Project Charter

Incorporating Cybersecurity into a 

Public Service Education

Last Modified

Wednesday, July 13

th, 2022

—

First Approved

Wednesday, January 12th, 2022

National Initiative for Cybersecurity 

Education (NICE) Community 

Coordinating Council

Project Charter

Incorporating Cybersecurity into a 

Public Service Education
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 John Kingdon’s "policy window" 

recognizes a moment in time when a 

problem reaches maturity, there is a 

political will to address the problem, and 

feasible solutions to the problem are 

present. 

 Policy windows are not permanent—

they may close if not acted upon. At this 

present moment, NICE, NASPAA, their 

partners can affect the future of 

cybersecurity through our own policy 

window.

CALL TO ACTION
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Cybersecurity cannot be achieved by technologists and information security officers alone. This 

is as true at the organizational level as it is at the strategic level where partnerships between 

government, academia, and the private sector come together to address current and future 

cybersecurity challenges. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) recognizes 

this throughout its guiding documents, statements, and values calling attention to the 

importance of innovation, collaboration, and a diversity of opinions.

NICE is led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department 

of Commerce, and is a partnership between government, academia, and the private sector 

focused on cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. In its recently 

published Implementation Plan, NICE recognized an objective to advocate for multidisciplinary 

approaches that integrate cybersecurity across varied curricula that support diverse learners 

from a variety of backgrounds and experiences (1). 

The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) is an international 

association of more than 300 institutional member schools that award degrees in Public Policy, 

Public Administration, or Public Affairs (2). Over half of NASPAA graduates go directly into public 

service (either government or the military) after graduation, with 36% of graduates going directly 

into state or local government (3). NASPAA’s accreditation process includes eligibility 

requirements, program self-evaluation, on-site visit, and review by the Commission on Peer 

Review and Accreditation (COPRA). NASPAA does not accredit undergraduate or doctoral 

programs.

This project team will advise and assist NASPAA accredited programs in the creation or 

improvement of cybersecurity curricula. This voluntary and collaborative project should be 

guided by stakeholders from NICE (leaders in cybersecurity from the government, academia, and 

private sector) and NASPAA (program faculty, leaders in the NASPAA organization, and affiliated 

professionals from the American Society for Public Administration). Through an iterative process, 

this team will organize information on the current state of cybersecurity curricula in NASPAA 

programs, identify the topics of greatest importance to students in NASPAA programs, and 

introduce (or improve) cybersecurity curricula for these students. Deliverables will be identified 

based on the needs of students and the capabilities of the programs themselves.

Project Team Description
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Summary (the Elevator Pitch)

“One cannot educate every governor, senator, cabinet secretary, or public administrator on the 

ins and outs of cybersecurity—but one can take real steps to ensure that members of their staff 

have received a basic education in the topics most critical to their role.”

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this project team is to advise and assist NASPAA accredited programs in the 

creation or improvement of cybersecurity curricula. This voluntary and collaborative project 

should be guided by stakeholders from NICE (leaders in cybersecurity from the government, 

academia, and private sector) and NASPAA (program faculty, leaders in the NASPAA organization, 

and affiliated professionals from the American Society for Public Administration). 

This purpose aligns with NICE Strategic Plan’s Implementation Plan under the Transforming 

Learning to Build and Sustain a Diverse and Skilled Workforce Objective 2.2: “Advocate for 

multidisciplinary approaches that integrate cybersecurity across varied curricula that support 

diverse learners from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.”

Project Team Purpose
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Projected Scope

The scope of this collaboration should be limited to developing the cybersecurity knowledge and 

skills and competencies of students participating in a public service education, but it can also 

serve as a model for incorporating cybersecurity-related content into other disciplines. 

NASPAA publishes an annual report which presents a snapshot of its students and graduates from 

the programs in the current accreditation cycle. Placement data provided by NASPAA shows that 

54% of graduates go directly into public service (either government or the military), with 36% of 

graduates going directly into state or local government (3). Non-profit organizations are the 

second largest placement category for graduates at 20%. Non-profit organizations include 

specialized mission driven organizations benefitting the public good as well as authorities, 

districts, commissions, development corporations, and municipal departments that are 

essentially owned by the government but often operate with their own charters as independent 

agencies. 

Topics including emergency management, data science, national security, and all-hazards 

planning may be referenced in this project but only to the extent that their inclusion does not 

take away from the objective of incorporating cybersecurity into the education of future public 

service leaders. It is out of scope for this project to include topics that are related to cybersecurity 

and are themselves their own fields of study.
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The project should identify or develop the knowledge and skill statements and competencies 

which enable graduates to enter the public service workforce with a measurable understanding 

of cybersecurity topics. While these graduates may not have obtained an expert level of 

proficiency, they should understand cybersecurity topics and be able to communicate with 

executives as well as information security officers. 

Additionally, the project should provide opportunities necessary for acquiring additional 

knowledge and skills and competencies that would make it possible for graduates to enter the 

cybersecurity field after graduation, including preparing students to acquire industryrecognized certifications. However, this project is not intended to draw prospective or current 

students away from a NASPAA academic degree or certificate program into a cybersecurityrelated program.

