In Model Driven Engineering (MDE), models and mappings play a key role in system design. However, in practice, models and map- pings do not exist in isolation, but are combined to form systems of interrelated models. We call the trace of operations, such as model trans- formations or model merges, between an initial configuration of a system of interrelated models to a final one, a work ow. Current approaches for using work ows in MDE exist, but are generally informal and do not properly address traceability and verification. In this work, we propose a structured method for defining work ows for model management, which automatically ensures traceability and inherently enables verification. This approach also sets the stage for defining a declarative work ow lan- guage, which we believe can aid in validation. Through this framework, comparison and optimization of work ows is possible, as they are repre- sented as algebraic terms in a mathematically defined language. Finally, the framework gives rise to multiple levels of abstraction, making it ex- ible enough to be used at different stages of the system design, while enabling better work ow readability and maintainability.