Interactive Training
Staff Performance Appraisal & the E-SPAR System
A guided, interactive course for officers of your institution — understand how performance is planned, reviewed, scored and rewarded across the appraisal year.
📅 An interactive training on the Staff Performance Appraisal System & e-SPAR — covering planning, mid-year review and end-of-year assessment.
Organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service (OHCS)
Learn the purpose
Why performance management exists and how it links your daily job to your institution's national mandate.
Master the cycle
Planning, mid-year review and end-of-year assessment — what happens, and when.
Use E-SPAR
Navigate the electronic system, understand user roles and avoid common mistakes.
Loyalty · Excellence · Service
Introduction & The Bigger Picture
Every target you set begins life as a national priority. Here is how your individual work connects upward to the development agenda of Ghana.
📋 What you'll learn
By the end of this course you'll be able to:
- Explain what performance management is and why it matters in the Service.
- Work through the three-phase appraisal year — Planning (January), Mid-Year Review (July) and End-of-Year Assessment (December).
- Write SMART targets drawn from your unit's action plan and job description.
- Understand the 7 core competencies and how the 60 / 40 score is built.
- Navigate the e-SPAR portal confidently and avoid the common mistakes.
- Practise a full appraisal end-to-end with a worked example, then test yourself in the Knowledge Check.
The objective of the Civil & Public Service
To assist Government in the formulation and implementation of policies for the development of the country. In your institution, this means delivering your mandate efficiently and accountably in service of the public.
How your work cascades from the national agenda
National Development Agenda & Sector Medium-Term Development Plans (SMTDP)
Your Institution's Directorate / Division / Unit Action Plans
Your individual Job Schedule & agreed appraisal targets
Your targets are not invented in isolation — they are drawn from your unit's action plan and your job description.
What is Performance Management?
Performance Management (PM) is not a once-a-year form — it is a continuous, shared process.
Definition
Performance Management is a continuous process by which Managers, Directors, Supervisors and Team Members work together to plan, monitor, review and assess targets that contribute to the overall strategic goals of the organisation — while also developing the knowledge, skills and capacity of staff.
The four continuous actions — and when they happen
Each action sits in a phase of the appraisal year — tap a card to see what it involves.
Plan
Planning phase, January. Agree focus areas, SMART targets, resources and a learning plan at the start of the year.
Monitor
All year round. Track delivery throughout the year; supervisor and officer stay in regular contact.
Review
Mid-Year Review, July. Assess progress honestly and adjust targets, timelines and support.
Assess
End-of-Year, December. Score performance and competencies, then plan development and rewards.
Why it matters — objectives of the PM System
Transparency & accountability
Increases openness in the delivery of public services.
Fair assessment
A reliable, dispassionate means to assess the level and quality of work done.
Confirm & close gaps
Confirms competencies and identifies capacity gaps for redress.
Continuous improvement
Creates a chance to learn lessons and drive ongoing change.
Measurement Tools & Legal Basis
Two instruments measure performance in the Service — the one that applies to you depends on your grade.
① Performance Agreements
Signed by Chief Directors, Heads of Department and Directors / Analogous grades.
Agreements with the Head of the Civil Service / respective Chief Directors, endorsed by Sector Ministers.
② Staff Performance Appraisal
Completed by officers on the grades of Deputy Director / Analogous grades and below.
This is the instrument delivered through E-SPAR — and the focus of this training.
🧭 Which applies to you?
Tap your grade band:
Who signs what — the three tiers
Chief Directors sign agreements with the Head of the Civil Service, endorsed by Sector Ministers.
Heads of Department / Directors & analogous grades sign with their Chief Directors.
Deputy Director / analogous grades & below sign the Staff Performance Appraisal Form with their supervisors.
⚖️ The legal foundation
Civil Service Act 1993 (PNDCL 327)
- Section 7 — Functions of the Head of the Civil Service; ensure general efficiency.
- Section 88 — Recognition & Award system; awards for meritorious performance (sub-sections 1 & 2).
Public Sector Performance Management Policy
Provides the cross-service framework within which your institution operates its appraisal cycle.
The Appraisal Cycle
The appraisal year runs on a clear rhythm — three formal phases, plus the decision-making that flows from them. Knowing the timing keeps you compliant and stress-free.
1 · Performance Planning
Appraiser and appraisee meet to agree focus areas, SMART targets, resources required, competencies and a learning plan.
2 · Mid-Year Review
Progress on each target is honestly assessed. Targets and timelines are adjusted where needed; support is arranged.
3 · End-of-Year Assessment
Final scoring of targets (60) and competencies (40) for a total out of 100.
