The study “The establishment of a system of education, training and retraining of personnel in the field of critical infrastructure protection” substantiates the conceptual principles of forming a system of education and professional development of personnel in the field of critical infrastructure protection.
The issue of critical infrastructure (CI) protection is becoming increasingly important for national security. This is due to the significant expansion of the spectrum of threats to the sustainable functioning of CI, which ensures the provision of vital functions and essential services to society and the state. Many countries have already established state policy priorities in the field of CI protection, developed a legislative framework, and introduced various instruments to support the activities of entities tasked with ensuring the security and resilience of CI and essential services.
Ukraine has also introduced a legislative framework and established an organizational and institutional basis for activities in this area. The National CI Protection System has been created, and the system's entities are implementing the legislation in practice. The tasks defined by the Law of Ukraine “On Critical Infrastructure” [1] regarding the protection of the country’s CI and the stability of vital functions and services have become a priority for ensuring national security and resilience. Ukraine’s efforts to maintain the stability of its critical energy infrastructure in the face of the ongoing full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation confirm the importance of CI security and resilience for national resilience. [2]
The efficacy of implementing these tasks depends not only on the regulatory framework and availability of resources but also on the knowledge and skills of the personnel [3] within the entities constituting the National CI Protection System. Improving the qualifications of personnel in such entities is both a practical requirement and an urgent task.
Therefore, the development of human resources in the field of CI security and resilience should become a priority of state policy in this crucial area. The implementation of this task must be based on the legislation regulating the field of education. Fortunately, Ukrainian educational legislation is developing dynamically and facilitates the implementation of various forms of education, professional training, and retraining of personnel.
The future system should cover diverse forms and methods of training, primarily: conducting individual training events (such as training sessions and short-term courses) within the framework of advanced training; retraining personnel (through medium-term training programs, both full-time and part-time); training personnel within vocational programs to master new specialties; and higher education programs to achieve educational (or scientific) degrees.
1. Education and Training of Specialists by Higher Education Institutions
The higher education system provides the opportunity to introduce the necessary educational programs within its institutional framework, ensuring a reliable basic level of specialty training. It also facilitates the development of other forms of education for personnel in the National CI Protection System and helps raise awareness among the population on issues related to CI protection.
The Law of Ukraine “On Critical Infrastructure” initiated a feasibility study on the possibility of supplementing the “List of Branches of Knowledge and Specialties for which Higher and Professional Pre-Higher Education is Trained” with a new category focused on CI protection. The importance of this initiative was further emphasized by the National Plan for the Protection and Ensuring the Security and Resilience of Critical Infrastructure [4], adopted in 2023.
The List of Branches of Knowledge and Specialties is developed based on the International Standard Classification of Education and is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. It is important to note that the international standard is not a static document but is constantly updated, with new classification positions being added, transformed, or removed in response to emerging labor market demands for specialists in new fields of knowledge.
At the national level, changes are also being made to the relevant legislation. Specifically, at the end of August 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine made significant updates to the aforementioned List of Branches of Knowledge and Specialties, [5] reflecting broader changes in Ukrainian educational legislation. This means that educational programs in CI security and resilience also can be reflected by educational programs provided implemented by educational service providers.
Currently, higher education institutions have the autonomy to implement their own educational programs and specializations, determining their content and curricula. Relevant specializations reflect a set of academic disciplines aimed at providing the necessary competencies. [6] This flexibility allows for the inclusion of CI protection issues in the curricula of various educational institutions.
In other words, there are no significant restrictions preventing higher education institutions from addressing CI security and resilience within their proposed educational programs. To support the development of an education system in the field of CI protection, this report proposes:
A list of specialties where CI protection issues should be included;
A list of competencies and program learning outcomes for graduates in selected specialties;
A list of preliminary educational components and academic disciplines to be included in the educational programs for selected specialties.
It should be noted that the range of stakeholders interested in the development of an education and training system for CI protection has expanded. This is confirmed by the results of the activities of the temporary working group on the development of an education system for specialists in CI protection, created at the National Institute for Strategic Studies. [7]
The comprehensive discussions held by the group enabled the formulation of the following proposals for suggesting “Basic,” “Complementary,” and “Related” educational specialties for CI protection training by higher education institutions:
“Basic”: National Security, Civil Security, Public Management and Administration;
“Complementary”: Construction and Civil Engineering; Military Management; Cybersecurity and Information Protection; State Security; Law Enforcement;
“Related”: Energy Production; Architecture and Urban Planning; Transport Technologies; and other specialties.
