In summary, a plan is defined by gathering and collating information about a site or geographical area (process of information collection). This information is then used to define the features to be protected. The definition of features requires the selection of attributes by which the condition of each feature may be to measured, and the definition of the most important factors that will affect the condition of each feature and so limit management operations.

A plan is operated through projects which state how and when work is to be carried out to meet the objectives, and how progress will be monitored and reported upon. This is the action plan.

An action plan guides the day to day operations of management through work schedules etc., and is created by setting objectives for features of importance to nature conservation, and for any services and obligations. The plan is operated by running projects which are targeted on measureable attributes of the features.

In summary the action plan is the operational end of a management plan which integrates the following four distinct, but interrelated, activities:-

A management plan addresses a problem that has been measured through some kind of appraisal. It is a dynamic system of information handling, which follows four stages.

These stages are:-

Stage 1 What are the objectives of management?

Planning involves defining the important features to be targeted (making an inventory), and then setting measurable objectives for each feature so that the work and outcomes of management can be checked out year on year (audited). For example, an appraisal of local wildlife might identify the Marsh Fritillary butterfly as an important feature. The management objective would be:- "Maintain the Marsh Fritillary butterfly". The target of management would be to keep the population within defined limits from year to year.

Stage 2 What kinds of work (management tasks) are needed to reach the objectives?

An objective is reached by manipulating the main factors that influence the state of the feature. The state of a feature is measured by selecting one or more of its measurable attributes. Two measurable attributes of the butterfly population are the numbers of individuals (larvae and adults). A major factor influencing the state of a Marsh Fritillary butterfly is the availability of shelter for egg laying. Two work categories to fulfil the management objective would be 'Measure the population of the Marsh Fritillary"; "Maintain the environment for adults".

Stage 3 How are the jobs defined?

The work to be done is set out as projects. A project is a description of the jobs and includes the methods, equipment needed, the costs, and the timings of events. For example, two projects to meet the first of the above work categories would be "Count butterflies"; this checks out the adults, and "Count larval webs"; this checks out larval development. Both of these projects are called monitoring projects because they keep a quantitative check on the effectiveness of the management plan in meeting its objective. Other projects in the second work category might address limiting factors such as making the habitat suitable for flying, egg laying, or feeding.

Stage 4 How does a manager demonstrate that management is effective?

Annual reports are made which summarise the results from monitoring projects. These demonstrate that management is effective and efficient. They are also useful to communicate best practice between sites and organisations. This is termed 'feedback'. For example, feedback from monitoring could be reported as "A plot of the last five years counts of the Marsh Fritillary". If the population falls below the level necessary for the species to maintain itself from year to year, some kind of action is necessary, and the report would make suggestions.

The original objective is often reviewed in the light of reports to see if it requires modifying. For effective management of any kind, from tree-planting in school grounds, to running an oil refinery, all the above stages have to be followed when writing a management plan. The following topic frameworks contain the main factors that have to be addressed to produce management plans for sustainability.