  The current status of and motivation for the 4MOST Survey Strategy, as
developed by the Consortium science team, are presented here. Key elements of
the strategy are described, such as sky coverage, number of visits and total
exposure times in different parts of the sky, and how to deal with different
observing conditions. The task of organising the strategy is not simple, with
many different surveys that have vastly different target brightnesses and
densities, sample completeness levels, and signal-to-noise requirements. We
introduce here a number of concepts that we will use to ensure all surveys are
optimised. Astronomers who are planning to submit a Participating Survey
proposal are strongly encouraged to read this article and any relevant 4MOST
Survey articles in this issue of The Messenger such that they can optimally
complement and benefit from the planned surveys of the 4MOST Consortium.
