No 30011112/2015-0&M (C N: 6452)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
New Delhi dated 13th May, 2020
Office
Memorandum
Subject: Framework for "Work From
Home"
The COVID 19 Pandemic has necessitated
many Ministries/ Departments to operate from Home to maintain social
distancing. Many of the Ministries/Departments in Government of India have
successfully managed and rendered exemplary results in combat against the
ongoing pandemic outbreak during the lock down period by leveraging e -office
and video conferencing facilities of NIC. This was the first of its kind of
experience in the Government of India. It is quite likely that for the near
future, the Central Secretariat will continue to go for staggered attendance
and variable working hours to maintain social distancing at workplace.
Therefore, a broad framework for Work from Home is important to standardize the
operating procedure even post Lock down situation and to ensure safety and
security of information, while accessing Government files and information remotely
from home. Accordingly a draft consultation paper for the Work from Home is
being enclosed at Annexure for comments. We shall be grateful for considered
views and comments of your Ministry/Department on the proposal latest by 21st
May 2020. If comments are not received by 21st May 2020, then, it will be
presumed that your Ministry/Department IS III agreement with the proposed
draft.
This issue with the approval of
Secretary (DARPG)
Encls: Annexure
(Ajit Kumar Shah)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India
Ph:23401408
e-mail: ak.sah@nic.in
To
1.
All Ministries/Departments of Government of India
2.
The DG (NIC)
3.
JS (CIS) Ministry of Home Affairs
ANNEXURE
DRAFT
Subject: Framework for "The Work
from Home"
The COVID 19 Pandemic has necessitated
many Ministries/ departments to operate from Home to maintain social distancing. The backbone of
this remote operation is e -office and virtual meetings through video Conferencing.
It is quite likely that for the near future, the Central Secretariat will
continue to go for staggered attendance and variable working hours to maintain
social distancing at workplace. Therefore, a standard framework for Work from
Home" across the Ministries/ Departments/ Subordinate offices in
Government of India is needed for a smooth and seamless functioning of the
government, which will ensure continuity of the office works besides imparting
resilience in the ecosystem even post lock down situations. In this regard
several rounds of consultations were held with the ministries/ Departments. Based
on their inputs, broad framework for The Work from Home, which will be in place
during and after lock down, is being proposed here as under:
1. Presently about 75 Ministries/ Departments
are actively using e-office platform of which 57 Ministries / Departments have
achieved more than 80% of their work in e- office. The remaining Ministries/Departments
would also make endeavour for expeditious implementation of e-office in
secretariat/Ministries/Departments and also in their attached and subordinate
offices in a time bound manner.
2. Box e.7.1 of Central Secretariat
manual of Office Procedure (CSMoP 2019) provides for VPN to the officers at the
level of Deputy Secretary and above to access the electronic files remotely on secured
network. However, Ministries/ Departments with the approval of the respective
HODs, can provide VPN to the officers up to the level of Section officers based
on the functional requirements in their Ministry/ Departments subject to the
proper due diligence for security aspects.
3. Chapter 13, Box e.13.1 of CSMoP 2019
deals with treatment of classified papers/files in e -office. However, as per
instructions of ministry of Home Affairs no classified information shall be
handled through e-office. Therefore, classified files shall not be processed in
e-office during work from home. NIC may evaluate the existing security protocol
for remote access of classified file/ information in consultation with MHA and
propose suitable guidelines and standard operating procedures for handling
classified information in e-office. Till the time classified files shall be
processed on standalone computers only as specified in Para 2 of Box e.7.1 of
CSMOP2019
4. Logistic supports in the form of
laptop/ Desktop, shall be decided by the Ministries/Departments in accordance
with the orders issued by the Department of Expenditure 3(6 )/2020-E- II(A)
dated 27.03.2020. Ministries may use the inventory of laptops on rotational
basis for the officers who are working from home and needed such logistic
support.
5. Department of Expenditure may consider
reimbursement for data uses to the officers working from home and if required
may issue separate guidelines in this regards.
6. Central Registry Unit (CRU) shall
remain functional to receive the physical Dak/ receipts in the Ministry. CRU
Staff will scan and forward the receipt to the concerned officer in e-office as
well as in his official e-mail.
7. It is important that SMS and email
alert in e- office should be enabled so that the important files/daks get
immediate attention. Departmental NIC teams may work out SMS provisions for e-receipts
and e-files in consultation with their Ministries /Departments.
8. E-office has facility to link the
important files and documents for referencing in e-files. However, to enable
this feature in Work from Home environment, it is important that the important
files/ folders/clrculars are available in the Knowledge Management System of e-office.
The Ministries are therefore advised to make use of this feature in e-office so
that the important documents that may be needed in examining the files are
available while working from home.
9. To facilitate inter ministerial
consultations, exchange of files between the Ministries may be made seamlessly
in e office.
10. E office has facility to dispatch a
communication from the system itself. The dispatch is possible via e-mail or
CRU (Central Registration Unit). In case dispatch is addressed to CRU, then the
CRU on receipt of dak in e-mail immediately diarise and forward the same to the
concerned officer to further process the dak in e file. If the communication is
directly sent in e-mail of the officer, the concerned officer will initiate
necessary action as required in e-office on receipt of the communication in
e-mail and will make full use of all the functional features available in the
e-office even during the The Work from Home environment.
11. Necessary e-mails can be made part of
the e-file and maintained as digital record for future reference and processed as
fresh receipts.
12. All VIP and parliament matters require
utmost attention. Therefore, SMS alerts be sent for all such receipts and files
to the next officer in the channel.
13. NIC video conferencing facility shall
be leveraged to organize important meetings while working from home. Officers
and Staff shall attend the meetings by activating VC link forwarded to them by
NIC in formal meeting set up. VCs shall also be used as far as possible in office
environment to maintain social distancing during COVID 19 pandemic. NIC may
strengthen the VC to make it more facilitative. Officials working from home
shall adhere to all norms of office environment while attending VC meetings.
14. It shall be incumbent on a
Ministry/Department to create a help desk manned by technical persons. The NIC
central help desk may be contacted in case of advanced technical assistance
required during Work from Home. NIC will ensure that the contact details of
central help desk and Departmental NIC officers are communicated to all officers.
15. The officers to whom official laptops
are provided shall ensure that they do the official work in official device
only. NIC shall ensure that their devices are well protected against malware
and malicious websites. The officers who are working on their personal
computers/lap tops shall ensure installing regular updates, running antivirus scans,
blocking malicious sites, etc with the help of NIC to ensure safety of their
device against information theft.
16. Officers who are working from home
shall be available on phone as per requirements and directions of their
officers.
17. Standard Operating Procedure for e-
office has been elaborated in Central Secretariat manual of Office Procedure
(CSMoP 2019) for further guidance.
18. DOPTmay provide option for Work from
.Hometo the eligible officers/Staff for 15 days in a year as a matter of
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