Top acquisition agencies want cyber workforce changes in federal contracting rules
A federal framework for cybersecurity workforce knowledge should be incorporated into contracts for IT and cyber support services, a trio of agencies that lead the bulk of federal acquisitions said in a Federal Register posting Friday.
The General Services Administration, NASA and the Defense Department teamed up on a proposal that would alter the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to include the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity. The heads of GSA, NASA and DOD sit on the FAR Council and are jointly responsible for maintaining and prescribing the FAR.
The NICE framework, spelled out in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Special Publication 800-181, details workforce knowledge and skill requirements to be used in federal IT and cybersecurity support contracts. The document essentially creates a “common language” for cyber work roles that align with a 2019 Trump administration executive order on America’s cybersecurity workforce.
“The NICE Framework is intended to be applied in the public, private, and academic sectors to grow the cybersecurity capability of the U.S. Government, increase integration of the Federal cybersecurity workforce, and strengthen the skills of Federal information technology and cybersecurity practitioners,” Friday’s posting said.
The GSA, NASA and DOD would like the FAR to be amended to include the NICE framework’s definition of “cybersecurity,” which would be used in the federal acquisition of IT and cyber support services. The agencies’ proposal also seeks to alter FAR to align with NICE framework language on cyber workforce tasks, roles, knowledge and skills in the description of contracts.
Under the proposal, the FAR would also be amended to match NICE framework language for offers, quotes and reporting requirements from IT and cyber contractors, as well as in documentation for the acquisition of commercial products and services.
The posting notes that any changes to the FAR would not create new solicitation provisions or contract clauses that impact existing contracts for commercial products or services. GSA, NASA and DOD said they “do not expect” the rule to “have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.”
Comments on the agencies’ proposal are due March 4.
