In accordance with Executive Order 14110, Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, the Federal CDO Council’s (CDOC) Data Culture of the Workforce Working Group recently released the Data Science Hiring Toolkit to provide federal agencies with valuable guidance on recruiting and hiring stronger data science talent. The CDOC appreciates the contributions and expertise of several key organizations involved in developing the toolkit, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Excellence in Government Fellowship Program (EIG). Special recognition goes to the EIG Fellowship Program Members, William Berry (DOT), Grace Lee (VA), Kasey Martin (USDA), Wendy Peterson (DOD), Bryan Reed (NIH), and Kimm Richards (NARA), who primarily authored the content of the toolkit The diverse and complementary perspectives contributed to a well-refined and high-quality final toolkit.
To address the unique needs of the data science field, this toolkit focuses on several key considerations within the hiring process for Federal data scientists. It is well-positioned to assist both candidates and hiring managers in the recruiting and hiring processes. This toolkit covers hiring of a diverse workforce, appropriately scoping skills and responsibilities in position descriptions, choosing the suitable job series for a data science position, developing substantial interview questions, and effectively preparing candidates and hiring managers for the hiring process.
This toolkit will continue to be updated as data science evolves as a professional field. The Federal CDO Council welcomes continued collaboration with OMB, OPM,OSTP, and other federal partners and stakeholders to incorporate new developments and policy guidance into future iterations of the toolkit. For questions or recommendations about the toolkit, please contact cdocstaff@gsa.gov.