FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY 

WORKFORCE WEBINAR

Welcome and Overview

Karen A. Wetzel

Manager, NICE Framework

National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

• April Davis

Director of Classification & Assessment Policy for Talent Acquisition & Workforce Shaping, 

Employee Services 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

• Liz Edenfield

HR Manager

HR Solutions 

• Megan Caposell

Associate Chief, Workforce Planning and Strategy

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

• James Ashley

Lead Engineer and Project Manager, NICE Challenge Project

University Enterprises Corporation, California State University, San Bernardino

• Tony Coulson

Executive Director, Cybersecurity Center and Professor

California State University, San Bernardino

Today’s Speakers

2
July 2021

April Davis

Director, Classification and Assessment Policy

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Shaping, Employee Ser

EO 13932 - Modernizing and Reforming the Hiring and Assessment of Federal Job Candidates for 

Cyber Positions 

vices
E.O. 13932 - Sec. 2 – Scale back use of 

education

Degree-Based Hiring Competency-Based Hiring Practices

For most Federal jobs, 

education solely is not 

required; candidates can 

qualify based on 

experience and/or 

education. 

Identify key 

competencies based 

on job analysis and 

position descriptions. 

Collaboration with HR, 

SMEs, and IOPs

Include in job 

announcements 

competencies 

and specific 

experience

Utilize valid 

assessments of 

job-related skills 

and competencies

SMEs – Subject Matter Experts

IOPs – Industrial/Organizational Psychologists 4
E.O. 13932 - Sec. 3 – Use valid competencybased assessments

 Identify the best assessment strategy, 

which may include a combination of 

assessments (i.e., multiple hurdles)

 Analyze via job analysis positions to 

determine the skills and competencies 

necessary for success

- Should involve subject matter 

experts

 Evaluate the effectiveness of 

assessment options and strategies

 Develop or update position descriptions 

and job opportunity announcements

‒ Should involve subject matter experts

• Structured Interview

• Situational Judgment Test

• Work Sample or Job Simulation

• Cognitive Ability Test

• Computer-Adaptive Tests

Types of

Assessments:

5
OPM Interim 

Guidance 

(May 7, 2021) 

• Extension for 

implementation until 

December 31, 2021, to allow 

for additional time for the 

development to your agency 

assessment strategy • Refrain from relying solely on candidate self-assessments. • Applicants must clear other assessment hurdles to be 

considered qualified in 

examination and eligible for 

preference and referral. 

• Agencies evaluate the effectiveness of different 

assessment strategies to 

ensure the quality and 

integrity of the hiring process. 

• Policy • Guidance • Stakeholder 

Engagement

• Briefings • Webinars • Tools • Resources

6
Federal Recruitment and Hiring Process Foundation of Hiring

Classification Qualificati

cribes 

eeded

tribute

ons

Defines the 

Job*

Des the 

n 

At s

Level of 

Responsibility

Job 

Analysis

 are statute driven 

l positions perform

r, difficulty, respon

Knowledge, Skills, 

Abilities and 

Competencies

Tasks

Proficiency

Assessment

Measures 

Competencies and 

Proficiency

DegreeBased Hiring

Skills-Based 

Hiring

Measured 

Directly:

Measured 

by Proxy:

*Federal classification systems policy that have two specific purposes: to place 

together and identify individua ing the same type of work; and to differentiate types of 

work according to the characte sibility and qualifications of the work. Errors made in 

position classification directly impact recruitment and human resources processes. 7
For research positions: Doctoral or equivalent degree 

Doctoral degree or 3 years of graduate education

Master’s or Equivalent degree as specified in standards or 2 years of graduate education

Bachelor’s Degree plus Superior Academic Achievement** or 1 year of graduate education

4 academic years leading to a Bachelor’s Degree or a Bachelor’s degree

2 academic years above high school or an Associate’s degree

1 academic year above high school

High school graduation or equivalent

**Superior Academic Achievement is based on a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0; class standing in 

the upper third of graduating class; or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society

***Years of generalized experience is based on the type of work. Voluntary experience is credible experience. 

For research positions: Master’s degree 

Qualifying Education and Experience

Education

General Specialized

None

None 3 months

1 year

6 months

Up to 2-3 yrs***

None

1 year 

equivalent to 

the next 

lower grade

Education, experience or a 

combination of both can be used to 

qualify for a Federal position*:

*Requirements vary by job family, type of work and occupation. 

