Measuring the impacts of development activities is complex, especially when evaluating indirect effects. A systematic approach is needed that considers both internal and external factors affecting sectors, value chains, companies and organisations, within a defined timescale, to enable analysis against an identified baseline.

To measure the impacts of our activities as objectively and realistically as possible, our approach is based on three principles:

	measure impact over a specific timeframe and/or within a specific programme
	measure impact at several economic levels
	integrate specific indicators linked to objectives and expected results, highlighting the effects of our activities on market access, employment, small-scale producers, gender, sustainability, etc.

In addition, given that:

• COLEACP covers and represents the EU-ACP fruit and vegetable sector through the members of the association and the beneficiaries of its action,
• our action is targeted in this sector,
• we have designed and implemented a holistic approach to capacity building in this value chain since 2001,

it is objectively accepted that COLEACP contributes to the development of this value chain directly at the European market level and directly/indirectly at the local and regional level.

The following measures offer an overview of our work.