Exciting news for government administration! A new digital platform, SPARROW, has been rolled out to streamline the Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR) process for Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers. This initiative, effective from April 1, 2016, marks a significant step towards modernizing employee performance management. The online system is initially operational for Deputy Secretary and higher-level CSS officers, accessible via a dedicated government portal. To ensure a smooth transition, ministries and departments are tasked with crucial preparatory steps. These include nominating key personnel like Custodians and PAR Managers, facilitating the creation of official email IDs, providing Digital Signature Certificates (DSCs) to concerned officers, and ensuring adequate training for all users. It’s imperative that employee data is submitted in a specific MS Excel format to the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for seamless integration. All participating offices are urged to cooperate actively, as online filing of APARs for DS grade and above through SPARROW is now mandatory. Officers are encouraged to provide their personal details for system generation and to obtain their DSCs promptly. Should any difficulties arise during implementation, dedicated support officials and a helpline number are available through the NIC CS Division to assist with the process.
SOURCE PDF LINK :
Click to access sparrow.652016.pdf
Click to view full document content
MOST IMMEDIATE
No. 22/10/2015/CS-I(APAR)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances \& Pensions
Department of Personnel \& Training
CS-I(APAR)
2nd Floor, LokNayakBhawan, Khan Market, New Delhi
New Delhi, $6^{\text {th }}$ May, 2016
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Introduction of CSS SPARROW for CSS officers.
As Ministries/Departments are already aware, it has been decided to introduce online recording of APAR for CSS officers w.e.f. $1^{\text {st }}$ April, 2016. In the first phase, the website has been developed by NIC for this purpose and made operational for Deputy Secretary and above level officers of CSS and it could be accessed through https://sparrow-css.eoffice.gov.in.
2. Detailed instructions for taking preparatory steps required for switching over to on line system of recording APAR have been issued vide D.O. of even number dated $25^{\text {th }}$ February, 2016 from Ms. ArchanaVerma, Joint Secretary, and followed by OMs dated $1^{\text {st }}$ April, 2014 and reminder dated $8^{\text {th }}$ March, 2016 . Salient features of these letter and OMs are recapitulated below :
(ii) D.O. letter dated 25.02 .2016 from JS (AV) : All the Ministries/Departments were requested to take necessary steps for (i) appointment of Custodian, Alternative Custodian, PAR Manager and EMD Managers; (ii) creation of NIC mail login id for the officers concerned (iii) issuance of DSC to all concerned officers and (iv) Training to Nodal officers and other concerned officers.
(ii) O.M. dated 17.03.2016 : All the Ministries/Departments were informed about constitution of training groups including the name of Departments for coordinating the training program.
(v) O.M. dated 1.4.2016 : The Ministries/Departments were informed about commissioning of SPARROW software. The Departments were advised to nominate Custodians/Nodal Officers, Alternative Custodians, PAR Manager and EMD Mangers for generation of APAR and setting work flow for PAR generation.
(vi) OM dated 8.4.2016 : The Ministries/Departments were reminded to expedite action on the points of action suggested in earlier letters.
They were also provided the format prescribed by NIC for furnishing Employee data.
2.1 The above OMs at S. No. ii) to iv) are available on the website of this Department and can be accessed using following links:
Persmin>DOPT>Central Secretariat>Central Secretariat Services>ACR>General Instructions.
- It is once again requested that the following preparatory steps towards using online CSS-SPARROW may kindly be ascertained by the Ministries/Departments immediately in coordination with NIC to facilitate organizing training by NIC for the nodal and user officers.
- Whether nomination of nodal officers, PAR Managers and EMD Managers has been completed and sent to NIC in prescribed format using MS Excel.
- Whether the Employee data has been generated by EMD Manager in prescribed format using MS Excel.
- Whether the workflow has been set by the PAR Managers in respect of the officers whose APAR is to be recorded on line.
- Whether DSC have been provided to all concerned officers.
- Compliance as to the required preparatory steps may be reported by the Ministry/Department through e-mail only at c.shekhar59@nic.in. NIC has insisted that data in respect of nodal as well as user officers should be provided in prescribed format using MS-Excel only. Both the proforma are available on this Department’s Website vide OM dated 1st April, 2016 and 8th April, 2016 respectively. These are again enclosed with this OM at Annexure I and II respectively. The data sent in other formats such as MS Word, PDF, JEPG shall not be accepted by NIC.
-
To facilitate the nodal and user officers, training is being organized by NIC in coordination with the CS.I Division and administrative Ministry/Department concerned and as on date training has been organized in DoPT, Department of Heavy Industries, Commerce & Corporate Affairs. However, before training could be arranged, it is imperative that concerned Ministry/Department should complete preparatory work regarding appointment of nodal officers and their role assignment and generation/providing employee data to NIC as requested earlier vide this Department’s communications dated 17.02.2016, 01.04.2016 and 08.04.2016.
-
Accordingly, all the participating Ministries/Departments are again requested to extend their active co-operation to make this initiative a success. It is also emphasized that online filing of APAR of CSS officers of DS grade and above using CSS-SPARROW is mandatory. All the officers concerned whose APARs are to be written online on SPARROW are also requested in their own interest to cooperate their Ministries/Departments with regard to providing their personal details for EMD generation and also for obtaining DSC.
- 2 –
In case, the Ministries/Departments find any difficulty regarding implementation of online CSS-SPPAROW may contact any of the following officials in NIC :
- Shri Manu Garg, PSA
Telephone No. 23040281
Mobile No. 9868500465
Email id. manugarg@nic.in
2. Shri B. Ravi Kumar, TD,
Telephone No. 23040399.
g. A Help Desk has been set up by NIC in CS Division. The Nodal Officers/other officers in the Ministries/Departments may contact the helpline at Tel.No. 24653220.
To
All Joint Secretaries (Admn)
Ministries/Departments (CSS/CSSS)
As per list attach
Annexure – I
DETAILS OF OFFICIALS FOR ROLE DEFINITION IN SPARROW
Organization Name
Nodal Co-ordinator Name
Nodal Co-ordinator Contact Number
| S. No. | Employee Code | Appellation | Employee Name | NIC Email ID | Gender (M/F) | Father’s Name | Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY) | Nationality | Religion (Hindu etc.) | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Service Code Number) | (Mr., Etc) | |||||||||
| Services | Adhar No. | Organization | Organization From | Designation | Designation Joining | Type of Appointment | Appointment Order | Mobile No. (10 digit mobile number) | ||
| IPS, IAS, CSS etc. | Mandator Y or unique identification | (Currently Posted Orgnization) | Date (Date from which is applicable – Blank will be taken as current date) | Date (Expend all short forms) | Date DD/MM/YYYY (Date on which the current designation is joined – Blank will be taken as current date) | Appointment Date DD/MM/YYYY (Blank will be taken as current date) | (Whether temporary, permanent, Blank will be taken as Permanent) | As defined in next table | ||
| S no | Employer
Code | Appellation | Official
Name | Gender | Father’s
Name | Date of Birth | Nationality | Religion | Author
Number | NIC Email ID e.g. abo@nic.in | Mobile
No | Organisation
Name | Service | Designation | Type of Appointment | Appointment Date | Allotment Year |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |