This office memorandum from the Department of Personnel & Training addresses the pending status of Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) on the SPARROW system for CSS officers. It highlights that a significant number of APARs remain incomplete despite previous extensions granted due to the Lok Sabha elections. The memorandum emphasizes the importance of timely APAR completion for officers’ career progression and to avoid delays in filling vacancies. A firm deadline of December 31, 2019, is set for APAR completion, after which the system will be closed, and hard copies will not be accepted (except for exempted categories). Specific instructions are given to Officers Reported Upon (ORUS), Reporting Officers, Reviewing Officers, and Custodians to expedite the process. Ministries and Departments are requested to ensure compliance and submit a report to the DoPT by December 16, 2019.
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No.22/15/2018-CS-1(APAR) Government of India Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Department of Personnel & Training
2^{nd} Floor, A Wing, Lok Nayak Bhawan, Khan Market, New Delhi, 6^{th} Dec., 2019.
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Sub: Online generation / recording of APARs on SPARROW – reg.
The undersigned is directed to state that online recording of APARs on ‘SPARROW’ has been introduced to all the grades of CSS from the FY-2018-19 and vide DoPT’s OM of even number dated 28^{th} May 2019, the timelines for recording of APARs were extended, keeping in view the involvement of officers in the general elections to Lok Sabha. However, it is observed from the data available on SPARROW system that a large number of APARs of the officers are still pending at different levels. The status of APARs of CSS officers pending at different levels as on 29.11.2019 is given below:
Pending position of APARs at different levels as on 29.11.2019
| S. No | Post | Total APAR | No. of APAR closed | No. of APAR pending | ORU | Rep. Officer | Rev. Officer | CR For disclosure | Officer Dis- closure | CR Section for Closing | Pending for other reasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASO | 4760 | 2120 | 2640 | 592 | 381 | 504 | 39 | 645 | 222 | 257 |
| 2 | SO | 1530 | 617 | 913 | 212 | 121 | 173 | 14 | 187 | 87 | 119 |
| 3 | US | 1599 | 794 | 805 | 88 | 122 | 198 | 4 | 152 | 87 | 154 |
| 4 | DS | 461 | 212 | 249 | 29 | 43 | 57 | 1 | 50 | 25 | 44 |
| 5 | Director | 124 | 48 | 76 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 11 |
| Total | 8474 | 3791 | 4683 | 939 | 678 | 944 | 58 | 1050 | 429 | 585 |
- Delay in completion of APARs will affect the career prospects of the officers concerned and this will lead to delay in filling up of vacancies. Hence, it is emphasized that the process of completion of recording APARs needs to be expedited.
- It may be reiterated that the APAR window will be closed on 31.12.2019 and thereafter it will not be accessible for any activity related to recording of APARs. It may also be noted that APARs WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN HARD COPY except in the case of the exempted categories. All the officers should complete action on their part immediately. Necessary alerts may be sent to all concerned as follows:
i. ORUs, who are yet to submit self-appraisal shall do it immediately, failing which their APAR status will be treated as “Not available / Not submitted to Reporting Officer”.
ii. Reporting officers and Reviewing Officers have APARs pending at their level. They are also requested to complete action on their part immediately, so as to give sufficient time to administration for proper disclosure of APAR to ORUs and deal with representations, if any.
iii. Custodians have APARs pending for disclosure. The action on their part needs to be completed in time, by issuing regular alerts to the ORU/ Reporting/ Reviewing Officers for completion of action on their part. Disclosure of APARs to ORUs and processing of representations, if any, will also have to be completed by 31.12.20194. Keeping in view that no online APAR will be generated and no APAR will be accepted as hard copy (except for exempted categories) on 01.01.2020, all the Ministries/ Departments/ Custodians are requested to bring the instructions in this regard to all officers of CSS cadre [Officer Reported Upon/ Reporting/ Reviewing Officers] for strict compliance. A compliance report on the completion of APAR process may be furnished to DOPT latest by 16.12.2019.
5. This issues with the approval of Competent Authority.
To: All Ministries/Departments.