Deep ground water investigations are expensive. Consequently, the number of boreholes/wells are limited and data collection must be highly optimized. A cost-effective drilling and data collection program requires that data needs are well defined, prioritized, and that conflicting requirements for various kinds of data collection are understood and minimized. In many cases, data collection is a process of continuous evaluation and decision-making, and the interaction and coordination of various data collection and analysis activities must be considered so that the sampling program can be adjusted, altered, and/or reconfigured in response to the new information collected. Data collection should always be transparent and open such that observation, identification, and response to unexpected field conditions and observations can be quickly and efficiently coordinated between the client, regulators, and stakeholders. This session explores these subjects.