The Office of Personnel Management has released new guidance that aims to help agencies apply updated procedures on assigning job codes to cybersecurity positions.The guidance published Wednesday seeks to align with the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act that requires OPM to create procedures to help agencies apply the coding structure within the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education’s cybersecurity workforce framework.
Federal agencies should establish procedures to identify and code filled and vacant civilian positions related to information technology, cybersecurity and other cyber functions three months within the memorandum’s publication.
The Act requires agencies to complete job coding work a year after procedures are established.
The guidance states agencies should use the Federal Cybersecurity Coding Structure to find appropriate codes while chief information officer staffers, managers and human resources personnel should work together to identify and assign codes to IT and cyber-related roles.
Agencies should designate Cybersecurity Data Standard Code “000” to positions that do not perform IT or cyber duties while Cybersecurity Data Standard Codes “100” through “999” must be assigned to positions with such functions.
Coded position descriptions for encumbered jobs must be submitted to the Enterprise Human Resources Integration data warehouse where OPM can receive the data.
Agencies will be required to report vacant positions by Cybersecurity Data Standard Codes in the next two years to help OPM track cybersecurity vacancies across the government.
Coding data is meant to help agencies and federal government determine and address recruitment, training, development and skill requirements of the cyber workforce, according to the guidance.
