The Group reviewed the future priority activities for this JCOMM intersessional period for the Data Management Programme Area (DMPA) as endorsed during the third JCOMM Session, Marrakech, Morocco, 4-11 November 2009, and produced the DMPA work plan for the next intersessional period accordingly. The Group reviewed the recent activities of the JCOMM-IODE Expert Team on Data Management Practices (ETDMP), and the JCOMM Expert Team on Marine Climatology (ETMC), and endorsed their work programmes as defined at the third ETMC and second ETDMP Session respectively. In particular, the Group agreed with the plan proposed by the ETMC for the modernization of the Marine Climatological Summaries Scheme (MCSS), and the proposed establishment of a WMO-IOC network of Centres for Marine-meteorological and Ocean Climatological Data (CMOCs) by JCOMM-IV. To address the issue of Rig and Platform metadata as discussed at JCOMM-III, the Group proposed that the Management Committee discuss the integration of Rigs and Platforms in the DBCP and SOT Terms of Reference. The Group requested the ETDMP to prepare a consolidated workplan of the ETDMP based on the different workplans proposed for (i) Ocean Data Standards (ODS), (ii) Ocean Data Portal (ODP), and (iii) Metadata. The Group proposed a strategy for Capacity Building in ocean data management. It reviewed collaborations within JCOMM and with other bopies. Aspects regarding these collaborations have been considered and integrated in the DMPA workplan for the period 2010 to 2012. The Group reviewed progress on the implementation details of the Data Management Plan (JCOMM TR No. 40), as well as the future actions for the realization of the plan. Tasks and future actions for the realization of its objectives were also discussed in order to be able to propose an updated version of the plan. The Group agreed that the JCOMM Data Management Plan, and related implementation details, should to be updated according to JCOMM-III recommendations, the outcomes of the OceanOBS09 and IMDIS conferences, and the new GCOS Implementation Plan (2010 version). The Group agreed that it would be useful to address the integration of the JCOMM Specialized Oceanography Centres (SOCs), the IODE Responsible National Oceanographic Data Centres (RNDOCs), and the VOSClim Real Time Monitoring Centre (RTMC), and proposed an evaluation of their functions in the view to possibly propose a plan in the future for their integration under JCOMM. The integration of in situ/satellite/model field data management, including match-up databases (e.g. ICOADS) was also discussed and better collaboration with the satellite community proposed.