Introduction
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) required workforce planning support to improve the process by which new employees are recruited and retained. In an aggressive job market where demand is high and the number of qualified individuals is limited, it was crucial that DHS have a plan for how to build its cyber workforce.
DHS selected EconSys to help provide support in analyzing and tracking the recruitment and retention of personnel with these key cybersecurity skill sets in its workforce. Due to the specific experience EconSys had in the past, working on similar projects, we were able to provide a comprehensive approach that matched DHS’s requirements.
The Challenge
EconSys has worked with several agencies in a similar capacity to provide workforce planning support and, therefore, was selected by the Department of Homeland Security to do the same. EconSys subsequently supported the organization’s workforce program by providing the following activities:
- Program and project management, planning and administrative operations support
- Data Management and Data Visualization
- SharePoint and User Interface support
- Subject matter expertise to assist in implementing and sustaining DHS’s cybersecurity workforce activities
- Special Projects such as the Cyber Code Position Description Update project
The Solution
EconSys worked closely with DHS to meet their goals and improve the hiring and retention process for employees with the critical cybersecurity skills needed to fulfill the agency’s mission. As part of this, EconSys evaluated the compensation and incentives needed to fill hiring gaps and ensure a consistent, ready-to-operate cybersecurity workforce within DHS.
- Analysis and Tracking – EconSys provided supplemental support in analyzing and tracking the retention and recruitment processes and evaluating the job market in relation to the skills being targeted.
- Improvement Insights – EconSys provided the ability to track improvements in recruitment, retention and in deploying the right people into the right jobs. The goal was to fill gaps in hiring and gain insights to help determine what proved successful and areas in which improvement was needed.
- Incentive Pay Analysis – Our studies and reports analyzed whether incentive pay was adequate and how it compared to national and local industry standards.
- Tracking Key Qualifications – EconSys provided support in tracking certifications, education, cyber work roles, tasks and KSAs for the individuals recruited and hired by DHS.
- Competencies and Assessments – We supported cyber work role competency assessments and evaluations based on the skills identified as most valuable within DHS.
EconSys worked with DHS for more than two years to provide key support in these areas.