Decision Making
Flows from the three phases — outcomes feed career development plans, training needs, and the reward & sanction process.
Inside the Planning Phase — the building blocks
- Minimum 2, maximum 3 for Sub-Professional officers.
- Minimum 3, maximum 5 for Professional officers.
- Drawn from the Directorate / Unit Action Plan and your job description.
- Minimum 5 targets for Sub-Professional; 6 for Professional officers.
- Must be SMART — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-framed.
- Example: “Draft quarterly report submitted to Supervisor by March 2026, June 2026, September 2026 & December 2026.”
- Tools needed to deliver, e.g. laptop, printer, photocopier, A4 sheets, software, data.
- 7 broad competencies with 20 descriptions in total.
- Assessed separately from targets and worth 40 of the 100 marks.
- Identify the skill / competency gap.
- State the programme or action (course, workshop, coaching, on-the-job training, webinars, readings).
- Recommended mode of learning and the date / duration.
The Seven Core Competencies
Beyond what you deliver (targets), the system assesses how you work. These seven competencies carry 40 of the 100 marks — 2 marks for each of their 20 descriptions (6 of the seven have 3 descriptions; Communication has 2).
1 · Professionalism
3 descriptions · up to 6 marks- Demonstrates technical and supervisory skills and mastery of the subject.
- Shows persistence on difficult problems and stays calm under stress.
- Takes responsibility for succeeding or failing on assigned tasks.
2 · Integrity
3 descriptions · up to 6 marks- Demonstrates the values of the Civil Service in daily activities and behaviours.
- Acts without consideration of personal gain.
- Resists undue pressure in decision-making.
3 · Leadership
3 descriptions · up to 6 marks- Proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives.
- Empowers others to translate vision into results.
- Drives change and improvement.
4 · Organisation & Management
3 descriptions · up to 6 marks- Develops clear targets consistent with agreed strategies and uses time efficiently.
- Plans and implements measures to avoid or overcome risk in own work area.
- Follows up on outcomes to ensure results.
5 · Maximising & Maintaining Productivity
3 descriptions · up to 6 marks- Influences processes and events to assure results with available resources.
- Values continuous learning and actively seeks development opportunities.
- Applies outside-the-box thinking to develop novel solutions to work problems.
6 · Teamwork
3 descriptions · up to 6 marks- Collaborates with colleagues to achieve organisational goals.
- Solicits and genuinely values others' ideas and expertise.
- Shares credit and accepts joint responsibility for shortcomings.
7 · Communication
2 descriptions · up to 4 marks- Speaks and writes clearly, listens, asks clarifying questions and responds appropriately.
- Open in sharing information, shows interest in dialogue and keeps people informed.
How the End-of-Year Score Works
A total of 100 marks. Targets are worth 60; competencies are worth 40. Drag the slider to see how the two combine.
How targets are scored
Each target earns marks based on actual delivery. The supervisor records a brief, specific status and the key issues & next steps — vague phrases such as “ongoing” or “target met” are not acceptable.
What happens with the score
It feeds career development (Section 8), formal comments (Sections 9 & 10), and the decision-making phase — reward, sanction, and future training needs & learning plans.
The E-SPAR System & User Roles
e-SPAR — the Web-Based Staff Performance Appraisal Reporting System — delivers the whole appraisal online for Deputy Director / analogous grades and below.
Compliance
Ensures participation and adherence to timelines for all eligible officers.
Real-time assessment
Systematically assesses targets & competencies and gives real-time feedback on strengths and weaknesses.
Data-driven decisions
Guides management on personnel planning, training and development.
Who uses E-SPAR? — eight end-user categories
Tap any role to see what it actually does in e-SPAR.
HR
Assigns officers to directorates, activates accounts and resets passwords for the whole institution.
Appraiser
The Schedule Officer's supervisor — confirms targets, then scores Targets/Q and Competencies/C each stage.
Appraisee
The officer being appraised — e.g. our Schedule Officer building the 88/100 (54/60 + 34/40) record.
System Administrator
Configures appraisal cycles and grade settings so only Deputy Director and below appear in e-SPAR.
IT Support
First port of call for login, lock-out and portal-release problems on ohcsgh.web.app.
Chief Director
Heads the institution — oversees overall appraisal completion and signs off institution-wide outcomes.
Management
Reads grade analytics and training needs to guide personnel planning and development decisions.
Director
Heads a directorate — maps supervisors to appraisees and defines the directorate's focus areas.
