The Office of Personnel Management has extended direct hire authority to agencies that need to quickly bring acquisition workers on board.

Agencies can use the new streamlined hiring authority starting March 24. Currently, the Defense Department uses direct hire authority for acquisition staff, but most other agencies cannot.

The authority will expire in September 2012. Agencies can use direct hire authority when there is a severe shortage of qualified candidates. The government has been facing a shortage of qualified contracting specialists for several years.

Defense officials say using direct hire authority shortens hiring times from about five months to two weeks.