Exceptional DOD employees get to taste private-sector IT work

The Defense Department has introduced a new pilot program that will give federal IT employees a chance to experience private-sector work.

DOD published a guide for its Information Technology Exchange Program (ITEP) in June. The program fulfills provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2010.

According to a fact sheet about the new program, the program is not a one-for-one exchange of IT personnel “but rather an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, experience and skills between the DOD and private sectors.”

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DOD starts IT personnel exchange

DOD said participation in the pilot program is limited to 10 individuals at any given time.

The program requires the exchanges to last from three months to a year, and they must not start after Sept. 30, 2013. In addition, at least 20 percent of ITEP participants must be from small businesses.

To be eligible for the program, DOD and private-sector employees must work in the IT field, be considered an exceptional employee, and be expected to assume increased IT responsibilities in the future, DOD said.

In addition, government employees must be at the GS-11 level or higher to participate in the program, and private-sector workers might be required to obtain a security clearance to take part.

The office of Teri Takai, DOD's CIO, is the ITEP administrator and will provide guidance to the department’s components.

An interim final rule to implement the new IT exchange program was published in December 2010 and received positive reviews from industry groups.