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1. Introduction to Results and Monitoring

The European Union (EU) implements most of its external assistance through a large network of Delegations, which translate broad cooperation and development policy objectives into effective actions. EU Delegations and Headquarter Services work under a monitoring, reporting, and evaluation framework to implement international cooperation and development assistance. The framework assesses project performance, results, and implementation issues, evaluates results and sustainability, and in-depth assesses strategies and instruments. Monitoring and reporting occur at the intervention level and is aggregated by the EU for their own legal reporting.

Reporting on Results in OPSYS

In recent years, the European Commission has widely used logical framework matrices (logframes)[1] for signed contracts. However, there has been a significant update since late 2021. Instead of just reporting logframe indicator achievements in narrative reports, implementation partners now need to report through a new IT platform, OPSYS.

OPSYS, a project management tool owned and developed by the European Commission (EC), enables logframe encoding and reporting against indicators (amongst other aspects that are purely internal to the EC).

1.1 Interventions

In OPSYS, logframes are encoded under a new item called "intervention". The Operational Managers create interventions for the relevant contracts, actions, or budgetary guarantee agreements, allowing for adequate reporting on logframe^[2] level.

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2. Accessing OPSYS logframes

Implementing partners access OPSYS through the Funding & Tender Portal (F&TP). Only the appointed Lead Implementing partner (LIP) for each intervention can submit the Logframe and its updates to the EC via the system.

After signing an agreement or a contract, the LIP cannot access the dedicated space to create and regularly update the Logframe, until the corresponding Operational Manager of the EC assigns this role in the system.

2.1 Level of Permissions

In OPSYS and the F&TP, the “Lead Implementing Partner" is responsible for reporting. The LIP is an actual person with a valid email address and EU Login, appointed by the contractual partner that signed the agreement with the European Commission.

The assigned LIP may grant access to their team members or other partners involved in the agreement. However, these contacts are referred to as Implementing Partners (IPs) in the IT system. A LIP cannot grant access to another LIP.

Lead Implementing Partner

The LIP has to be invited by the Operational Manager. They can enter the logframe framework (results and indicators) as well as current values. They submit the logframe and current values to the Operational Manager.

Additionally, LIPs can use the matching functionality in the logframes.

Implementing Partner

The so-called IPs in the system, can either be invited by a LIP or by the Operational Manager from the EC side. IPs have the same access rights as a LIP and can enter the logframe framework (result and indicators) as well as the current values. However, IPs cannot submit a logframe or the current values to the Operational Manager, and they cannot use the matching functionality.

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2.2 Accessing the EU Funding and Tender Portal

Before attempting to access the EU F&TP, users need to ensure they have a valid EU Login. Additionally, to be able to access as Implementing Partner (IP or LIP), users need to first be invited as described in the 2.1 Level of Permissions section, LIP and IPs will receive a notification via the email associated to them in the system after they are invited.

Implementing Partner (IP or LIP) can login to the EU Funding and Tenders Portal by first clicking on the “Sign in” button at the top right of the page, then enter their EU Login credentials (username and password) or use their preferred EU Login authentication method.

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Once logged-in, IPs can access their account menu (open by default) from the left menu icon "Image Modified" in the header of the page.

The displayed options in the menu will depend on the permissions linked to the user’s account (see below). 

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2.3 Inviting an Implementing Partner

The Lead Implementing Partner (once their access has been granted by the Operational Manager) must first access the Intervention on the Funding and Tenders Portal.

To invite an IP, the LIP will select "My Intervention(s)" (1) from the left main menu in the F&TP, then select from the list the specific intervention for which the IP should be invited, by clicking on the Intervention ID in blue font (2).

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Once in the Intervention page, the LIP will:

1) click on the "Implementing partners management" button at the top right of the page.

2) In the Implementing the Implementing partners management popmanagement pop-up window: click on click on the menu icon icon (   22) of the Lead Implementing Partner and select the "Add new IP" option.

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3) An Add a new IP section opens in the pop-up window, where to enter the e-mail address of the person to give Implementing Partner rights to, and then click on the "Next" button.

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If the person has already an EU login a green outline appears to show that.

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4) Click on the "Confirm" button to confirm, and an e-mail is sent to the Implementing Partner to notify them of the assignment. They will have immediate access; the email is only for notification.

5) If the person does not have an EU login yet, then the following screen appears:

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The first and last name need to be filled, without spelling errors and with correct capitalisation, as this cannot be changed easily again. Then click Confirm.

