The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is seeking feedback from Federal AI experts as part of a new governmentwide survey that will result in a finalized AI Competency Model.
To fulfill its requirements from the AI in Government Act of 2020 and the Biden administration’s recent AI executive order (EO), OPM is conducting an occupational study on AI work. The agency released an AI Job Analysis Survey on Feb. 16, the results of which will be used to develop an AI Competency Model.
The Trump-era AI in Government Act states that OPM is required to identify key skills and competencies needed for AI professionals in an agency; establish a new occupational series, or update and improve an existing occupational series, for AI work within an agency; estimate the number of AI employees in positions related to AI, by agency; and prepare a two- and five-year forecast of the number of Federal employees in positions related to AI that each agency will need to employ.
Last July, OPM identified 43 general competencies and 14 technical competencies for AI in the Federal government, but the remaining three tasks have been left incomplete – something OPM has come under fire for with the release of the Biden’s AI EO.
Last month, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Cybersecurity, IT, and Government Innovation Subcommittee, chided OPM earlier this year for what she called its slow work in implementing the 2020 AI in Government Act.
“It was tasked three years ago by Congress with identifying AI talent gaps across the Federal civilian AI workforce, and with creating a new AI job series for Federal workers,” Rep. Mace said during a Jan. 17 hearing. “It has done neither. We’re still waiting.”
OPM said the AI job analysis survey issued on Friday represents the next phase of the study and will be used to validate the AI competencies identified by technical and human resources subject matter experts as needed for performing AI work governmentwide.
Federal employees performing AI work will be invited via email or invitation through an AI Community of Practice listserv to complete OPM’s survey. Responses are due by March 1.
“Developing a competency model for AI work is a key step towards ensuring Federal agencies can attract, recruit, and hire skilled employees to accomplish artificial intelligence work,” OPM’s memo reads.
OPM notes that the newly validated AI competency model will serve as the foundation for assessing, hiring, developing, and promoting talent into newly emerging work roles as well as enhancing the Federal workforce skillsets. “OPM’s AI Competency Model will also inform the creation of an AI Competency Framework through our partnership with the National Science Foundation,” the memo reads.
OPM said its next steps for AI-related efforts will include developing the AI Interpretive Classification Guidance to meet the requirements of the AI in Government Act of 2020.
