As the GAMSO is designed to be a generic, international model, applicable across national, international, regional and local statistical organisations, it can never be a perfect fit for all cases. Some statistical organisations have additional activities, such as responsibility for administrative registers, or national geo-spatial standards and infrastructures. Some operate within strongly centralised contexts, whilst others are part of geographically or subject-matter, de-centralised systems, with different degrees of responsibility for coordination. Some organisations outsource certain activities, particularly supporting services, either to related statistical organisations, or to other government agencies.

The GAMSO cannot cover all possibilities, so extensions might be needed for use within individual organisations. As for the GSBPM, activities which are in the model, but which are not present within an organisation can simply be ignored, whilst additional activities can be added at the appropriate activity level. It is also likely that, in organisation-specific contexts, extra hierarchical levels will be needed. In order to maintain high-level coherence between local extensions and the GAMSO, necessary extensions should be made at the lowest possible level. These local extensions should be kept identified as local so that comparisons across different organisations will still be possible.

Figure 4 below illustrates some different local extension possibilities foreseen for the GAMSO.


Strategy and leadership
Define visionGovern and leadManage strategic collaboration and cooperation(Organisation specific activity)
  • Understand national and international directions and factors
  • Determine vision, mission and strategic goals
  • Determine organisational value proposition

-(Organisation specific activity)

  • Determine and communicate values and expectations
  • Create interest and awareness



  • Develop strategies for achieving organisational goals
  • Prioritize capability portfolio
  • Prioritize statistical product and service portfolio
  • Define (annual) statistical programme
  • Allocate project and programme portfolio budgets
  • Build and maintain internal statistical and professional excellence
  • Ensure general coordination and alignment
  • Define general organisational policies
  • Publish policies, guidelines and normative documents
  • Build and maintain strategic relations, nationally and internationally
  • Build and maintain excternal statstical excellence
  • Advance inter-agency and international collaborations
  • Secure support for statistical product and service and capability portfolio
  • Coordinate the national statistical systems
  • (Organisation specific activity)

Figure 4 The Strategy and leadership activity area of the GAMSO with local extensions marked in brackets