Explore what each role can do — tap a tab
Why E-SPAR? From Paper to Digital
Before the system went online, appraisals lived on paper — and that came with real, recurring problems. Here's the contrast.
📄 The old manual way — challenges
- Non-compliance with timelines
- Late submission of reports by HR managers
- Complexity in computing scores
- Limited understanding & appreciation of the instrument
- Subjectivity in scoring
- Lack of commitment from supervisors
💻 The E-SPAR way — what changes
- Timelines tracked & enforced automatically
- Real-time submission and monitoring
- Scores computed by the system
- Guided, user-friendly steps for everyone
- Structured, transparent scoring
- Visibility that keeps everyone accountable
11 things you must know about E-SPAR
Tap any card to see what it means for you.
Let's Get Our Hands On It
Now the practical part. Open the training portal in a second tab and follow the phases below step by step.
⚠️ Practise here — not on the live system. ohcs-espar.web.app is the safe training portal, so anything you enter is just for practice and won't affect real records. The actual live e-SPAR portal is ohcsgh.web.app — use that only for your real appraisals.
ℹ️ This checklist is just a learning aid — it's saved only in your own browser and doesn't connect to the e-SPAR portal or record anything in the real system.
Sample data for the practical
Setting up the Planning phase in the portal has three steps. Use the sample data below as you complete each one.
SMART challenge — fix the vague target
0 / 5 fixedRead the vague target on the left and picture how you'd sharpen it. Then tap Reveal the SMART fix to check yourself. A SMART target is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-framed — try to score all five!
What was added: a measurable threshold (45 of 50 activities, 90%), who receives the report and four quarterly deadlines — making it Specific, Measurable and Time-framed.
What was added: a named deliverable (the training plan), full scope (all scheduled staff), the evidence required (composite report) and a deadline.
What was added: a measurable count (3,000 records), who receives the report (the Director) and two dated reporting points — making it Specific, Measurable and Time-framed.
What was added: “regularly” became a number (4), with the audience, the topic and quarterly reporting specified.
What was added: how many reports, to whom each goes, and the exact deadlines — replacing the unmeasurable “as and when due”.
Now you try — clean up any target into a SMART one
Paste a draft target — even a vague one. Let AI rewrite it into clear SMART options, or grade and rebuild it yourself with the offline checker.
My SMART workbook
0 savedCollect the targets you draft, then export them as the start of your real appraisal plan. There are three ways to add one: type or paste it below, or use the cleaner above and tap Save to workbook on a target you build or on any AI suggestion. Everything stays on this device.
No targets saved yet — type or paste one above and tap Add, or save a target from the cleaner above.
Set your targets
For each focus area, enter its SMART target(s) and the resources required. Open More practice targets under any focus area for extra examples to set up yourself.
Core Mandate Delivery
- Deliver at least 45 of the 50 activities (90%) in the directorate's 2026 work programme, and submit a progress report to the Supervisor by 15 April 2026, 15 July 2026, 15 October 2026 and 31 December 2026.
- Conduct research on one thematic area relevant to the institution's mandate, and submit findings to the Director by 31 December 2026.
- Process 4,000 transactions on the relevant operational system and resolve all related complaints, and submit a quarterly report on the transactions and complaints to the Director.
- Review and update the directorate/unit operational manual (kept not older than four years), and submit to the Supervisor by 31 December 2026.
- Carry out monitoring visits to at least 4 units or field areas, and report findings to the Director by June 2026 and December 2026.
Human Resource Management & Staff Development
- Prepare the directorate's 2026 training plan and ensure all scheduled staff are trained, and submit the composite training report to the Director by 31 December 2026.
- Maintain up-to-date establishment levels and individual job schedules for all staff in the directorate, and submit a status report on the establishment records to the Supervisor by June 2026 and December 2026.
- File back-to-office reports for every officer who undertakes training within two weeks of return, and send a quarterly summary to the Supervisor.
- Conduct mid-year and end-of-year appraisals for all supervisees on e-SPAR, and submit the directorate's e-SPAR report to the Director by 31 December 2026.
- Coordinate the Director's performance agreement and its mid-year and end-of-year reviews, and submit to the Supervisor on schedule.
Information, Records & Data Management
- Update and analyse 3,000 records on the institution's database, and submit a status report on the records to the Director by June 2026 and December 2026.
- Digitise the directorate's manual records — at least 1,200 of the 1,500 active files (80%) — and submit a digitisation report to the Director by December 2026.
- Manage the institution's website and information systems at no less than 99% uptime, and report incidents to the Supervisor monthly.
- Back up all directorate data every month, and submit the back-up log to the Supervisor by the 5th working day.
