Published September 2026

This guidance document aims to give practical advice on how to prepare an effective Data Management Plan (DMP) for use on ground engineering projects. Ground engineering covers a broad spectrum of disciplines with different requirements and types of data that are collected, stored and shared.

In March 2014, BS 8574 “Code of practice for the management of geotechnical data for ground engineering projects” was published to provide a framework for good data management practice in the industry. This standard sets out key requirements for a data management system, and highlights core principles that should be considered when planning for effective data management. BS 8574 covers all aspects of ground engineering. Therefore, it is beyond the scope of the standard to go into specific details of considerations that should be made, and as such the style and content of data management plans vary greatly across the industry.

By publishing this guidance, the AGS hope to improve data management practice across geotechnical engineering and highlight how good data management is beneficial for a project or organisation’s success.

This guidance provides a background on the core requirements of data management under BS 8574, discussing practical considerations that should be made for compliance. This document includes an example DMP, written from the point of view of a ground investigation, to demonstrate these considerations.