Defense Launches IT Exchange Program

The Defense Department is launching a pilot program that will temporarily exchange information technology personnel with the private sector. In an interim final rule published Tuesday in the Federal Register, Defense noted that prompt implementation is crucial in assisting the agency to develop a pilot program to enhance its position and expertise in the IT field, particularly in cybersecurity.

The fiscal 2010 Defense authorization act allowed Defense to create the pilot program. The law gave Defense a green light to assign an exceptional IT employee to a private sector organization for training, development and sharing of best practices. It also authorized Defense components to accept comparable IT employees on an assignment from the private sector for training, sharing of best practices and insight into government practices.

The rule issued Tuesday establishes the pilot as the Information Technology Exchange Program. To be eligible for the program, a federal worker must work in information technology, be considered an exceptional employee and be compensated at the GS-11 level or above. The rule authorizes such workers to complete assignments for a period of at least three months and up to one year.

"Given the changing workforce dynamics in the IT field, DoD needs to take advantage of these types of professional development programs to proactively position itself to keep pace with the changes in technology," the rule stated.