This is a generalization of education and experience requirements.

Experience

Qualifying for Cybersecurity IT 2210 Positions 

and/or 

OPTION A OPTION 

A/B

8
Top 10 Administrative Occupations by Fiscal Year based on 2019 New Hire Total

OCCUPATION

2019 2018 2017

Onboard New Hire 

Total

New Hire 

Rate Total Onboard New Hire Total

New Hire 

Rate Total Onboard New Hire Total

New Hire 

Rate Total

0301-MISCELLANEOUS 

ADMINISTRATION AND 

PROGRAM

103,496 12,666 12.24% 106,129 13,744 12.95% 102,170 10,989 10.76%

2210-INFORMATION 

TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT 88,701 9,257 10.44% 86,168 7,306 8.48% 85,337 6,088 7.13%

0343-MANAGEMENT AND 

PROGRAM ANALYSIS 77,487 4,870 6.28% 75,506 3,532 4.68% 75,005 3,347 4.46%

0201-HUMAN RESOURCES 

MANAGEMENT 32,705 3,491 10.67% 31,130 2,926 9.40% 30,365 2,303 7.58%

1801-GENERAL INSPECTION, 

INVESTIGATION, ENFORCEMENT, 

AND COMPLIANCE SERIES

40,382 2,618 6.48% 39,006 1,615 4.14% 38,224 1,783 4.66%

0025-PARK RANGER 5,136 2,237 43.56% 5,098 2,268 44.49% 5,016 2,336 46.57%

1811-CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION 43,285 2,119 4.90% 43,267 1,810 4.18% 43,545 1,812 4.16%

1810-GENERAL INVESTIGATION 2,663 2,005 75.29% 2,621 394 15.03% 2,517 322 12.79%

0080-SECURITY 

ADMINISTRATION 15,921 1,851 11.63% 14,954 1,421 9.50% 14,650 1,164 7.95%

0346-LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT 22,198 1,745 7.86% 21,443 1,782 8.31% 20,544 1,099 5.35%

7/30/2021 9
Top 10 Administrative Occupations by Fiscal Year based on 2019 Separation Total

OCCUPATION

2019 2018 2017

Onboard Separation

Total

Separation 

Rate Total Onboard Separation

Total

Separation

Rate Total Onboard SeparationTotal

Separation

Rate Total

0301-MISCELLANEOUS 

ADMINISTRATION AND 

PROGRAM

103,496 11,156 10.78% 106,129 13,081 12.33% 102,170 11,762 11.51%

2210-INFORMATION 

TECHNOLOGY 

MANAGEMENT

88,701 7,157 8.07% 86,168 7,043 8.17% 85,337 6,423 7.53%

0343-MANAGEMENT AND 

PROGRAM ANALYSIS 77,487 5,654 7.30% 75,506 5,163 6.84% 75,005 4,965 6.62%

0201-HUMAN RESOURCES 

MANAGEMENT 32,705 3,590 10.98% 31,130 3,302 10.61% 30,365 3,071 10.11%

1811-CRIMINAL 

INVESTIGATION 43,285 2,734 6.32% 43,267 2,617 6.05% 43,545 2,421 5.56%

1801-GENERAL 

INSPECTION, 

INVESTIGATION, 

ENFORCEMENT, AND 

COMPLIANCE SERIES

40,382 2,357 5.84% 39,006 1,808 4.64% 38,224 1,808 4.73%

0025-PARK RANGER 5,136 2,274 44.28% 5,098 2,390 46.88% 5,016 2,547 50.78%

7/30/2021 10
7/30/2021 11

Administrative Occupation Illustrative Example:

2210 - Information Technology Management, 

2019 eHRI Data Findings

Onboard Count 

88,701

Separation Total 

7,157

Separation Rate Total 

8.07%

Avg Length of Service

14.33 Years

New Hire Total 

9,257

New Hire Rate Total 

10.44%

Avg Length of Service

2.47 Years

Solution:

Expanding the use of valid, 

competency-based 

qualifications and 

assessments can help:

(1) Yield a high return-oninvestment by meeting 

the governmentwide 

demand for skilled IT 

professionals for new 

hire positions

(2) Negate the volume of 

separations by ensuring 

IT professionals hired 

have the competencies 

needed to be successful

Challenge: Significant new hire demand, 

Significant separation total
0 50 100 150 200 250

Information Management

System Administration

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY...

