The Office of Personnel Management has announced details
for its IT exchange program allowing federal IT workers to
temporarily work in the private sector, and for non-government
IT workers to volunteer in the federal government.
The program is designed partly as a knowledge exchange, said
OPM Director Kay Coles James: “The program is an essential
tool agencies can use as they implement the [President’s
Management Agenda] scorecard. Similarly, private sector
organizations also will benefit from this two-way
information-sharing tool.”
Private sector deployment would last from three months to
one year, and may be extended for the same, up to six years
total. Exceptional employees at the GS-11 level or above
(or equivalent, including Veterans’ Readjustment
Appointments, certain interns, and SES) would be eligible
to participate, said OPM.