The person will receive an email inviting them to create an EU Login. If they create it with the exact same email address, they received the invite with, they will have immediate access to the Intervention as soon as they are logged in for the first time.

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The person assigned as Implementing Partner can now access the Intervention from "My Intervention(s)" and can enter or update the Logframe by adding or updating indicators and values.

2.4 Removing an Implementing Partner

The Lead Implementing Partner can use the same procedure as indicated in the previous section “How to add an Implementing Partner?”  above to access the Implementing partners management pop-up window in the Intervention page.

To remove an IP, the LIP can click on the menu icon of the Implementing Partners to be removed, then select the "Remove" option.

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And them click on the "Confirm" button to confirm. The IP will no longer be assigned to the Intervention and lose access immediately.

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3. Managing logframes in OPSYS

Logframes in OPSYS must correspond with the contractually agreed logframes and serve as a means to report data collected according to the indicators of the logframes.

3.1 Accessing a logframe

To access a Logframe, the IPs will first login to the Funding & Tenders Portal, and then select My Intervention(s) from the left main menu (1).

On the My Intervention(s) page, the IPs can click on the specific Intervention ID link (2) in the list of Interventions.

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On the selected intervention’s page, the IP can click on the “Create Logframe” or “View Logframe” the “Create Logframe” or “View Logframe” button to view the Logframe.

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If there is no logframe entered yet, the button will say “Create say “Create Logframe”; as soon as at least one result has been entered and saved, the button will say “View say “View Logframe”.

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Logframes can also be accessed directly from:

• The link within concerned notifications, which are accessible from the notifications bell icon at the top right of the page; or
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• The task page accessible in My Task(s), with the relevant task for the intervention found in the list of tasks.

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3.2 Creating a logframe

In OPSYS, logframe encoding occurs in a two-step process:

1. First, the encoding of the results and indicators (including baselines and targets). These require approval by the Operational Manager before current values (achievements to date) can be entered.
2. Secondly, the encoding of the current values (which need to be updated, at least annually, whenever the baseline is not in the future).

Generally, it is the IPs or the LIP who initiate the encoding of both the logframe and the current values. At the end of each step, only the LIP can submit the items encoded for approval of the Operational Manager.

3.2.1 Starting from scratch (NEW Logframe)

When there is no (even partial) logframe entered, then clicking the button “Create Logframe” in the intervention leads the IPs directly to the “MANAGEMENT MODE” “MANAGEMENT MODE” of the logframe.

Before doing anything else the implementing partner needs to select an outcome profile (see section 3.5.2 for details).

Then the IPs can either:

• Add a result (1); or
• Save as draft Logframe (once at least one result has been created) (2); or
• Cancel the creation of the Logframe (3).

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When the draft Logframe has been saved, the IPs can still  edit the Logframe before submitting it for review to the Operational Manager via the “Manage Logframe” button on the Logframe page. But saving will close the “Management Mode”. To further edit the logframe, “Manage Logframe” in the top right must be clicked again. “Manage Logframe” ec-external-relations-application-support@ec.europa.eu

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3.3 Adding results to a logframe

To add results to a logframe, the encoder must first ensure she/he is in "MANAGEMENT MODE". If not, the encoder should navigate to this mode by clicking:

• "MANAGE LOGFRAME" from the main or initial logframe view, or
• “REVIEW LOGFRAME” if the logframe is in “To be revised” status.

Once in management mode, new results can be added by clicking on "Add Result" on the right-hand side of the logframe.

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To this effect, in the  Add Result  pop-up window, the result name*, result level*, and result assumptions* can be encoded.

If the result assumptions are not yet defined, then the “To “To be defined” tickdefined” tick-box should be selected by clicking on it.

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- (*) Required fields

Please note that result assumptions are not possible if the result level is set to an “overall objective – impact”.

IPs should click on the “Confirm” button to confirm the creation of the Result.

When the Result is added to the Logframe, it requires at least one Indicator to be valid (as part of the Quality Check), by clicking on add indicator(s) (1) and then save.

The Result can also be edited (2) or deleted (3), or new results added (4), before saving.

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Deleting a result (to note that any indicators associated with it will also be deleted) will remove it from the logframe.

Editing a result will reopen the pop-up window where the result was initially entered, allowing for modifications.

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3.4 Adding an indicator to a result

In OPSYS, there are two types of indicators: predefined and customised. Predefined indicators are encoded by the EC and can be used by any user. Customised indicators are created from scratch by the user.

