Determination & Findings (D&F)
A Determination & Findings (D&F) is a signed document in which an authorized official makes a specific determination required by statute or regulation, supported by written findings of fact — the government's standard instrument for justifying discretionary acquisition decisions.
Scattered throughout the FAR are decisions that require a D&F before the government may act: using a time-and-materials contract, entering an interagency agreement, waiving certain requirements, and dozens more. The structure is fixed — findings of fact first, then the determination those facts support, signed by the official with authority to make it.
D&Fs differ from J&As in scope: a J&A justifies limiting competition specifically, while D&Fs cover the broader universe of determinations. Getting the signature level right matters; an unauthorized signer invalidates the action.
Regulatory Reference
FAR Subpart 1.7
RFO Status
Part 1 is in the June 2026 first-batch proposed rules (91 FR 37550), which keep D&F policy intact but relocate it from subpart 1.7 to proposed subpart 1.5; confirm numbering once the rule is finalized.
Category
Documents & Artifacts
How AcqBot Helps
AcqBot maintains templates for the FAR's recurring D&F requirements, pre-fills findings from your acquisition record, and routes each document to the correctly authorized signer.
Related glossary entries
Justification & Approval (J&A)
A Justification & Approval (J&A) is the formal document required by FAR 6.303 to justify awarding a federal contract without full and open competition, citing one of seven statutory exceptions and approved at thresholds based on dollar value.
Performance Work Statement (PWS)
A Performance Work Statement (PWS) describes required outcomes and measurable performance standards for a services acquisition rather than prescribing how the work must be done, enabling contractors to propose their own methods under performance-based acquisition.
Statement of Work (SOW)
A Statement of Work (SOW) is the contract document that prescribes, in specific and directive terms, the tasks a contractor must perform, the deliverables due, and the schedule — placing responsibility for the approach on the government.
Statement of Objectives (SOO)
A Statement of Objectives (SOO) is a brief government document stating top-level acquisition objectives and desired outcomes, leaving offerors free to propose their own technical approach and performance work statement in response.