- Develop and pilot one digital service (e.g. an e-filing or records system), and report go-live to the Director by 31 December 2026.
Stakeholder Engagement & Public Education
- Hold at least 4 sensitisation sessions with staff and stakeholders on the institution's services and standards, and submit a report on the sessions held to the Supervisor each quarter.
- Organise one annual stakeholder forum to account on the directorate's performance, and submit a report on the forum to the Director by December 2026.
- Collaborate with at least 2 sister directorates or agencies on shared deliverables, and report outcomes to the Supervisor by December 2026.
- Respond to all stakeholder queries within 5 working days, and send a monthly summary to the Supervisor.
- Publish quarterly updates on the directorate's work on the institution's platforms by the 10th working day after each quarter.
Corporate Performance, Reporting & Budget
- Prepare the directorate's 2026 action plan and submit the first-quarter, mid-year, third-quarter and annual reports to the Supervisor by 15 April 2026, 15 July 2026, 15 October 2026 and 31 December 2026.
- Submit quarterly service-delivery reports for the directorate's units in April, July, October and December 2026 to the Supervisor.
- Submit the end-of-year directorate e-SPAR report to the Director by 31 December 2026.
- Prepare quarterly budget-implementation reports and submit to the Supervisor by 1 April 2026, 1 July 2026, 1 October 2026 and 31 December 2026.
- Implement public financial management practices in all directorate activities, and report compliance to the Director by December 2026.
Accept the default competencies
The system pre-loads these seven core competencies — review and accept them. Each carries a set of descriptions; at End-of-Year your supervisor records how many you demonstrated (competencies are worth 40 of the 100 marks). The X / Y badges and remarks below are example ratings.
Professionalism
3 / 3Technical & supervisory skills and mastery of the subject · persistence on difficult problems and calm under stress · responsibility for succeeding or failing on assigned tasks.
Example remark: Consistently delivered to standard and took ownership of results.
Integrity
3 / 3Lives the Civil Service values in daily conduct · acts without consideration of personal gain · resists undue pressure in decision-making.
Example remark: Upheld Service values; decisions free of personal interest.
Leadership
2 / 3Proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives · empowers others to translate vision into results · drives change and improvement.
Example remark: Drove improvements well; can empower the team more. Way forward: delegate stretch tasks.
Organisation & Management
2 / 3Clear targets consistent with agreed strategies and efficient use of time · plans and implements measures to avoid or overcome risk in own area · follows up on outcomes to ensure results.
Example remark: Met targets and timelines; tighten risk follow-up.
Maximising & Maintaining Productivity
2 / 3Influences processes and events to assure results with available resources · values continuous learning and seeks development opportunities · outside-the-box thinking and novel solutions to work problems.
Example remark: Solved problems creatively; pursue more continuous learning.
Teamwork
3 / 3Collaborates with colleagues to achieve organisational goals · solicits and genuinely values others' ideas and expertise · shares credit and accepts joint responsibility for shortcomings.
Example remark: Collaborated openly and shared credit for results.
Communication
2 / 2Speaks & writes clearly, listens, asks clarifying questions and responds appropriately · open in sharing information, values dialogue and keeps people informed.
Example remark: Clear and open; ask more clarifying questions before acting.
Set your learning plan
Also called the learning gap identified — a skill the officer needs to deliver their targets better. Choose each gap so that closing it helps the officer, strengthens their focus-area deliverables and benefits the office, then record the training that closes it, its mode and duration.
Records digitisation & ICT skills for the records system
Supervisory leadership & staff development
Report writing & records management
Data analysis for decision-making
Mid-Year review — sample data
At mid-year the appraisee updates progress on every target, competency and training. The three tabs below mirror the e-SPAR portal exactly — use them as you complete your own mid-year review.
✍️ Note on Remarks / Way Forward: although the appraisee types this field, it must read as if written by the appraiser — the supervisor's voice, describing the officer in the third person (e.g. “Officer is on track and reports are filed on time; should tighten backlog follow-up next quarter.”).
Focus area 1 · Core Mandate Delivery
Focus area 2 · Human Resource Management & Staff Development
Focus area 3 · Information, Records & Data Management
Focus area 4 · Stakeholder Engagement & Public Education
Focus area 5 · Corporate Performance, Reporting & Budget
🧑💼 Required before submission: the appraiser must complete the Appraiser's Mid-Year Comments for each appraisee before submitting the mid-year review on e-SPAR.
