based on the GPM3 Maturity Model
Let’s talk about public projects
SERIES ARTICLE
By Stanisław Gasik
Warsaw, Poland
Introduction
Public projects (like projects in other sectors) can either succeed or fail. In response, many governments ask themselves: how can they increase the effectiveness and efficiency of public project implementation within their jurisdictions?
Many organizations face the challenge of improving their operations in specific areas. Maturity models can be used to drive improvement by combining best practices into hierarchical sets (maturity levels), which allow for increasingly effective implementation of processes in a given area (UK OGC, 2015).
Numerous maturity models have been developed for project management in “ordinary,” autonomous, non-hierarchical organizations—the best-known probably being CMMI® (ISACA, 2023), P3M3® (UK Axelos, 2015), and OPM3® (PMI, 2013). However, the state is not a flat organization: it comprises many public institutions managed by the government, along with hierarchically subordinated agencies and companies owned by these entities that operate in the commercial market. Therefore, the maturity models listed above cannot be directly applied to governments and the broader public sector.
This article focuses on a maturity model for government practices in the area of project management, known as the Governmental Project Management Maturity Model (GPM3®[1]).
Governmental Project Management Maturity Model
The most important concept in the area of project management in the public sector is the Governmental Project Implementation System (GPIS) (Gasik, 2023a). And when we want to think about improving the management of public projects in a given country, it is the maturity level of GPIS that should be evaluated.
The GPIS is controlled by governmental laws, executive orders and other activities and documents specific to the individual administration. The process of influencing and shaping the GPIS by the government with use of legal acts and executive orders is referred to as Governmental Project Management (GPM).
GPIS and GPM may be more or less mature. Their maturity is described by the Governmental Project Management Maturity Model (GPM3®, Gasik, 2018, 2023a). It has been developed based on practices for public-sector project management in over 60 governments and an extensive literature review. The structure of GPM3® is based on the structure of an earlier version of CMMI© (SEI, 2010). It consists of five levels:
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Editor’s note: This article series is related to the management of public programs and projects, those organized, financed and managed by governments and public officials. The author, Dr. Stanisław Gasik, is the author of the book “Projects, Government, and Public Policy”, recently published by CRC Press / Taylor and Francis Group. That book and these articles are based on Dr. Gasik’s research into governmental project management around the world over the last decade. Stanisław is well-known and respected by PMWJ editors; we welcome and support his efforts to share knowledge that can help governments worldwide achieve their most important initiatives.
How to cite this paper: Gasik, S. (2025). Improving the Governmental Project Implementation System based on the GPM3 Maturity Model. Let’s talk about public projects, series article, PM World Journal, Volume XIV, Issue V, May. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pmwj152-May2025-Gasik-Improving-GPIS-based-on-GPM3-Maturity-Model.pdf
About the Author
Stanisław Gasik, PhD, PMP
Warsaw, Poland
Dr. Stanisław Gasik, PMP is a project management expert. He graduated from the University of Warsaw, Poland, with M. Sc. in mathematics and Ph. D. in organization sciences (with a specialty in project management). Stanisław has over 30 years of experience in project management, consulting, teaching, and implementing PM organizational solutions. His professional and research interests include project knowledge management, portfolio management, and project management maturity. He is the author of the only holistic model of project knowledge management spanning from the individual to the global level.
Since 2013, his main professional focus has been on public projects. He was an expert in project management at the Governmental Accountability Office, an institution of the US Congress. He is the author of “Projects, Government, and Public Policy,” a book that systematizes knowledge about government activities in the area of project management.
He was a significant contributor to PMI’s PMBOK® Guide and PMI Standard for Program Management and contributed to other PMI standards. He has lectured at global PMI and IPMA congresses and other international conferences.
His web page is www.gpm3.eu.
To view other works by Dr. Gasik, please visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/stanislaw-gasik-phd-pmp/
[1] GPM3 is a trademark of Stanisław Gasik.
