These levels of management originate from military practice and have been widely adopted in the corporate world to distinguish between different aims and roles. The three levels can be identified across all governance layers in spatial planning—national, regional, and local, but they become more detailed and specific at the local scale, where their resolution is higher.
Strategic
High-level, long-term goals that define overall direction, vision, and policy. This includes laws, regulations, institutions, and policies that set planning conditions, such as vision and policy guidelines. At this level, soil is framed as a strategic resource linked to climate adaptation, food systems, biodiversity, and land-use policy. Strategic decisions set ambitions for soil protection, regeneration, and sustainable use across territories.
Tactical
Medium-term actions and projects that translate strategy into practice, such as regulations, guidelines, or spatial masterplans. Soil considerations are operationalised through zoning, development rules, soil quality maps, and planning instruments that steer where and how land is used.
Operational
Daily and short-term activities that implement tactics and achieve concrete goals, including execution and maintenance. Here, soil is directly handled and managed through construction practices, soil handling protocols, planting strategies, monitoring, and long-term maintenance.