Technology Awareness

Technical Competence

Operating Systems

ORAL COMMUNICATION

Problem Solving

Customer Service

2210 Top 10 Competencies Assessed

12

Top 10 2210 Competencies Assessed 

General 

Competencies

Technical 

Competencies
13

• A more robust, multi hurdle, competencybased assessment process would assess a 

higher number of competencies, as well as 

assess for technical (more job-specific 

competencies). 

• A multi hurdle process would also likely 

increase the number of competencies 

assessed, increasing the quality of hires.

• Agency hiring can be improved utilizing valid 

assessments based on competency models.

• For the highest volume positions, agencies are 

under assessing for competencies.

• Average Competencies Rated Per Opening*

o 0343—4.08

o 2210—3.96

• The vast majority of the competencies assessed 

were the general (70%) competencies, not 

technical.

o Due to the lack of multiple hurdle 

assessments, the majority of bulk hire 

positions, are not assessing for technical 

competencies. 

The State of Competency Assessment
Cybersecurity Human Capital Strategy

01

02

03

04

05

06

08

07

Reskilling and 

Upskilling

Organization Vision, 

Mission, and Goals Recruitment 

Strategy 

Competency Based 

Assessments and Hiring

HR/IT 

Business 

Intelligence

Community of 

Practice

HR/Hiring 

Managers 

Collaboration

Talent 

Management 

Process

14
Cyber Security Direct Hire Authority

**These positions must require IT knowledge and IT competencies, the work must be coded to include 

cybersecurity functions as supported by the job codes in the Guide to Data Standards and the NICE 

Cybersecurity Workforce Framework, 2017, and the cybersecurity work must be performed the majority of 

the time.

Position Title Occupational 

Series

Grade 

Levels

Computer Engineers 

(Cybersecurity)

GS-0854 12-15

Computer Scientists 

(Cybersecurity)

GS-1550 12-15

Electronics Engineers 

(Cybersecurity)

GS-0855 12-15

IT Cybersecurity 

Specialist**

GS-2210 12-15

Agencies must identify and use proper 

assessment tools for the positions being 

filled with these direct hire authorities 

to determine who is qualified for the 

covered positions. Agencies should not 

conduct additional rating to determine 

relative degrees of qualifications when 

using this authority. Qualified 

candidates with veterans’ preference 

should be selected as they are found, 

just as any qualified non-preference 

eligible candidate would be.

Government-wide Direct Hire Authority for Information 

Technology Management (Information Security and 

Cybersecurity), GS-2210-09 through GS-2210-15; 5 U.S.C. 

3304(a)(3), 5 CFR part 337

15
Competency Based Qualification Standard

16
Aptitude Assessments • Coding challenges, work 

samples, biodata, cognitive 

ability tests, knowledge tests, 

personality assessments, interest 

inventories, and other types of 

assessments 

• “The whole person approach 

should incorporate a mix of 

assessments that evaluate both 

cognitive and interpersonal 

competencies, as well as 

technical cybersecurity related 

knowledge, skills, and abilities.”

17
USA HireSM

Transforming Government One Hire At A Time

18
Better 

Hires

Mission 

Success!

Better 

Assessments

Stronger 

Workforce

HighPerforming 

Organization

USA Hire

USA Hire Can Help Identify Top Talent

19v
USA Hire Standard GS-2210 Assessment 

 Accountability

 Attention to Detail

 Customer Service

 Decision Making

 Flexibility

 Influencing/Negotiating

 Integrity/Honesty

• Online, valid, high-quality assessments with 

cutting edge technology, designed with Fed 

HR & Assessment Experts

• Ready “off-the-shelf” & easy to implement

• Supports increased speed of hiring

• Easily administered to large volumes of 

applicants

• Applicant Satisfaction

• May be combined with a technical assessment

Range of General Competencies 

Assessed for the 2210

20

 Interpersonal Skills

 Learning

 Reading

 Reasoning

 Self-Management

 Stress Tolerance

 Teamwork

20
21

Case Study: USA Hire vs. Non-USA Hire

% Best Qualified After Assessment USA Hire/Non-USA Hire Score Distribution

Percentage of Eligible Applicants

55% fewer 

applicants to 

review with USA 

Hire

Findings: USA Hire results in significantly fewer 

applicants for HR review, reducing the time 

required to review applicants by 10 hours.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90-94 95-99 100

Non-USA Hire USA Hire

Number of Applicants

Score Range

USA Hire provides a more ‘normal’ score 

distribution.

