The PMflex software for strategic project management
OpenProject is the PMflex software to manage your portfolios, programs and projects in an efficient and compliant manner. Tailor-made software for public administration in Germany, Europe and beyond.
PMflex is the project management standard for federal authorities in Germany – developed by the German Federal Office of Administration (BVA) to manage projects, programs, and portfolios in a consistent and efficient manner. Learn more on the BVA website.
OpenProject offers the appropriate features to implement PMflex standards in a structured and traceable manner: clear structures for portfolios, programs, and projects, as well as appropriate fields, statuses, and responsibilities. This creates transparency for all involved – from planning phase to completion.
As open source project management software from Europe, OpenProject stands for transparency, security, and full data sovereignty. Tailored for the public sector.
Niels Lindenthal
CEO OpenProject GmbH
We firmly believe that Public Money should be spent on Public Code. It’s our responsibility to deliver, on time and on budget. That’s why at OpenProject, we build digital sovereignty into every line of code.
Portfolio
Manage strategic projects with clearly defined roles and a centralized overview: Structure projects according to PMflex standards in higher-level portfolios. Evaluate and prioritize using custom attributes. Use filters, groupings, and dashboards to make informed decisions.
Programme
Group projects thematically or strategically into a programme, and coordinate them with clear responsibilities and a consolidated view. Keep track of progress, costs, and deadlines across the entire programme and create consolidated evaluations and reports for monitoring and control.
Projekt
Implement single projects efficiently and in a structured manner – in line with PMflex guidelines: Plan tasks, milestones, and responsibilities so that they are easy to follow. Track progress and document all steps centrally and audit-proof in the system. Agile, classic, or hybrid.
With OpenProject, portfolio managers can clearly structure and strategically control all of their organization’s projects – in line with PMflex principles. You evaluate project ideas in phase 0, derive structured decisions in phase gate 1, and always keep track of all ongoing projects.
Use filters, project attributes such as benefits/impact, project maturity level, or resource requirements, and portfolio dashboards to prioritize transparently. Steering committees receive clear decision-making bases through standardized checklists, status reports, and phase models. This ensures that your portfolio management remains transparent, rule-based, and efficient.
With OpenProject, programme managers coordinate multiple projects with a shared strategic goal, for example as part of a digital strategy. You group initiatives into programmes, identify dependencies, and plan programme-level milestones in Gantt charts. You record and assess programme risks centrally. Programme dashboards show the phase of the project life cycle for each subproject, highlight potential delays, and display the resource requirements.
You align roles, reports, and decision-making processes with PMflex. Steering committees receive PDF downloads in the public sector layout, status reports, and programme-wide evaluations. Granular permissions ensure that confidential information is only accessible to the intended stakeholders.
With OpenProject, you guide your projects through all phases of the project life cycle – from initiation to successful completion. Status workflows and relations between work packages make dependencies visible and help ensure smooth progress. Meetings can be planned and recorded directly in OpenProject – linked to work packages and, if needed, held jointly with stakeholders or programme managers.
Time tracking and budgets support project managers in accurately recording and managing effort and costs. For agile projects, features such as boards are available. And if team members struggle to follow PMflex or general project management standards, attribute help texts within the system provide clear guidance.
OpenProject is trusted by public institutions across Europe
Häufig gestellte Fragen
PMflex is a project management standard specifically developed for the public sector in Germany. It defines clear processes, roles, and decision points for managing portfolios, programs, and projects. PMflex is structured around a phase model and designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and consistent project steering across public institutions.
A suitable software for PMflex must support structured project workflows, role-based responsibilities, and standardized documentation. OpenProject is designed for this purpose — it reflects PMflex’s life cycle, roles, and gates while offering GDPR compliance and full support for public sector requirements, such as tests of accessibilty or EVB-IT contracts.
OpenProject enables PMflex implementation through customizable life cycles, decision gates, and templates for checklists and reports. Roles such as project owner or steering committee can be mapped with precise permissions, supporting structured collaboration throughout all PMflex phases.
OpenProject supports IT strategies focused on digital sovereignty and open standards. It can be deployed on-premises or in a secure cloud, integrates with tools like Nextcloud, and is part of openDesk — making it compatible with broader public sector modernization efforts.
OpenProject allows customized roles with individual permissions and therefore mapping of all PMflex roles including project manager (PL), project owner (PAG), and steering committee (PLA). Permissions can be assigned to individuals, groups, or placeholders — ensuring responsibilities are clearly defined and securely managed.
Yes. OpenProject is available as an on-premises installation and widely used by public institutions requiring full data control. It is open source, GDPR-compliant, and can be fully operated within your own infrastructure.
A PMflex-compliant workflow in OpenProject includes all phases from initial idea to project closure. You can define decision gates, assign roles, and use checklists and dashboards for documentation. Gantt charts, milestones, and status reports ensure structured, transparent project execution.
Yes. OpenProject is part of the openDesk initiative — a digital workplace for the public sector based on open source. It works alongside tools like Nextcloud, Element and XWiki to enable sovereign, interoperable collaboration that supports standards like PMflex.
Public institutions across Europe use OpenProject to manage projects, programs, and portfolios in line with public sector requirements. Use cases range from digital administration initiatives to standardized workflows based on PMflex. Learn more and discover real examples on our dedicated page for public sector project management.