For interventions funded by the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), only predefined indicators can be encoded in OPSYS. For interventions funded by DG INTPA and NEAR, predefined indicators should be the first choice, while customized indicators can be encoded if no appropriate predefined indicator is available. Therefore, when developing (usually before the contract is signed) the logframe for an intervention, the IPs should consult the the list of available predefined indicators in Capacity4Development.

Predefined indicators are categorised to facilitate understanding and support prioritisation. Groups can be based on thematic areas or where the indicators may be further utilised. The highest priority group is the corporate indicators for legal reporting, which the EC uses for reporting on their achievements in their broader efforts. In this group are included the Global Europe Results Framework of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) III Results Framework and the indicators linked to ‘mandatory’ and ‘mandatory if relevant’ results of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) Results Measurement Framework (ReMF).

The next group consists of other corporate indicators, which are strongly recommended, like the FPI Results Framework, indicators for the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III), or the indicators linked to ‘recommended’ results of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) Results  Measurement Framework (ReMF).

Lastly, thematic indicators are proposed such as the SDG indicators or those for specific thematic areas.

3.4.1 Searching and selecting a predefined indicator

For the relevant Result, IPs should select the “Add Indicator” “Add Indicator” button to add an indicator.

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In the “Add “Add Indicator – Search for an existing Indicator” Indicator” pop-up window, a list of suggested predefined indicators is displayed. Search for an existing indicator (1) and select the predefined indicator from the list of search results (2) of suggested indicators.

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To refine the search, two search criteria are always available: indicator groups and indicator codes.

Indicator groups aid in filtering for pertinent categories, which is particularly beneficial when seeking relevant indicators within a group for corporate reporting purposes.

If the encoder is familiar with a specific indicator, he/she can use the "Indicator's Code" search function to look for its unique identifier. While all indicators for corporate reporting possess a code, numerous others do not.

Under the "More search criteria" button, three additional filter options for indicators are provided. The first one, "Result's type," is typically pre-filled with the level of results from where the encoder clicked "Add Indicator," potentially making some indicators unavailable. Clicking on the white 'x' in a circle within the selection removes that filter (or any other).

The DAC Sector filter can assist in identifying indicators, as each predefined indicator is linked to DAC Codes.

The final filter, "Benefitting Zone," is currently non-functional, so please disregard it.

From the “Add Indicator – Fill Indicator’s Attributes” pop-up window:

Once the predefined indicators are found and selected (by clicking “Next”“Next”), the pre-programmed attributes will be displayed and greyed out, as they cannot be changed, such as the unit of measure. The IPs will be able to add/modify the values as required:

• Gender Sensitive: In some cases, an indicator may inherently be gender-sensitive, while in others, the user must determine its sensitivity based on the specific context and application.
• Disaggregation: Some disaggregation types are mandatory (e.g., sex disaggregation for the sub-unit "Person"), while others are optional to activate, depending on the data collected by the specific intervention. Mandatory disaggregation types show up for all values, but not all options have to be filled out.
• Source of data (SoD) type and sub-type: Some SoD types are mandatory, while others are optional to activate, depending on the sources of data collected of the specific intervention.

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Scrolling down, the next section is the one on baseline and target values (as well as intermediate targets; see relevant section).

Both baseline and target values are mandatory to either be encoded directly or marked as “To “To be defined”defined”. The option “To “To be defined” defined” should only be used when there is a plan to gather or define the values in the near future. Should it be impossible to define the baseline or target value, then the indicators need to be revised to ensure data collection is possible.

Baseline dates for impact-level indicators might rely on the latest published figures or reports, which can be years old. However, for outcome and output-level indicators, the baseline should align with the start of the intervention's relevant part or component. When activities commence in the second or third year, the baseline should be set accordingly. The year and month are the key focus in dating, while the day is less significant. Total baseline values can be 0, particularly for output-level indicators.

Final target dates should fall within the intervention's timeframe. On impact level, as recent data might not be available yet, older data can be accepted. For outcome and output level, target dates should align with the end of the activities the indicator measures, but not later than the contractual end date.

When the baseline isn't zero, and the indicator's logic allows aggregation (summing up), the target and current values must include the baseline value for cumulative reporting in OPSYS.

Once the required fields have been completed and the IPs/LIP has verified the encoded data, click on the “Confirm” “Confirm” button to confirm the addition of the indicator to the result.

When the indicator being encoded is a customised indicator, the IPs can proceed to create it in OPSYS because customised indicators are not pre-encoded in the system. This is only possible for DG INTPA and NEAR, following the steps detailed in the next section.

3.4.2 Encoding a customised indicator^[3]

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It is recommended to save the Logframe as draft after any modification to Result(s) and Indicator(s).

