Federal Manager's Daily Report

DoD Sets Policies on Cyber Excepted Service

DoD has issued guidance to stand up its “cyber excepted service” which will serve as the civilian excepted service personnel system for designated positions with cyber responsibilities, under terms of authority enacted in 2015.

Elements include greater flexibility for management in recruiting both internally and externally; preference for hiring veteran over non-veteran external candidates if “all relevant considerations for the position are deemed substantially equal” but no preference for veterans when hiring from internal candidates; a three-year probationary period rather than the standard two years applying at DoD; procedures for setting initial pay and increasing pay based on performance within pay bands, for components that choose to use pay banding rather than the standard GS schedule; and “local market supplements” to keep pay competitive with similar jobs in the private sector.

Other provisions address educational requirements for various positions; authority to hire from student development programs; training, education, assignments and other career development opportunities; adverse action and RIF procedures, and more.

Standard federal personnel policies including merit system principles, prohibited personnel practices, EEO, and re-employment on return from military duty will continue to apply.

Current employees in the competitive service who occupy DoD cyber positions will get an opportunity to convert voluntarily to the CES; if they decline, the position will be converted to CES when vacated by that employee. Employees covered by the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System, federal wage system or non-appropriated fund employees are not covered.

 

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