This chapter presents a series of proposed guidelines for the design and preparation of recovery plans for threatened species. The aim of the guidelines is to provide recommendations about the key design and planning elements that were identified from an analysis of recovery plans and conservation planning standards in the international context. Emphasis was given to the incorporation of an monitoring & evaluation framework into recovery plans, which could assist in evaluating the progress and effectiveness of programs and species recovery planning systems. This chapter also provides an evaluation tool that could be incorporated into the recovery planning process. The tool was applied to three illustrative cases of recovery plans to demonstrate the degree to which the adequacy and quality of management documents vary, depending on the authors or planning requirements.