http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=221900984 

By J. Nicholas Hoover
InformationWeek
November 24, 2009

On the heels of a report that raised concerns about the competency of 
cybersecurity pros at the Department of the Interior, the Office of 
Personnel Management plans to develop better ways to ensure that the 
federal cybersecurity workforce is up to snuff.

In a recent memo to federal HR directors, OPM director John Berry said 
the effort will include developing policies and guidance on job 
classification, hiring, performance management, and workforce education 
and development. He implied that the work was brought on by a consensus 
among OPM, the federal CIO Council, and federal Chief Human Capital 
Officers Council that cybersecurity workforce development required a 
government-wide framework.

That bears out with other findings. Earlier this year, Booz Allen 
Hamilton surveyed 69 officials from 18 federal agencies and concluded 
that among other challenges to federal cybersecurity, "fragmented 
governance and uncoordinated leadership" hinder the ability to meet the 
government's cybersecurity needs.

A report issued this month by the Department of the Interior highlights 
the problems Barry and OPM plan to address. Among cybersecurity staff, 
Interior requires only self-certified training, and the inspector 
general found that only 13.5% of self certifications were relevant and 
complete.

[...]


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