Project Team Objectives
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January-June 2022

In its first six months the team organized members and processes, gathered information, and 

refined its goals and path forward. Major accomplishments in the first six months include:

1. Publishing and distributing a 6-page document intended to introduce the more than 300 

NASPAA and more than 300 programs designated as National Centers of Academic 

Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) so they may develop local partnerships.

2. Building a list of potential project partners and organizations that address similar issues 

around cybersecurity education and are also focused on NASPAA students and 

graduates, and public servants who did not graduate from a NASPAA program.

3. Submitting a presentation proposal which was accepted for the 2022 NASPAA 

conference to be held in Chicago this October.

4. Collecting and organizing resources on how to map syllabi to NCAE Knowledge Units and 

Knowledge Units to the NICE Framework.

5. Developing a “Rosetta Stone” document intended to be a translational reference for 

project members who come from a variety of backgrounds.

6. Developing and publishing a request for information (RFI) for NASPAA programs 

intended to collect information and resources that illustrate the current state of 

cybersecurity in NASPAA programs.

7. Presenting virtually to more than 40 attendees of NASPAA’s comprehensive schools’ 

program on the work of the project team, the use of the NICE framework, and an 

introduction to the NCAE Knowledge Units.

8. Presenting virtually to more than 60 attendees at NASPAA’s career counselors 

conference on the NICE framework, the availability of cybersecurity certifications, and 

the skills presenters have found useful in data science and cybersecurity.

9. Proposing and launching an eight-week independent study program for four graduate 

students at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy 

intended to tackle the following tasks:

a. Enrich datasets and analyze the responses to the NASPAA RFI. 

b. Map syllabi to NCAE-C knowledge units, and knowledge units to NICE work roles.

c. SWOT analysis to describe the challenges and opportunities facing NASPAA 

programs who wish to incorporate cybersecurity throughout their curricula. 

Previous Deliverables
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The team’s final deliverables are dependent on the knowledge the team develops through its 

iterative process. The earliest deliverables will be a collection of resources that reveal students’ 

needs and the capabilities of NASPAA programs to help students learn cybersecurity knowledge 

and skills. These resources may be used to simplify future decision-making and could include a 

variety of different types of media or learning materials. 

 Publish a document answering the following critical questions

Based on expert insights, and the insights of and NASPAA graduates who now work in, or 

alongside the cybersecurity profession, what are the critical cybersecurity topics for NASPAA 

graduates, regardless of their career placement? This document must answer whether these 

topics currently taught in NASPAA programs. If yes, describe who, what, where, when, why, and 

how these topics are already taught in NASPAA programs.

For each instance of the team identifying potential project partners and organizations that 

address similar issues around cybersecurity education, the team should document the approach 

taken by other organizations. This document must describe their approach, any overlaps 

between other projects and this one, and how other projects developed their priorities or 

curriculum (where appropriate). 

 Report on “success stories” of NASPAA graduates who now work in, or alongside the 

cybersecurity profession

Are there examples of NASPAA graduates succeeding in cybersecurity work roles or careers 

adjacent to cybersecurity? If yes, these stories should be documented and shared with NASPAA 

programs. A standard suite of deliverable items should be developed that may include a head 

shot or professional photo, headline text, 2-3 pop out quotes, and 750-1,000 words describing 

graduates’ stories and advice for NASPAA grads/programs.

 Publish an organized list of statements and competencies focused on NASPAA students

These knowledge statements, skill statements, and competencies should enable NASPAA 

graduates to enter the public service workforce with a measurable understanding of 

cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities most critical to their jobs. They must be based on 

data such as the insights gathered from experts and alumni.

Proposed Deliverables
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 Coordinate with subject matter experts to schedule a simulation-based cybersecurity 

training ahead of the 2023 NASPAA conference

Invite faculty, staff, or administrators supporting NASPAA programs to participate in or observe 

simulation style workshops based on real-world cyber events—like the workshops recently held 

at the American Society for Public Administration’s 2022 conference.

 Publish a document that provides programs with examples for incorporating cybersecurity 

throughout a public service education

The project team has previously described illustrations of what incorporating cybersecurity 

throughout a public service education may look like. This document must develop such 

illustrations into simple to understand and simple to implement approaches for faculty in 

NASPAA programs. These illustrations should be specific, measurable, achievable with the 

resources faculty are expected to already have, and relevant to the objectives of this project. 

This document must suggest a way for faculty to provide feedback to NASPAA and its partners. 

 Facilitate the publication of a cybersecurity related case study on publicases.org

The team will publish a case study or support another organization or individual in the 

development of a cybersecurity related case study. 
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1. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education . Implementation Plan. 2021.

2. NASPAA. About NASPAA. NASPAA. [Online] https://www.naspaa.org/about-naspaa.

3. Maples, Kelli. NASPAA Annual Data Report. 2021.

Library of Congress image credited to the United States Architect of the Capital

References
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END OF CHARTER