Self-assessment skews scores to high end of range.

21
Future State of Assessments

22
Q&A

23
Contact Information

April Davis

Director, Classification and Assessment 

Policy

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Shaping

Employee Services

Assessment_Information@opm.gov

Liz Edenfield

HR Consultant (Customer Outreach)

USA Hire Program Office

Federal Staffing Center

Human Resources Solutions

USAHire@opm.gov

24
Additional Slides 

25
Ap

–

Leg

T

ity 

ob 

stic 

4. ASSESS

● General Competencies

● Technical Competencies

● Multiple Hurdles

5. SELECT

● Verification

● Best Fit

6. EVALUATE

Quality of Hire ● Time to Hire ●

Resources/Cost to Hire ● Turnover ●

Customer Satisfaction ● Employee 

Engagement ● Diversity ●

Organizational Performance

3. SCREEN

● Minimum Qualifications

● Conditions of Employment

● Selective Placement Factors

2. ATTRAC

Agency Website ● Job Opportun

Announcements ● USA Jobs ● J

Fairs/Recruiting Events ● Reali

Job Previews ● Internet Searches 

(e.g., Google) ● U.S. Department of 

Labor CareerOneStop/O*NET Online

1. PREPARE

Strategic Planning ● Workforce 

Planning ● Job Analysis ● Position 

Description ● Recruitment Plan ●

Assessment Plan ● Assessment 

Development ● Evaluation Plan

FOUNDATIONAL 

ELEMENTS:

al & Professional Guidelines 

– OPM Hiring Policy – Agency 

Mission & Goals – Agency 

Hiring Policy

KEY STAKEHOLDERS:

Hiring Manager – HR –

plicant – Agency Leadership 

Personnel Psychologist – IT

ASSESSMENT

OPM’s 6-Point Assessment Strategy

Key Assessment Considerations:

• Position(s) being filled

• Applicants anticipated

• Competencies assessed

• Future use of assessment(s)

• Cost of a bad hiring decision

• Satisfaction with current hires

• Prior litigation

• Union involvement

• Hiring authority

• Hiring manager/SME involvement

• Time and resources available

Guiding Assessment Principles:

• Applicant friendly

• Quality focused

• Time efficient

• Cost effective

• Inclusive

Sample Assessment Options:

• Structured Interview

• Knowledge Test

• Work Sample/Writing Assessment

• Occupational Questionnaire

• Reference Check

26
Job Analysis - A systematic examination of the 

tasks performed in a job and the competencies 

required to perform them.

Occupational Questionnaire - Task- and 

competency-based self-report questionnaires used to 

screen and rank applicants based on their training and 

experience. 

Situational Judgment Test - Presents 

applicants with a description of a work problem or 

critical situation, and asks them to identify how they 

would deal with it (can be paper, computerized, or 

video-based format). An example is USA Hire.

Job Knowledge Test - Comprised of specific 

questions developed to determined how much the 

candidate knows about particular job tasks or 

responsibilities. An example is the HackerRank Code 

Challenge.

Structured Interview - Panel interview where all 

candidates are asked the same job-related questions 

(often competency-and behavioral-based). 

Interviewers use detailed rating scales, evaluating all 

candidates according to the same standards. 

Accomplishment Record - Applicants provide a 

written description of a situation to illustrate their 

proficiency in critical job-related competencies. 

Evaluated by a panel of trained raters against 

competency-based benchmarks. These can also be used 

as writing samples.

Job

Analysis

Accomplishment Record

Occupational Questionnaire

Situational Judgment Test

Job Knowledge Test Structured Interview

Step 1: COLLABORATION WITH HR, SMEs, AND 

IOPs TO IDENTIFY WHAT TO ASSESS (A.K.A., the 

Job Analysis)

 What work (tasks/duties and responsibilities) is performed on 

the job?

 What competencies (KSAs) are needed to do the work?

Step 2: DESCRIBE YOUR HIRING SITUATION

 What is the available budget, timeframe, and volume of 

applicants for assessment?

 Will you develop your own customized assessment tool or 

purchase from a vendor?

 What level of expertise is available to develop and to 

implement the assessment process?

