I am running into this problem. Now I want to create a sub site with 4 issue tracking lists and I need to save the sub site as a template. After that end users can create new sub sites based on the template.

Now for the 4 lists I will create 4 custom Content types at the site collection level, where these custom CT will have the issue as their parent.

Currently the sub sites created through the template will have dedicated fields & shared fields . example of a dedicated field is a subsite locations drop down. where each sub site will have its own values, while shared fields include Issue status because each sub site will be using the same status choices. So currently I have 2 approaches for managing  dedicated & shared fields:-

1-     Create all the shared and dedicated fields ( location) as a site columns, and allow sub site admin to modify the dedicated fields at the list level. then  prevent site collection admin from modifying the dedicated fields (Location) at the site collection level, to prevent overriding any list level customization. And when site collection need to update the location at the site collection level, they have to set the option update lists to no, so there changies will not be reflected on the current sub sites.

2- to define shared fields on the site collection level, while define the dedicated fields at the sub site list level. but not sure if i can prevent sub site admins from modifying the shared fields at the list level, i did not find such an approach?

Can anyone adivce on this please ?

Thanks