Instrument for Pre‑Accession assistance Results Framework (IPA III)

Step 1: Develop a results chain 

Before selecting indicators you need to develop your intervention logic and results chain (outputs, outcomes, impact), based on your needs analysis, taking into account the specific context of your intervention as well as EU priorities. 

Consult in this process the ENEST & MENA Wiki on strategy and intervention design, monitoring and evaluation.

Step 2: Select IPA III-indicators

You should always first check if there are IPA III-indicators (see list below) that are relevant. Use the Level 2 indicators - these measure your outputs/outcomes and are required for OPSYS reporting. Use the methodological notes to help you decide whether an indicator is suitable for your intervention and how to apply it correctly. 

✅IPA III indicators: are for legal reporting. They must be used when relevant.

⚠️ Some indicators appear in multiple Windows. Always use the one tied to your action's primary Window.

Step 3: Select other indicators for cross-cutting priorities

Select other pre-defined indicators as relevant, for measuring cross-cutting priorities especially from the Gender Action Plan (GAP III)  if your action contributes to gender equality. For GAP III there are methodological notes to help you decide whether an indicator is suitable for your intervention and how to apply it correctly. 

✅ Other predefined indicators: Strongly recommended where relevant for measuring cross-cutting priorities. 

Step 4: Select sector/thematic indicators

If your project has a thematic focus (e.g. climate or education), consult or search the list of predefined indicators in the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (OPSYS) and select the relevant sector- or theme-specific indicators.

✅ Sector indicators: strongly recommended where relevant. 

Step 5: Develop customised indicators

Add customised indicators, as necessary, to measure your intervention’s results. 

⚠️ Customised indicators:  the use of customised indicators is recommended only when none of the existing predefined indicators serve the monitoring purposes of the intervention. This results in no contribution to EU global results and less visibility for the intervention, the EU, and the Implementing Partners.

Step 6: Encode the indicators

Once you have identified the indicators to be used in your logframe and the contract has been signed, you need to encode them in the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (OPSYS). The Results and Monitoring Wiki  provides step-by-step guidance on how to encode both logframes and the corresponding results throughout the implementation of the action.

🛑 Do not replace predefined indicators with customised indicators when encoding.