Step 3: DETERMINE HOW TO ASSESS

 Choose the job-related competencies you will assess (based 

on Step 1)

o Focus on the most critical competencies required upon 

entry 

 Review assessment tools that are already available or can be 

developed to assess the competencies with Assessment 

expert (I/O Psychologists)

o Some tools are better than others for measuring specific 

competencies

o Make sure the assessment tool is reliable and valid

Step 4: BUILD AN ASSESSMENT PROCESS

 Decide how to score the assessment(s). Assessments used 

with a direct hire authority should be pass/fail and should not 

be used to rate and rank candidates

 Choose the order in which the assessments will be 

administered

Step 5: EVALAUTE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment used and hiring 

manager satisfaction. Make any needed changes to your 

assessment approach

Designing an Assessment Strategy

27

Designing an Assessment Strategy
Cybersecurity 

Direct Hire 

Authority

FAQs

24. How do the new qualification and assessment policy impact filling positions under 

direct hire authorities?

There is no change to how agencies use direct hire authority. Appointments to competitive 

service positions must be made from individuals who meet OPM qualifications, with limited 

exceptions. When filling positions under direct hire authorities, agencies must follow the specific 

requirements of the authority being used. Agencies must ensure selectees meet the qualification 

requirements of the position through meeting the education and/or experience requirements 

described in the OPM Qualification Standard for the occupation at the grade level of the position 

being filled. Agencies have the option to verify, through use of a passing grade assessment, that 

an individual has the right competencies/KSAs to be successful in the position. This additional 

assessment is optional. Under direct hire authority, further assessment for rating and ranking is 

not done. 

28
USING THE CYBER CAREER 

PATHWAYS TO INFORM 

RECRUITMENT

Presented By: Megan Caposell, DHS/CISA

Federal Cyber Workforce Management 

and Coordinating Working Group Tri-Chairs:

Megan Caposell (DHS CISA)

Matt Isnor (DoD) 

Chris Paris (VA)

July 27, 2021
Federal Cyber Workforce Management & Coordinating Working Group

Who?

Working Group of cyber workforce representatives from 22 of 24 CFO 

Act Federal agencies

What?

The WG operates with the ultimate intent of collectively

- Developing baseline cyber workforce requirements and career resources

- Merging disparate federal cyber workforce efforts

- Developing and promoting cyber workforce guidance and best practices

- Standardizing federal implementation of the NICE Framework.

Why?

Federal cyber workforce development is complicated, uneven in its focus, 

and lacking foundational principles and access to common 

resources...encouraging the current practice of reinventing competing 

cyber workforce development strategies in various stovepipes.

- Cyberspace Solarium Commission, “Growing a Stronger Federal Cyber Workforce”

30
Practical Implementation of Cybersecurity Workforce Framework –

A New Way for Business

Position Descriptions

Classification

Recruitment Marketing 

and Outreach

Skills Readiness Assessments Aptitude Assessments

Training and Professional 

Development

Data Analytics and Manpower

Workforce Planning

31
Why are Work Roles important? 

Work Roles provide insight and 

requirements beyond what’s 

currently offered in existing 

Occupational Series, Parentheticals, 

and official Position Titles. 

This insight paves the way for 

targeted recruitment, training, 

career development, retention 

strategies, and more.

32
Building Federal-wide Standards

33

Position Description

OF-8

Cyber codes aligned to PD

Major Duties

Work role definition and specific 

tasks employed by position.

Knowledge Required

Specific Knowledge, Skills, and 

Abilities employed by the 

position.
NICE Framework

The NICE Framework is a nationally focused 

resource that establishes a lexicon for 

categorizing and describing work and work 

roles that require integrated cybersecurity 

responsibilities and education. 

Using common terms and language helps to 

organize and communicate the work to be 

done and the attributes of those that are 

qualified to perform that work. In short, it 

helps us identify the Cyber Workforce.

34
What are Work Roles? 

Work roles describe a distinct set of activities and attributes needed for the 

successful execution of work. A person may perform one or more work roles 

within their assigned position, billet, or contracted service requirement.

Work Roles are comprised of:

• Knowledge

• Skills

• Abilities 

• Tasks

35

K

S A

T
Cyber Workforce Skills

Work roles and content included in the NICE Framework do not only apply to those fully 

embedded in the cybersecurity domain. 

