to misread it as a substantive compliance rule when it is really a process instruction.
Contractors and other non-executive users should not route suggestions through an agency chain unless agency procedures require it; the default here is direct submission to the FAR Secretariat.
Executive agencies need to follow their own internal procedures first, which means a recommendation can be delayed or rejected if it bypasses the cognizant council.
The section supports paperwork reduction and modernization, so recurring confusion, duplicate data collection, or obsolete forms are good candidates for recommendations.
Because the rule does not guarantee adoption, users should provide a clear justification, practical examples, and evidence of burden or inefficiency when recommending changes.
Official Regulatory Text
Users of this regulation may recommend new forms or the revision, elimination, or consolidation of the forms prescribed or referenced in this regulation. Recommendations from within an executive agency shall be submitted to the cognizant council in accordance with agency procedures. Recommendations from other than executive agencies should be submitted directly to the FAR Secretariat.