End-of-Year assessment — sample data
The final stage. The appraisee completes a self-assessment; the appraiser then scores performance on targets (60) and competencies (40), comments on overall performance and updates career development; finally the appraisee logs back in to respond. The six tabs mirror the e-SPAR portal.
👤 Completed by the appraisee. Both Target Assessment and General Assessment must be completed and submitted before the supervisor can access the appraisal.
1 · Target Assessment
2 · General Assessment
1. On a scale of 1–5, how would you rate your performance during the year?
4 / 51b. Give two (2) reasons for the rating selected.
2. Indicate any extra work you accomplished in addition to your agreed targets.
3. Which Focus / Work Area did you find most difficult to achieve, and why?
4. Briefly describe how the training completed / undertaken impacted your work output and the Institution.
🧑💼 Completed by the appraiser after the self-assessment is submitted. Performance on targets is worth 60 marks (Q).
🧑💼 Completed by the appraiser. Up to 2 marks per sub-competency demonstrated; the 20 descriptions across the 7 competencies total 40 marks (C).
🧑💼 Completed by the appraiser — capacity built during the year, plus training recommendations for the year ahead.
👤 After the appraiser submits, the appraisee logs back in, reviews the scores and the appraiser's comments, then records whether they agree or disagree with how they have been assessed — with reasons. Both responses are shown below.
🧑💼 What happens next: the appraisee's response is recorded on e-SPAR. Where there is disagreement, the matter is referred to the next-level supervisor / Head of Department for review before the appraisal is finalised, and a discussion between appraiser and appraisee may be held to resolve the point raised.
🗺️ How the full cycle flows through the portal. The worked example above showed you what good entries look like. The four phases below show the order events actually happen in e-SPAR — from setup, through Planning (January) and the Mid-Year Review (July), to End-of-Year (December). Each step is tagged with who does it.
Setup — HR & Director
Assign staff to directorates
HR assigns each officer to their respective directorate.
Activate staff
HR activates all staff — directors, appraisers and appraisees.
Assign directors
HR assigns a director to each directorate.
Set up training & resources
HR adds all trainings and resources required to achieve targets.
Map appraisers to appraisees
Directors map supervisors to their appraisee(s).
Set focus areas
Directors define the focus areas for the directorate.
Planning Phase
Release the portal
After discussion, the supervisor releases the portal for the appraisee.
Set up the planning phase
Appraisee logs in, sets up planning & trainings, then submits to the supervisor.
Review & approve
Supervisor reads through the planning phase and approves it.
Mid-Year Review Phase
Portal release
Supervisor discusses with the appraisee and releases the portal.
Target review
Appraisee reviews each target, competency and training.
Detailed reviews
Appraisee provides a further detailed review of each target.
End-of-Year Phase
Portal release
Supervisor discusses with the appraisee and releases the portal.
Self-assessment
Appraisee assesses themselves and submits to the supervisor.
Supervisor's assessment
Supervisor assesses performance, ratings & comments, then approves.
Why It Matters & Golden Rules
A well-run appraisal cycle changes the culture of an institution. Here is the payoff — and how to get it right.
Better work attitude & image
PM has positively influenced work attitude and improved the public image of the Service.
Attendance & productivity
Improves attendance and the productivity of officers.
Clear responsibilities
Helps officers know their duties and responsibilities.
Sense of contribution
Shows officers how they contribute to organisational objectives.
🏆 Five golden rules to live by
- Keep every phase to its deadline — Planning in January, Mid-Year Review in July, End-of-Year in December; never let a phase slip.
- Make every target SMART with real figures — a clear action, a number or count, the report it produces, who receives it (the Supervisor or Director) and a specific 2026 date — e.g. “submit a progress report on 45 of the 50 activities (90%) to the Supervisor by 15 April, 15 July and 15 October 2026.”
- Use specific dates and name what you report — write “by 15 July 2026,” never “by the 15th of each month”; and always state which report or return is submitted, not just “report by December.”
- Meet your supervisor at every phase and close the loop — discuss progress, then feed mid-year outcomes back into the targets, timelines and support; the cycle is a loop, not a straight line.
- Keep every entry specific and honest — back judgements with figures (e.g. “1,170 of 1,500 files, 78%”), write Remarks in the appraiser's voice, and never use vague fillers like “ongoing,” “regularly” or “as and when.”
Loyalty · Excellence · Service
Test What You've Learned
Answer all eight questions. You need 6 out of 8 to pass and complete the training.
Certificate of Completion
Staff Performance Appraisal & e-SPAR Training
This is to certify that
—
has successfully completed the interactive training on the Staff Performance Appraisal System and e-SPAR for the institution, passing the Knowledge Check with a score of —.