Work Roles encompass the skills needed to:

36
Cyber Workforce - Skill Communities

The Cyber Workforce is comprised of five (5) primary skills communities: Information Technology 

(IT), Cybersecurity, Cyber Effects, Intel (Cyber), and Cross Functional.

37
Cyber Workforce - Work Roles

IT

• Data Analyst (422)

• Database Administrator (421)

• Enterprise Architect (651)

• Knowledge Manager (431)

• Network Ops Specialist (441)

• Requirements Planner (641)

• R&D Specialist (661)

• Software Developer (621)

• System Administrator (451)

• Systems Developer (632)

• Tech Support Specialist (411)

• Sys T&E Specialist (671)

12

Cybersecurity

• Authorizing Official (611)

• COMSEC Manager (723)

• Cyber Defense Analyst (511)

• Cyber Def. Forensics Analyst 

(212)

• Cyber Def. Incident Res. (531)

• Cyber Def Infra. Spt. Spec. (521)

• Info Sys. Sec. Developer (631)

• Info Sys. Sec. Mgr. (722)

• Secure SW Assessor (622)

• Security Architect (652)

• Security Control Assessor (612)

• Systems Security Analyst (461)

• Vulnerability Analyst (541)

13

Cyber Effects

• Cyber Operator (321)

• Cyber Ops. Planner (332)*

• Exploitation Analyst (121)*

• Partner Integr. Planner (333)

• Mission Assess. Spec. (112)

• Target Network Analyst (132)

• Target Developer (131)

• Threat/Warning Analyst (141)*

REQUIRED: USC Title 10/32/50

*May be used by Title 5 

Department/Agencies for defensive 

purposes within a SOC.

8

Intel (Cyber)

• All Source Analyst (111)*

• All Source Collection Mgr. (311)

• All Source Collection Reqs. Mgr. (312)

• Cyber Intelligence Planner (331)

• Multi Disc. Language Analyst (151)

REQUIRED: USC Title 50

*May be used by Title 5 

Department/Agencies for defensive 

purposes within a SOC.

5

Lifecycle Management: IT Invest/Portfolio Mgr. (804), IT Project Mgr. (801), Product Support Mgr. (803), IT Program Auditor (805) 5

Talent Management: Cyber Instructor (712), Cyber Instr./Curriculum Dev. (711), Cyber WF Development & Mgr. (751) 3

Strategic Management: Cyber Policy/Strat Planner (752), Executive Cyber Leadership (901), Privacy Compliance Mgr. (732) 3

Legal/Law Enforcement: Legal Advisor (731), Cyber Crime Investigator (221), Forensic Analyst (211) 3

38
Career Pathways

Cyber Defense Analyst (511)

Role Overview

• Description

• Occupational Series

• Pairings

• Related Titles

• General Schedule

Progression & Mobility

• On / Off Ramps

Suggested Qualifications

• Education

• Certifications

Cyber Defense Analyst (511)

• Core Tasks

• Core KSAs

• Core Competencies

• Task to KSA Mapping

• Task Permutations 

39
Career Pathways Tool

40
Future Plans

V1 (Released in August 2020)

• Cyber Skill Communities and their alignment to work roles

• Relational views between work roles and the ability to compare roles based on overlapping 

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Tasks (KSAT)

• Core KSAT

V2 (Released in February 2021)

• Alignment to Federal Occupational Series 

• Work Role Pairings

• On/Off Ramps

• Related functional and position titles 

Future Releases

• Aligned Training and Certifications 

• Core Competencies 

• Core Task Behavioral Indicators at Entry, Intermediate, and Advanced proficiency levels

• Choose Your Path career planning functionality

• Links to open federal announcements aligned to work roles

41
Federal Cyber Workforce Initiatives for CY21

 Cyber Career Quiz

 USAJOBS Announcements by Work Role

 Open Opportunities by Work Role

 Work Role-specific Learning Objectives

 PD/JOA Guidance and Templates 

 Behavior-based Interview Questions and Assessments

 Criteria and Requirements for Aptitude / Skills-based Assessments 

 Best Practices Whitepaper for Implementing the NICE Framework

 Standardized Federal Cyber Coding and Mapping Guidance

42
Stay Connected

For more information on the Federal Cyber Workforce Management 

and Coordinating Working Group, visit the OMB Max page at:

https://community.max.gov/x/uJ37YQ 

Christopher.Paris@va.gov Megan.Caposell@hq.dhs.gov Matthew.M.Isnor.civ@mail.mil 

43

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
NICE Challenge Project

The Workforce Experience Before the Workforce

Bridging the Academia & Cyber Workforce Gap

Dr. Tony Coulson, & James Ashley III

NICE Challenge Project @ CSUSB
Generalities Disclaimer...

