Glossary
Class deviation
An authorized departure from standard federal purchasing rules that applies to a whole category of contracts.
US federal purchasing follows the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements, such as the General Services Administration's GSAR. The rules allow agencies to approve deviations from them. A class deviation covers a category of contracts or purchases, rather than a single contract.
Agencies use class deviations to put new contract terms into effect quickly, before or instead of formal rulemaking with public comment. They can be changed or withdrawn without the full rulemaking process.
A class deviation is binding policy for the contracts it covers, but it is not a permanent regulation and may later be revised, codified, or rescinded.
Read more: our explainer