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3.5 Intermediate targets

A logframe provides data on target achievement that is used by the EC internally for performance measurement. To ensure meaningful performance scores, intermediate targets (milestones) are necessary. Performance at indicator level can be assessed by comparing the current value (what we have) with the intermediate target (what we should have) for the same date.

Intermediate targets can be tedious to define and to encode. Therefore, intermediate targets are automatically generated for outputs and outcomes for all June 30 and December 31 dates between the baseline and final target dates.

3.5.1 Output indicators

For outputs, the intermediate targets will be generated by default using a linear function between baseline-date and value, and final target-date and value.

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Any change to the intermediate target has to be submitted to and approved by the Operational Manager.

3.6 Submitting a logframe

Logframes follow a review mechanism for validation purposes, ensuring a consistent exchange, follow-up, and data-quality assurance between the Operational Managers and Implementing Partners.

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3.7.2 Editing Current Values

Any current value can be edited at any moment, but the value will move to the status “Draft” again.

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 This "F&T" is the symbol to delete/remove a current value.

3.7.3 Removing Current Values

Any current value can be removed at any moment. This action cannot be undone.

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In the table, the ""  button is clicked for the current value in question. Once confirmed the value is removed and cannot be restored.

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3.7.4 Submitting Current Values

Once all indicator values are updated according to the latest narrative report and the intervention’s M&E system, the LIP needs to submit the current values to the Operational Manager for review.

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The values have to be sent back for approval, once all required changes are made.

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3.8 Matching Indicators

Relevant corporate indicators from the respective results frameworks (such as Global Europe Results Framework, Instrument for Pre-Accession III Results Framework, FPI Results Framework) should ideally be identified during the design phase of new interventions and then incorporated into the logframe and encoded directly (please note that corporate indicators are a subset of the predefined indicators).

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Matching is employed to enable reporting against corporate indicators, even if these are not part of the logframe. Ideally, the existing logframe indicator should be "matched" to an appropriate corporate indicator , which generally measures a similar aspect. Units of measure may differ, but the matched indicator will be utilised to calculate the total value of the corporate indicator.

3.8.1 Adding Matching Indicator

To add a matching indicator, the logframe needs to be in “Approved” status. Only LIPs and OMs can use this functionality in OPSYS.

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3.8.2 Editing Matching Indicator

Matching indicators cannot be edited, as they are selected from the list of predefined indicators in OPSYS, and no baseline and target values are to be encoded.

3.8.3 Removing Matching Indicator

If there is no current value (including N/A) encoded, (1) the LIP can directly remove a match by clicking on “Delete Matching Indicator” (2) in the main logframe view.

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3.8.4 Adding Current Values to Matching Indicators

Current values of matching indicators can be added by either clicking “Add Value” directly on the main logframe view, or when the user has entered an indicator’s page.

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To submit the value, please see section 3.7.4.

3.8.5 Editing Current Value of Matching Indicator

Any current value can be edited at any moment, but the value will move to the status “Draft” again.

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 This "" is the symbol to delete/remove a current value.

3.8.6 Removing Current Value from Matching Indicator

Any matched current value can be removed at any moment. This action cannot be undone.

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In the table, the "" bin button is clicked for the current value in question. Once confirmed, the value is removed and cannot be restored.

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3.9 Error messages

There are two options for error messages when creating or updating logframes in OPSYS. One is the quality check, and the other are validation errors.

3.9.1 Quality Check errors

An automated basic Quality Check by the system is applied to the logframe and its components (results and indicators) as soon as the logframe is created. The Quality Check runs continuously as modifications or updates are applied.

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3.9.2 Validation errors summary

In both the main and management views, a summary of validation errors is displayed, showing any issues found in the logframe. The error summary uses a multi-layered, multi-line visualisation, with each layer/line providing additional information about the location and type of the error. Each layer can be opened to get further information and access the next layer.

First layer

The first line only provides information on the intervention the error is located. As the visualisation is within the logframe, there is no additional information in this line. Click the little arrow at the right-hand side of the line to expand the next line.

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Second layer

The next layers refer to the Result within the logframe where the error is located and may show many lines (as below) if there are several issues within that result.

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Third layer

The next layer shows the indicator (if the error is on indicator level). Visible also in the screenshot above.

Fourth layer

The fourth is the last layer and is shown if the error is on current (actual) value level. It then provides information for what the error is.

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Common error phrases and their meaning

An error can occur during the encoding of information in OPSYS, or when the system is enhanced, leading to new rules or features being implemented causing previously entered data to become incorrect.

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