diff --git a/app/controllers/plans_controller.rb b/app/controllers/plans_controller.rb
index f8e3fe8..971f08e 100644
--- a/app/controllers/plans_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/plans_controller.rb
@@ -107,10 +107,8 @@
 
     @plan.assign_creator(current_user.id)
 
-    @plan.set_possible_guidance_groups
-
-    @selected_guidance_groups = @plan.guidance_groups.map{ |pgg| [pgg.name, pgg.id, :checked => false] }
-    @selected_guidance_groups.sort!
+    @all_guidance_groups = @plan.get_guidance_group_options
+    @selected_guidance_groups = @plan.plan_guidance_groups.pluck(:guidance_group_id)
 
     respond_to do |format|
       if @plan.save
@@ -130,10 +128,8 @@
     @plan = Plan.eager_load(params[:id])
     authorize @plan
     @editing = (!params[:editing].nil? && @plan.administerable_by?(current_user.id))
-    @selected_guidance_groups = []
-    all_guidance_groups = @plan.plan_guidance_groups
-    @selected_guidance_groups = all_guidance_groups.map{ |pgg| [ pgg.guidance_group.name, pgg.guidance_group.id, :checked => pgg.selected ] }
-    @selected_guidance_groups.sort!
+    @all_guidance_groups = @plan.get_guidance_group_options
+    @selected_guidance_groups = @plan.plan_guidance_groups.pluck(:guidance_group_id)
     @based_on = @plan.base_template
 
     respond_to :html
@@ -182,18 +178,24 @@
   def update_guidance_choices
     @plan = Plan.find(params[:id])
     authorize @plan
-    guidance_ids = params[:plan][:plan_guidance_group_ids]
-    
-# TODO: This always appears to be empty for a new plan. What SHOULD it contain, all guidance_groups?
-    @plan.plan_guidance_groups.each do |pgg|
-      pgg.selected = guidance_ids.include?(pgg.guidance_group_id.to_s)
-      pgg.save!
+    guidance_group_ids = params[:guidance_group_ids].blank? ? [] : params[:guidance_group_ids].map(&:to_i)
+    all_guidance_groups = @plan.get_guidance_group_options
+    plan_groups = @plan.guidance_groups
+    guidance_groups = GuidanceGroup.where( id: guidance_group_ids)
+    all_guidance_groups.each do |group|
+      # case where plan group exists but not in selection
+      if plan_groups.include?(group) && ! guidance_groups.include?(group)
+      #   remove from plan groups
+        @plan.guidance_groups.delete(group)
+      end
+      #  case where plan group dosent exist and in selection
+      if !plan_groups.include?(group) && guidance_groups.include?(group)
+      #   add to plan groups
+        @plan.guidance_groups << group
+      end
     end
-    @plan.save!
-
-    respond_to do |format|
-      format.json { head :no_content }
-    end
+    @plan.save
+    redirect_to action: "show"
   end
 
   def share
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index ce0d122..57b504f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
         end
       end
     end
-    
+
     if @user.save!
       redirect_to({controller: 'users', action: 'admin_index'}, {notice: _('Information was successfully updated.')})  # helpers.success key does not exist, replaced with a generic string
     else
diff --git a/app/models/plan.rb b/app/models/plan.rb
index c89b793..5b284b0 100644
--- a/app/models/plan.rb
+++ b/app/models/plan.rb
@@ -147,6 +147,18 @@
     self.guidance_groups = ggroups.uniq
   end
 
+  ##
+  # returns all of the possible guidance groups for the plan (all options to
+  # be selected by the user to display)
+  #
+  # @return Array<Guidance>
+  def get_guidance_group_options
+    ggroups = GuidanceGroup.all
+    # funder organisations
+    # default guidance (dcc)
+    # own organisation?
+  end
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/app/views/plans/_plan_details.html.erb b/app/views/plans/_plan_details.html.erb
index dde9a2f..656e6e4 100644
--- a/app/views/plans/_plan_details.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/plans/_plan_details.html.erb
@@ -173,20 +173,22 @@
           </div>
           <div id="guidance-choices" class="accordion-project collapse">
               <div class="accordion-inner">
-                  <%= semantic_form_for @plan, :url => {:controller => :plans, :action => :update_guidance_choices }, :html=>{:method=>:put}, :remote => true do |f| %>
-                      <%= f.inputs do %>
-                          <%= f.input :plan_guidance_groups,
-                                :as => :check_boxes,
-                                :collection => selected_guidance_groups %>
-                      <% end %>
-                      <!-- submit buttons -->
-                      <%= f.actions do %>
-                          <div class="move_2_right">
-                              <%= f.submit _('Save'), :class => 'btn btn-primary' %>
-                              <a href='#' class='btn btn-primary show-edit-toggle'><%= _('helpers.links.cancel') %></a> <!-- helpers.links.cancel does not exist --> 
-                          </div>
-                      <%end%>
-                  <%end%>
+                <%= form_tag( update_guidance_choices_plan_path(@plan), method: :put) do %>
+                  <table id="dmp_table" class="dmp_table tablesorter">
+                    <tbody>
+                        <% @all_guidance_groups.each do |group| %>
+                          <tr>
+                          <td class="dmp_td_medium">
+                            <%= check_box_tag "guidance_group_ids[]", group.id, @selected_guidance_groups.include?(group.id) %>
+                            <%= group.name %>
+                          </td>
+                          </tr> 
+                        <% end %>
+                      </tr>
+                    </tbody>
+                  </table>
+                  <%= submit_tag _('Save'), class: "btn btn-primary"%>
+                <% end %>
               </div>
           </div>
       </div>