“Basic” and “Complementary” specialties may overlap, as their categorization depends on the content of educational programs developed by higher education institutions. Educational programs can be formed within any of these specialties (taking into account the requirement to reflect no more than 35% of the educational standard for a given specialty), enabling them to equip learners with the essential competencies and learning outcomes.
“Related” specialties will provide specialized knowledge and skills for CI protection in specific areas where an in-depth understanding of particular aspects of CI functioning or the provision of vital functions and services is needed. This can include a wide range of specialties, such as engineering, technology, production organization, logistics, economics, finance, psychology, and more. Higher education institutions, either independently or at the request of National CI Protection System entities, can develop educational programs with a focus on specific aspects of CI security and resilience for vocational training as well.
The study also provides preliminary recommendations for refining the content of educational standards for specific specialties to better incorporate CI security and resilience issues when training specialists in higher education institutions.
2. Development of Professional Training
Educational programs focused on CI security and resilience, developed by higher education institutions, will not be the only component of the human resource development system for CI protection. The establishment of a comprehensive and effective professional training system is also necessary and achievable.
The system of professional education in Ukraine is evolving in line with global trends toward the liberalization of professional training methods. A flexible personnel training system is being formed in Ukraine, providing a range of tools to respond to changes in labor market demand.
Analyzing labor market needs will help identify the qualifications and training programs in demand. The identified professional qualifications will serve as the foundation for the development or revision of professional standards. The development of these standards will stimulate demand for personnel training in the National CI Protection System entities and among other stakeholders. Additionally, professional standards will serve as the basis for adapting educational programs at higher education institutions.
Therefore, the study advocates for the introduction of a mechanism to identify professions needed for CI protection tasks based on an analysis of the practical needs of National CI Protection System entities (i.e., labor market demand). The identified competencies and requirements for these professions should be reflected in professional standards. This task should primarily be managed by the sectoral and functional bodies responsible for CI protection.
A professional standard establishes the competency requirements for employees, forming the basis for professional qualifications. A professional standard is considered to take effect from the moment it is included in the Register of Qualifications. [8]
Currently, the Administration of the State Special Communications Service, as the competent authority in the field of CI protection, has determined the professional titles for CI operators (i.e., business entities) after consultations with sectoral bodies. At the end of 2024, the proposed professions were included in the National Classifier of Ukraine DK 003:2010 "Classifier of Professions", [9] including:
Analyst for assessing risks, threats, and the state of security of critical infrastructure facilities (by type of activity);
Specialist in the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure;
Expert in the protection of critical infrastructure facilities (by type of activity);
Head of the department (sector, department) for the protection of critical infrastructure facilities.
The list of positions and professions in the field of CI protection will evolve as the National CI Protection System develops. The professional competencies required will also change. Therefore, the list of professions is likely to expand and be refined in the future, eventually reflecting positions related to the management of the CI protection system at national, regional, sectoral, local, and facility levels, as outlined by the Law of Ukraine “On Critical Infrastructure.”
3. Personnel Training Programs
The establishment of a human resources development system in the field of CI protection requires the introduction of a continuous process of short-term training and retraining for personnel.
Ukraine has a well-developed legislative and organizational-institutional framework to ensure proper training programs for public servants (i.e., officials of state authorities, local governments, and other persons authorized to perform state functions). According to the regulations, educational service providers may prepare training programs tailored to the needs of entities within the National CI Protection System if there is a clearly identified demand. [10]
The legislation stipulates that state and local authorities must annually assess their specific personnel training needs in order to fulfill their assigned tasks. The results of this needs analysis are taken into account by educational service providers when developing training programs to meet these demands.
The similar system of training has to be established on the corporate level in order to engage personnel of CI operators into the training programs and raising awareness on the up to date practice in CI protection. The similar system of training has to be established on the corporate level in order to engage personnel of CI operators into the training programs to raise awareness on the best practice of CI protection.
It is important to note that advanced training programs become especially relevant during crisis periods, when significant changes in societal conditions are observed—such as those caused by war, climate change, or technological innovations.
The study provides examples of short-term advanced training programs for personnel from the National CI Protection System entities that were implemented in 2023-2024 by various educational service providers. This experience should be extended to address different types of threats and their evolving dynamics, considering the needs to ensure CI security, resilience, and the provision of vital functions and essential services.
