The 6-Stage Decision-Making Framework
Part of Decision Making Skills · GCSE GCSE Geography revision
This deep dive covers The 6-Stage Decision-Making Framework within Decision Making Skills for GCSE Geography. Revise Decision Making Skills in Decision Making & Issue Evaluation for GCSE Geography with 15 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 15 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
⚙️ The 6-Stage Decision-Making Framework
Every decision in Paper 3 — and every real-world geographical decision — can be broken down into six stages. Master these stages and you have a repeatable process that works for any topic, any year. Think of it as an algorithm: follow the steps in order and you will always arrive at a geographically justified decision.
Before you evaluate anything, you must understand exactly what decision is being asked. What is the geographic context — where, what scale, what type of issue? What is the specific decision? ("Should a wind farm be built?" is different from "Where should a wind farm be built?" which is different from "How many turbines are acceptable?"). Write the decision as a single clear question. Students who skip this stage often answer the wrong question for 8 marks.
A stakeholder is anyone who affects, or is affected by, the decision. For any geographic decision there are typically 5–8 key stakeholder groups. Identify all of them — including the ones you might not agree with. Students who only consider the stakeholders they sympathise with lose marks for incomplete analysis. You must represent every perspective, even those you intend to argue against.
This is where the Resource Booklet becomes your most powerful tool. For each stakeholder position and each option being evaluated, identify which resources support or challenge it. Extract specific data — never say "Figure 3 shows high wind speeds." Say "Figure 3 shows average wind speeds of 8.2 m/s, which exceeds the 7 m/s minimum threshold for commercially viable turbine operation." Specific evidence beats vague reference every single time.
There are always multiple possible courses of action — usually 3–4. Identify them all. For each option, assess: What are the economic benefits and costs? What are the social benefits and costs? What are the environmental benefits and costs? Is it technically feasible? Is it politically achievable? A decision matrix (see below) helps structure this comparison so you do not accidentally compare two options by different criteria.
Every decision has a winner and a loser. Acknowledging this is not a weakness — it is a sign of sophisticated geographical thinking. Which stakeholder groups benefit most from each option? Who loses out? What does your chosen option sacrifice, and is that sacrifice justified by the gains? Students who pretend their chosen option is perfect score at Level 2. Students who honestly acknowledge the trade-offs and explain why they are acceptable score at Level 3.
State your decision clearly and early — do not make the examiner hunt for it at the end of your answer. Then justify it using the 3C structure: Claim (your decision), Criteria (the factors that matter most and why), Conclusion with trade-offs (what you are giving up and why it is worth it). The strongest decisions link back to the broader geographical context: national policy, sustainability goals, development principles.
These six stages are not a one-time linear checklist. In practice, you will move back and forth — gathering new evidence (Stage 3) might reveal a stakeholder you missed (Stage 2). The framework gives you structure, not a rigid sequence.
Quick Check: A student analysing a coastal management decision only considers the views of local residents and the council. What stage of the decision-making framework are they doing badly, and why does it matter?
Stage 2 — Identify Stakeholders. By missing stakeholders (e.g. environmental groups, tourism businesses, farmers, property developers, national government), the student gives an incomplete analysis. It matters because: (1) they lose marks for failing to represent all perspectives; (2) their decision may not acknowledge important trade-offs (e.g. hard engineering protecting local homes but damaging the beach ecosystem that draws tourists); (3) the examiner reads it as a one-sided argument rather than a geographically balanced evaluation. You must identify ALL stakeholders, including those you disagree with.