Introduction of online filing of Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) for IAS officers from the year 2013-14.

Introduction of online filing of Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) for IAS officers from the year 2013-14.

The Government has introduced the system of online filing of Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) for IAS officers from the current assessment year i.e. 2013-14. The software developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for this purpose was launched by Shri V Narayanasamy, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office here today. It would be operational for use by the officers posted in State as well as Central Ministries/ Department from the last week of March,2014.

The online filing of Performance Appraisal Report will bring more probity and transparency in the recording of PAR, avoid loss of PARs during transition; ensure better monitoring and timely completion of PARs and easy and immediate access to the PARs by the authorized users.

The software has been developed after feedback from all the stakeholders viz., States, Central Ministries/Departments through a series of meetings with Principal Secretaries/Secretaries, GAD/Personnel Departments and Joint Secretary(Admn.) of all Central Ministries/Departments. Some of the important features of the software are as follows:

The above software would be linked to the Executive Records available on DoPT’s website indicating the name of the officer, the State where attached, present posting, etc.

(a) Thus, the form would be pre-populated with existing information already available in the Executive Record Sheet and only details like reporting, reviewing and accepting authorities, based on the work flow for each officer would have to be filled up by GAD Department in the State/JS(Admn.) at the centre before sending it to each officer online.

(b) The software has an inbuilt system of generating auto-alerts which would go to the concerned officers with whom the PAR would be pending for more than the specified time and thus would ensure better monitoring of the writing of PAR.

(c) Each officer would have to digitally sign the report before forwarding it to appropriate authority.

(d) It would also have the facility of uploading summary of medical reports, certificate of training, academic courses, appreciation letters, etc.

(e) The software would have an in-built security mechanism to ensure that nobody can tamper with the data available in it.

(f) For e-filing, each officer/authority involved in the work flow is required to be issued a Digital Signature Certificate(DSC) which is the digital equivalent of physical or paper certificate for authentication. The DSC being a pre-requisite for online filing of PAR, the majority of officers posted in States as well as in Central Ministries/Departments have already been issued the DSC dongle.

To familiarize the State GAD/Admn. Division at the centre with the operations and functioning of the software, Training workshops are being organized by the NIC. The following help resources to the States and Central Ministries/Departments are also being provided:

User Manuals on ‘ePAR’ and DSC Installation

(a) Troubleshooting Guide;

(b) On line Interactive Tutorials; and

(c) Support Portal to provide feedback/queries related to software.

(d) The ceremony was attended by senior Government officials including Secretary (Personnel), Establishment Officer & Additional Secretary, DG, NIC and other officers of DoPT.

Courtesy : PIB