The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) identified cybersecurity as one of the high-risk mission critical occupations that the Federal government lacks, and is helping agencies create action plans to bolster cyber workforces, according to its July 2020 President’s Management Agenda (PMA) update.
In the update, OPM wrote that it submitted a report to Congress earlier this year outlining the need to close the cyber workforce gap. Federal agencies are scheduled to submit a progress report to OPM in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2020, but in the meantime OPM has released several tools to meet its human capital management milestones.
Through memos, learning sessions, and toolkits, OPM has been working closely with agencies to keep them informed. The tools covered topics such as how data can be used to drive business decisions, and step-by-step guidance on understanding Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results.
In the second quarter of FY2020, OPM released three senior executive service (SES) assessment tools to gauge the core qualifications of candidates seeking out those positions. Agencies can now use a work simulation, situational judgement test, and a work styles assessment through USAHire to find the best fit for roles. OPM wrote that it’s planning to continue the SES assessment project by collecting data on how the tool has impacted the candidate selection process.
OPM is also continuing its foresight guidance, chief human capital officer manager surveys, and human resources (HR) community of practice throughout FY2020 with briefings and other techniques to work toward improving Federal HR processes.
By the end of FY2020, OPM plans to issue a total of 10 tools, flexibilities, or authorities for agencies.
