"ACR" is now "APAR" and NO more confidential w.e.f. the reporting period 2008-09

Dear friends, we may recall that vide our representation letter C.No.CCEEOA/JPR/ REF.- 6th CPC /2006/ dated 28.12.2006(see Association’s Circular 01/2007 dt.15.01.2007) following suggestions were made by this Association in the matter of ACR (Para no.18 to the QUESTIONNAIRE) ;-

18. Performance Appraisal

18.1 In what way should be present system of performance appraisal be changed? Should be ACR be an open document?

The Annual Confidential Report (ACR) should be made available to every Govt. employee so that he may access his work performance so that he may improve his efficiency of work after knowing his short comings. Moreover, the Govt. Department is bound to provide a copy of the ACR on demand under Right to Information Act, 2005. Hence, the ACR should be made an open document and rather the Govt. Department should display the ACRs of its employees. This system will not only bring transparency but also increase in the morale as well as fair competitiveness amongst the employees. Moreover, the name of the ACR may please be changed as 'Annual Performance Report (APR).

Detailed suggestions submitted by us in QUESTIONNAIRE are also available at 6th CPC site, at following link- http://tempweb424.nic.in/govt/respondent_report1.php?id=Lekhraj%20Meena&name=Customs%20Central%20Excise%20Executive%20Officers%20Association%20Rajasthan

Now, i am happy to say that the government has changed the nomanclature Of ACR to make it available to the officer concerned. Instructions issued by the DOPT in the matter on 14.05.2009 are reproduced below;-

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No. 21011/1/2005-Estt (A) (Pt-II)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel and Training)
North Block, New Delhi, 14th May, 2009

Subject:- Maintenance and preparation of Annual Performance Appraisal Reports communication of all entries for fairness and transparency in public administration.

The undersigned is directed to invite the attention of the Ministries/Departments to the existing provisions in regard to preparation and maintenance of Annual Confidential Reports which inter-alia provide that only adverse remarks should be communicated to the officer reported upon for representation, if any. The Supreme Court has held in their judgement dated 12.5.2008 in the case of Dev Dutt vs Union of India (Civil Appeal No.7631 of 2002) that the object of writing the confidential report and making entries is to give an opportunity to the public servant to improve the performance. The 2 nd Administrative Reforms Commission in their 10th Report has also recommended that the performance appraisal system for all services be made more consultative and transparent on the lines of the PAR of the All India Services.

2. Keeping in view the above position, the matter regarding communication of entries in the ACRs in the case of civil services under the Government of India has been further reviewed and the undersigned is directed to convey the following decisions of the Government:-

(i) The existing nomenclature of the Annual Confidential Report will be modified as Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR).

(ii) The full APAR including the overall grade and assessment of integrity shall be communicated to the concerned officer after the Report is complete with the remarks of the Reviewing Officer and the Accepting Authority wherever such system is in vogue. Where Government servant has only one supervisory level above him as in the case of personal staff attached to officers, such communication shall be made after the reporting officer has completed the performance assessment.

(iii) The Section entrusted with the maintenance of APARs after its receipt shall disclose the same to the officer reported upon.

(iv) The concerned officer shall be given the opportunity to make any representation against the entries and the final grading given in the Report within a period of fifteen days from the date of receipt of the entries in the APAR. The representation shall be restricted to the specific factual observations contained in the report leading to assessment of the officer in terms of attributes, work output etc. While communicating the entries, it shall be made clear that in case no representation is received within the fifteen days, it shall be deemed that he/she has no representation to make. If the concerned APAR Section does not receive any information from the concerned officer on or before fifteen days from the date of disclosure, the APAR will be treated as final.

(v) The new system of communicating the entries in the APAR shall be made applicable prospectively only with effect from the reporting period 2008-09 which is to be initiated after 1st April 2009.

(vi) The competent authority for considering adverse remarks under the existing instructions may consider the representation, if necessary, in consultation with the reporting and/or reviewing officer and shall decide the matter objectively based on the material placed before him within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of the representation.

(vii) The competent authority after due consideration may reject the representation or may accept and modify the APAR accordingly. The decision of the competent authority and the final grading shall be communicated to the officer reported upon within fifteen days of receipt of the decision of the competent authority by the concerned APAR Section.

3. All Ministries/Departments are requested to bring to the notice of all the offices under them for strict implementation of the above instructions.

(C.A. Subramanian)
Director

To download the signed letter please click the link below;-

http://www.cengokerala.org/_documents/21011_1_2005-Estt(A)_(Pt-II).pdf