PART A - OCP Certification Requirements

 

This section describes the certification requirements and application procedures. Qualifying data described in this section is to be included in the application form, along with the OCP paper, as the individuals’ complete application package.

 

1. Experience (Total of Five Years)

Candidates for certification must provide unclassified and detailed descriptions of at least five years experience as an OPSEC professional. Experience may be either Direct or Indirect, and experience may also be substituted to meet the educational requirements. A minimum of two years of the five years experience as an OPSEC professional must be direct OPSEC related experience; the remaining may be indirect experience, substituted on the basis of two years indirect experience for one year direct experience to achieve the required five year’s experience. In all cases, NO double-counting of experience is permitted for offsetting some other certification requirement. For example, you may not count the same experience for education and for the experience requirement.


Qualifying Experience Definition
This is full-time (or equivalent part-time) employment in which the candidate actively uses the knowledge, skills and abilities required for carrying out the OPSEC process. The basic concept for determining what is direct and indirect experience that can be credited toward OPSEC professional certification is rooted in the definition and process of OPSEC.

OPSEC is defined as “…a systematic and proved process by which the U.S. Government and its supporting contractors can deny to potential adversaries’ information about capabilities and intentions by identifying, controlling and protecting generally unclassified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive government activities”. The process consists of five steps: identification of critical information; analysis of threats; analysis of vulnerabilities; assessment of risks; and the application of appropriate countermeasures.


Recognizing that OPSEC applies to both government and private sector activities, qualifying experience in the private sector is also creditable. Below we describe what constitutes direct and indirect experience. Please be explicit in your application of what you are claiming i.e., direct or indirect experience. Managers rather than OPSEC practitioners usually make the decisions on countermeasure applications. Therefore, making recommendations for countermeasures applications and/or being involved in the actual application of such measures meets the requirement of this step.

Direct Experience (Minimum of Two Years)
This is any activity that has the denial of critical information to potential adversaries as a goal, and:

  • includes all aspects of the OPSEC process to achieve that goal; or

  • provides instruction to others as a basis for achievement of such a goal.


Position titles or position descriptions alone do not verify creditable experience. Whether the position is designated OPSEC or not is not relevant to creditable experience. What is relevant is what activities were conducted and must be described by the applicant. Part-time support is acceptable as direct experience but must be made clear as to the actual total duration claimed for the part-time experience. The following activities are some examples of those in which the candidate may gain qualifying direct experience:

  • conduct OPSEC surveys;

  • manage an organization OPSEC program;

  • develop OPSEC training materials and instruct OPSEC courses;

  • plan OPSEC and provide and assist in OPSEC program development; and

  • deception planning; deception analysis.

  • OPSEC support to Program Protection, Anti-tamper, and Force Protection Plans


Indirect Experience
This is any activity that supports achievement of OPSEC goals, but does not use all aspects of the OPSEC process. The following activities are some examples of those in which the candidate may gain qualifying indirect experience:

  • development of intelligence trade craft;

  • intelligence threat analysis;

  • classification guide development;

  • conduct of limited vulnerability analysis or risk analysis;

  • single security discipline countermeasure application; and

  • clandestine operations.

Again note that part-time indirect experience may be claimed but must be clearly described and the total duration claimed made explicit.


Experience Verification
The certification process requires the applicant to submit a signed application and experience forms specifying the required professional experience, for validation. For each professional experience described in the application, provide the name and telephone number of a reference who can confirm the experience. The information on the application is subject to independent verification. Deliberate submission of false information on the application will disqualify the candidate from certification. Note that applications may not be classified and must be cleared for submission as required by the applicant’s organization.

 

2. Education and Training


Education
Candidates for certification must successfully complete a college baccalaureate degree (or equivalent of four years full time study (normally a minimum of 120 credit hours at an accredited institution) and complete a minimum of 48 hours of formal OPSEC training. Identify the name of the college(s), dates of attendance, degree attained (or credit hours completed). Include a description of the OPSEC training courses: name of course; organization giving course; duration of the course; and a brief description of the contents. An applicant may substitute experience in lieu of a college degree (or 120 credit hours) at the rate of one year direct for one year of college (30 credit hours) or two years of indirect for one year of college (30 credit hours). Three months of direct experience can substitute for the OPSEC training requirement. If experience is used to substitute for the required college degree or training, it may not be applied to the required five years of OPSEC experience (no double counting). For example, an applicant without any college would require a total of nine years of direct experience to meet both the education and experience requirements.

Training
OPSEC or OPSEC-related training events totaling 48 hours of professional training are required for certification. The Professional Standards Committee determines the applicability of events (formal training, seminars, conference, symposia). The National/regional OPSEC and OPS conferences are considered training. Credit will be given on the basis of one hour of training for each hour of substantive session attended. For example, one National Conference had fourteen creditable hours of conference sessions; thus fourteen hours may be claimed. Other conferences, symposia and events that do not constitute formal training will be credited on a basis of three hours of substantive session attended equaling one hour of training creditable for OCP. Exceptions may be granted with the presentation of sufficient rationale.

Formal government or OPS provided or sponsored OPSEC training or associated training will be credited on a one-to-one basis. The applicability of non-government sponsored commercial courses will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Professional Standards Committee. Please provide details for evaluation.

Training to be credited toward the OCP application must have taken place within ten years of the date of application. Exceptions may be granted with the presentation of sufficient rationale by the applicant. Information provided concerning training need not be accompanied by any diplomas, certificates or other proof of attendance. The applicant’s certification to the truth of all information contained in the application, subject to verification, is considered sufficient.

 

3. Paper

The applicant must submit a paper demonstrating the applicant’s understanding of the OPSEC process as part of certification. The paper must be the original work of the applicant. The paper must be at least ten single spaced type-written pages in length, and contain information that shows that the applicant possesses an understanding of the total OPSEC process, with an in-depth discussion of OPSEC and/or any of its component parts. It may be based on any of the concepts embodied in the process.  The papers submitted must have been written by the applicant not more than 3 years prior to application for OCP.

Evaluation criteria for the paper include compliance with the above requirements and must be free of factual errors, utilize proper spelling, grammar and punctuation, and identify and credit any sources used for materials or quotes in the paper. The paper must contain the applicant’s name, be submitted with the application, and be unclassified. Government or employer review on classification and release are the responsibility of the applicant. Papers of successful applicants will be retained by OPS for possible publication to assist in achieving education and awareness of OPSEC principles. OPS will retain first rights for publication in the OPS Journal.




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Page Last Updated On March 28, 2010