[2019] How to manage sectors?

Stellaris' game director has a bigger plan for sector improvements, but it's big enough that it can't be done in a single patch. So this is a first step and you can read about the future plans here: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/stellaris-dev-diary-147-an-update-on-sectors-designations.1175704/

The team knows that 2.2 sectors had issues. That said there were some issues prior to that too.

The system is still needed to balance micromanagement on huge galaxies, but the devs' approach to redesigning it is changing. They'd rather take things a little slower and introduce the changes you've been asking for, over a few patches to address both the present and earlier issues.

It's never ideal to have to wait, but initial response I've seen online to the changes is good, so I hope you'll all like what's been done and what will follow. :)

I can only tell you to read the dev diary I linked before. This one: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/stellaris-dev-diary-147-an-update-on-sectors-designations.1175704/

Our game director has outlined his plans for future sector updates and some control over fine tuning them is on that roadmap. It won't be the same as pre 2.2 build. AFAIK, the goal is a compromise between hands-on tuning and reduction in micromanagement.

Frontier systems are basically non-sector systems. AFAIK, the team has plans to give them specifically some more unique flavor in the future.