MAMPU was established based on a study on "Development Administrative in Malaysia" conducted by Prof. John D. Montgomery and Milton J.Esman in 1965. The report acknowledged the need to upgrade professionalism in all categories of employees in the Civil Service through educational and training programme. This lead to the formation of Development Administrative Unit (DAU) in 1966.

DAU is tasked with the responsibility of spearheading reforms in the Government administration. The unit was later expanded and renamed Implementation Co-ordination Development Administrative Unit (ICDAU), playing the role of co-coordinator of development projects as well as planning and development of human resources. To cope with the rapid and dynamic development of the Civil Service, ICDAU was restructured in 1977.

With the restructuring, the function of co-ordinating the implementation of central projects was handed over to the Implementation Co-ordination Unit (ICU) while the functions of administrative modernisation and human resources planning were handled by a newly established agency known as the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU).

Website: http://www.mampu.gov.my/