S TRATEGIC O BJECTIVE 4.1: D RIVE S USTAINED P ROGRESS
T HROUGH G REATER F EDERAL C OLLABORATION
Strengthening the federal cyber workforce requires active and sustained collaboration. Studies have
identified gaps in interagency coordination as a factor contributing to persistent challenges in the
federal cyber workforce.105
The Federal Cyber Workforce Working Group (FCWWG), a subordinate body of the NCWCG,
develops government-wide policies and coordinates the planning and execution of actions to
strengthen the federal cyber workforce. Co-chaired by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) and ONCD, in close consultation with OPM, this group brings together department and
agency representatives to craft approaches that are both feasible and effective. The work of the
FCWWG is aligned and integrated with other key federal workforce efforts, including the
implementation of the President’s Management Agenda. The FCWWG will also advance mandates
set forth in NSM-3, “Revitalizing America’s Foreign Policy and National Security Workforce,” that
pertain to the federal cyber workforce.106
Efforts to improve federal cyber workforce management should rest on high-quality data. Where
possible, departments and agencies will evaluate information on current and projected cyber
workforce needs to craft and execute evidence-based workforce strategies. To assist, OPM created a
cyber workforce dashboard for use by agencies and the general public.107
OPM’s dashboard is an important foundation for further improvements to the data supporting
cyber workforce management decisions. Currently, many federal human resources (HR)
professionals manage cyber positions using an occupational series that is often outdated or
insufficiently precise. While the Federal Cyber Workforce Assessment Act (FCWAA) of 2015
required departments and agencies to add the three-digit NICE Framework code to IT,
cybersecurity, or other cyber-related positions and to report cyber work roles of critical need to
OPM on an annual basis, inconsistent application of the NICE Framework across agencies reduces
the utility of the resulting data.108 The FCWAA mandate expired in 2022 with no plan for renewal.
This strategy includes a strong commitment to the holistic integration of NICE Framework work
roles into existing federal workforce management practices, and the deployment of strategic
initiatives based on cyber work roles instead of the outdated occupational series.
Lines of Effort
4.1.1
Use the FCWWG to drive sustained improvements in the federal cyber workforce.
The FCWWG will play a leading role in driving federal coherence in the implementation of this
pillar of the strategy, approving refined cyber roles and responsibilities, metrics, and timelines.
NATIONAL CYBER WORKFORCE
AND
EDUCATION STRATEGY
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