Civilians is a closer translation. Civilians can't normally participate in Dutch military and defense programs. This pilot seeks to change that and set up a reserve force to enhance existing security expertise from the Dutch military and police forces.

Here's the full translated text from the docx:

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During the General Personnel Consultation on 11 September this year, I undertook to inform your House of Representatives about the cyber reservists pilot in which the selection process deviates from the physical requirements that apply regularly for appointment as a soldier. I will discuss the principles that apply, the appointment process and the first results.

Starting points for different requirements

The Ministry of Defense is increasingly in need of cyber professionals: civilian employees, professional soldiers and reservists. Under the humanitarian law of war (HOR) only soldiers are allowed to participate in the fight. In or from the Netherlands only soldiers and the police have powers of violence. The use of civilian employees for performing acts of violence is not permitted; professional soldiers or reservists are required for this. A number of cyber activities also fall under the practice of acts of violence.

To be able to recruit more cyber reserves, the cyber reserves pilot was launched on 6 November 2018. The Defense organization organizes so-called Matching Days (M-Days) several times a year with the aim of identifying suitable cyber reservists. In addition, candidates are approached who must be (partially) exempted from certain physical and medical requirements as included in the CDS instruction "Preparation of individual soldiers". These are the candidates who are ultimately classified in the category "not broadcastable, but employable."

Appointment process

The Ministry of Defense organizes the above-mentioned M-days about nine times a year. Candidates for these days are largely recruited via the cyber professionals' own network. The Defense organization is also actively seeking contact with the business community for potential candidates. When a candidate shows an interest, a short matching procedure is started based on his or her Curriculum Vitae (CV). As soon as there is interest in the candidate from the Ministry of Defense, he is asked to fill in an (online) personality questionnaire and to take a cyber substantive test prior to the M-day. The candidate is then invited for an M-day.

During this day, applicants are selected for a position as a cyber reservist based on various tests, (group) assignments and interviews. A maximum of fifteen candidates are present per M-day, of which ten were able to continue the appointment process last year. Applicants who, after an M-day, do not appear to have the required competencies and therefore do not qualify for a position as a cyber reservist, can, if they wish, follow the regular appointment, selection and testing process for other (reserve) positions.

Applicants for whom it has been established on M-day that they have sufficient potential for a cyber reserve position, are offered the choice between the regular appointment process or the deviating process. If they opt for the latter, they will be appointed as a non-transferable reservist without a further medical or sporting examination, after issuing a Declaration of No Objection (VGB). Applicants who opt for the regular procedure go through the inspection process at the Personnel Logistics Service Center (DCPL) in two days. In the event of a positive result of these tests, these applicants are appointed, after issuing a VGB, as a reservist without restrictions on deployment. Applicants who drop out during this follow-up process can still be appointed as a non-broadcast cyber reservist.

First results

The pilot has been running for almost a year and the first results are positive. At the start of the pilot, the Ministry of Defense had thirty cyber reserves. In the meantime, 72 have actually been appointed (of which nine with the special form of appointment can be deployed but cannot be deployed). In addition, there are 48 aspiring cyber reservists (nine of whom have completed the adjusted procedure) that have already been selected and are still awaiting appointment. Due to their specific knowledge and experience, the eighteen non-broadcastable (aspiring) cyber reserves are important for the cyber capacity of the Ministry of Defense. At the moment 22 candidates have applied for the next M-days. This pilot runs until the end of 2020. At that time, a final evaluation will be drawn up with conclusions and recommendations for a follow-up process. I will inform your Chamber about this.