Some academic institutions work aggressively to reduce the gap 

between academia and the cyber workforce.

For example, academic institutions who participate in...

CyberCorps®: Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program

National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity 

(NCAE-C) Program

45
The Academia 

& Cyber 

Workforce Gap

What is “the gap”? 

The time between when a student graduates to when 

they can competently perform tasks in a work role.

What contributes to “the gap”?

When students have minimal to no...

 Challenging/Stimulating Hands-On Experiences

 Culminating Hands-On Experiences

 Awareness of the Cyber Workforce Landscape (i.e., 

Work Roles, Job Types, Associated Tasks)

46
Platform Environments Challenges

 Full scale context rich 

business environments 

tailored around NICE 

Framework Categories

 Fictional business 

organizations & employees

 Virtualized networks, servers, 

desktops, & specialized 

equipment

 We manage the hardware, 

hypervisors, and software at 

no cost to U.S. EDU

 Powerful cross platform web 

application, no downloads 

required

 Deploy challenges, access VM 

consoles, manage user 

accounts, & review results

 Competency based 

assessments focused on real 

world problems & context

 Maps to NICE Framework 

Tasks, Work Roles, KSA, & 

CAE KUs

 Designed to capture useful 

data for actionable metrics & 

analytics

47

NICE Challenge Project
Competency

Measurement

through

Real-World

Challenges

Challenge Design Process

Each challenge is designed by using a work role as a lens to 

view a task in which a professional must be competent.

Example: How would a systems administrator experience 

install, update, and troubleshoot systems/servers in their 

daily work?

Challenge Competency Measurement

Each challenge takes place in a contextualized environment 

where a student attempts a task as a work role in a real-world 

scenario and generates useful data.

The instructor, using this data, then decides if the student 

navigated the challenge task competently as that work role.

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Ricardo Cortes

Business Owner

Jacqueline Smith

General Manager

Mitch Anderson

Assist. Manager

Shawn O’Keefe

Bookkeeper

Naomi O’Keefe

Human Resources

Ashley Steele

Sr. Systems Eng.

Jacques Raffin

Internal IT/Support

Jan Cortes

Online Customer 

Support

Tim Clark

Online Customer 

Support

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Core NICE 

Challenge 

Workflow

Deploy Challenge

Attempt Challenge

View Results/Curator Feedback

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How Are the 

NICE 

Challenges 

Used?

 Capstone Experiences/Exams - Work role based experiences for 

students approaching graduation to determine if they are ready for 

the workforce

 Challenge Labs - Next-level labs for upper-division course work, extra 

credit, and all-star students

 Competition Preparation - Exercises for teams and individuals 

preparing for cybersecurity competitions

 Free Play - A wide selection of work role based experiences for 

students to try out and see what suits them

 Instructional Aid - A visual and functional aid in class for showing 

students real-world issues and how to handle them

 Competitions -The content of and evaluation system for small scale 

competitions

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NICE Challenge 

Progress

485+ Educational Institutions

850+ Educational Faculty Sign-Ups

100+ Unique NICE Challenges

12 NICE Framework Work Roles

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Cyber Hires Research Pilot

Interested in Using the NICE Challenges 

for New Cyber Hires?

Contact Dr. Vincent Nestler at 

vnestler@csusb.edu

Pilot Note: Participants must be within the United States

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Contact Us

James Ashley – jashley@nice-challenge.com

Dr. Tony Coulson – tcoulson@csusb.edu

Dr. Vincent Nestler – vnestler@csusb.edu

NICE Challenge Project – www.nice-challenge.com

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET

“Introducing Cybersecurity Apprenticeships in Federal Environments”

Tuesday, January 25, 2022, 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET

Topic to be determined

2021 Federal Cybersecurity 

Workforce Webinar Series

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

SAVE THE DATE

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

2022 Federal Cybersecurity 

Workforce Summit

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Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Webinar

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JJKHWXD

Complete

Evaluation

Form

57