Beyond the FAR

Open Contracting Around the Globe: Series Overview

Beyond the FAR

Show Notes

Open contracting transforms government spending by making procurement data accessible and machine-readable, enabling better analysis and improved outcomes for citizens. This foundational webinar explores how data transparency and digital innovation are revolutionizing the world's largest marketplace through goal-driven, citizen-centered reforms.

• Public procurement represents 12% of global GDP, shaping essential services from infrastructure and healthcare to education • Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing procurement, requiring new frameworks for oversight, IP rights, and supply chain transparency • Ukraine's reformed procurement system saves $1 billion annually with 80% of contracts going to small businesses • Bogotá transformed its school meals program through data-driven purchasing, improving quality while busting price-fixing • Open contracting principles support environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and better value across government spending • Upcoming regional webinars will showcase innovations from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas • Data accessibility enables businesses, civil society organizations and governments to collaborate more effectively

Join us for our next sessions exploring regional innovations in open contracting from around the world. Register for the complete webinar series here: https://law-gwu-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C7gkrGdwRp2PMaAADKcyjA

More from Beyond the FAR

Oct 22, 2026

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Bowne, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for Space Systems Command and GW Law alumnus, to discuss the evolving challenges of artificial intelligence in federal procurement. Drawing on his experience as an Air Force judge advocate and AI researcher at MIT, Bowne examines common misconceptions about AI, the risks associated with agentic systems, and the importance of effective governance. The conversation explores data rights, limitations of traditional contracting frameworks, and the growing role of Other Transactions in acquiring emergingtechnologies, offering valuable insights for attorneys, acquisition professionals, and policymakers.

Sep 11, 2026

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Will Roberts, a former contracting officer, and former Chief of Acquisition for the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Roberts discusses the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, alternative acquisition pathways, artificial intelligence procurement, and the future of the federal acquisition workforce. Drawing on his experience in government and acquisition education, he examines the shift toward mission-focused, principles-based procurement and the importance of empowering contracting professionals to exercise sound judgment. The conversation offers valuable insights for law students, attorneys, acquisition professionals, and others navigating a rapidly changing federal procurement landscape.

Aug 28, 2026

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman is joined by Arash Heidarian and Phil Carter of Google and GW Law to explore the evolving intersection of technology and government procurement. Drawing on the innovative course they teach at GW Law, Government Procurement of Technology, the discussion examines how agencies acquire cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other rapidly evolving technologies while balancing commercial practices with federal procurement requirements. The episode also explores technology negotiations, shared responsibility models, cybersecurity, data rights, and the growing importance of AI literacy for the next generation of government contracts attorneys.

Aug 19, 2026

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Professor Sope Williams, one of the world’s leading scholars of comparative public procurement law and the newest member of GW Law’s Government Procurement Law Program. Their conversation explores the intersection of procurement, anti-corruption, and governance, drawing on Professor Williams’ research across Africa and Europe. Together, they discuss how corruption undermines procurement systems, the challenges of balancing efficiency with accountability, the lessons of South Africa’s state capture experience, and the growing importance of gender-responsive procurement. The episode offers valuable global perspectives for students, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

May 28, 2026

This week on Beyond the FAR, host Jessica Tillipman welcomes Polly Hall, GSA’s Chief Advisor for Acquisition Innovation and Policy and Executive Lead of the practitioner workstream for the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). Marking one year since the executive order that launched the RFO, the conversation explores the policy changes, workforce strategy, and cultural transformation driving one of the most consequential procurement reform efforts in decades. Hall discusses acquisition innovation, practitioner engagement, leadership accountability, and the shift from a "check the box" acquisition culture toward one centered on mission outcomes, strategic judgment, and thoughtful risk-taking in federal procurement.

See all episodes →