To promote the implementation of a robust retraining and advanced training system for personnel in CI protection, it is advisable to introduce a procedure for annually determining the training needs of the national CI protection system entities in specific areas (topics) of retraining and advanced training and to communicate these needs to educational service providers. The study proposes to establish the network of training centers on CI security and resilience for sharing the best practice in the field.
4. The Model of the Human Resources Development System in the Field of CI Protection
Implementing a system for educating and training specialists in CI protection is a complex task. The challenge lies in the need to develop an interdisciplinary and systematic approach to knowledge acquisition within the existing sectoral educational system.
A practical and useful approach would be to strike a balance between the limited organizational and resource capabilities of the country (especially amid an ongoing war) regarding the introduction of specialized training for CI protection and the need to provide short-term training for personnel in a wide range of fields relevant to the National CI Protection System tasks.
This publication proposes a model for organizing a human resources development system, which will serve as a basic framework to streamline efforts from a wide variety of stakeholders. It aims to coordinate actions to build a body of knowledge and acquire the special competencies and skills needed to implement the tasks by all involved stakeholders.
The approaches reflected in this model allow for the identification of priority areas within the educational and training process, which will serve as fundamental elements of the strategy for the further development of the human resources development system in CI protection.
The approval by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of the Concept of Human Resource Development in the Field of CI Protection, along with an Action Plan for its Implementation, could formally consolidate these strategic development areas. Relevant proposals for the content of the proposed legislative acts are provided in the Appendices to the study.
Conclusions
This study is the first comprehensive work systematically considering the tasks involved in developing human resources for CI protection. It explores different perspectives on models for organizing training, priorities for allocating efforts, and clarifications of the content of educational programs across various specialties. This approach will help align the positions of different stakeholders, contributing to the integration of educational and professional training programs into the practices of both educational institutions and entities within the National CI Protection System.
The author extends deep gratitude to all members of the temporary working group on the development of the education system for specialists in the field of CI protection, created at the National Institute for Strategic Studies. [11] The fruitful discussions on the implementation of educational programs have led to feasible solutions to expedite the establishment of an education system for training and retraining personnel in this area.
It is also worth noting that several educational and training initiatives in the field of CI protection are already being implemented in practice. Several higher education institutions have introduced new educational programs focused on CI security and resilience, while others are offering certified retraining programs for personnel of the National CI Protection System entities and establishing centers for advanced training in CI protection.
This study will be supportive and useful for experts, scientists, and specialists working in the field of national security, as well as for the National CI Protection System entities in planning and implementing educational and professional training programs.
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[1] The Law of Ukraine “On critical infrastructure”. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1882-20#Text
[2] Sukhodolia О. Resilience of critical energy infrastructure and communities : report. – Kyiv : NISS, 2024. – 160 p . [in Ukrainian]. URL: https://doi.org/10.53679/NISS-analytrep.2024.04
[3] Different stakeholders taking part in ensuring CI security and resilience. Among them are: sector specific authorities, functional authorities responsible for certain threat response system, operators of CI, local authorities.
[4] The order of Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine, of September 19, 2023 No. 825-p “On Approval of the National Plan for the Protection and Resistance of Critical Infrastructure”. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/825-2023-%D1%80#Text
[5] The resolution of Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine, of August 30, 2024 No 1021 “On amendments to the List of fields of knowledge and specialties for which higher and professional pre-higher education applicants are trained”.
URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1021-2024-%D0%BF#Text
[6] Sukhodolia O. Development of an education system in a field of critical infrastructure protection: competencies of graduates and content of educational disciplines. Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Public Administration, 19(1), 122-131. URL: https://doi.org/10.17721/2616-9193.2024/19-20/22
[7] Development of educational programs in the field of critical infrastructure protection. URL: https://niss.gov.ua/en/news/niss-news/development-educational-programs-…
[8] The resolution of Cabinet Ministers of Ukraine, of June 16, 2021 № 620 “On Approval of the Regulations on the Register of Qualifications”. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/620-2021-%D0%BF
[9] Classifier of Professions. DK 003:2010. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/rada/show/va327609-10#Text
[10] Sukhodolia O., Kravchenko S.O. General approaches to development of education programs in sphere of critical infrastructure protection for specialty “Public Governance and Administration”. Scientific notes of Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University series «Public Management and Administration». 2024. Т. 35(74). № 4. С. 164–171.
URL: https://doi.org/10.32782/TNU-2663-6468/2024.4/25
[11] The list of members of temporary working group is provided in the study.
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