A Jan. 4 memorandum from the Office of Personnel Management explains updated procedures for identifying and coding federal positions with information technology and cyber-related functions.
The coding effort began in 2013 in an effort to minimize the federal cybersecurity knowledge, skills and abilities gap. Supporting requirements under the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2015, OPM Acting Director Beth Cobert has shared how agencies will help further pinpoint crucial functions and federal civilian work roles through a broadening of the governmentwide cybersecurity data standard codes.
Aligning with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity Workforce Framework coding structure, the cybersecurity data standard codes apply categories and specialty areas beneficial to programs for educating, recruiting, training, developing and retaining a dynamically skilled workforce.
The new three-digit codes (expanded from the two-digit originals) will track multiple, substantial functions per position and allow more complete insight into where and how imperative existing vacancies are.
All federal agencies now have three months from the memorandum's date to establish procedures for coding encumbered and vacant positions, then a deadline of one year after procedures are established to complete coding.
