Knowledge Organiser: Issue Evaluation
IDEALS Framework
- I — Identify issue and decision
- D — Data: evidence types and limits
- E — Evaluate: advantages/disadvantages
- A — Alternatives: engage with ALL options
- L — Losers and winners: stakeholder analysis
- S — Supported decision with justification
Level 3 Decision Structure
- State recommendation FIRST sentence
- Cite specific source evidence + interpret it
- Use own geographical knowledge (case study or theory)
- Evaluate the alternative option specifically
- Address conflicting stakeholder — name them
- Resolve: decisive conclusion that outweighs counter-argument
Key Stakeholder Types
- Directly affected residents (FOR protection)
- Environmental NGOs (FOR natural processes)
- Local businesses (depends on economic impact)
- Wider taxpayers (AGAINST high-cost options)
- Future generations (FOR sustainability)
- Scientific/technical experts (FOR evidence-based solutions)
- Local council (balances all pressures)
Evaluation Language to Use
- "On balance, Option A is preferable because..."
- "Although Option B has the advantage of... its main limitation is..."
- "The most significant factor is... because it outweighs..."
- "Source X suggests... which supports Option A because..."
- "Despite [counter-argument], Option A remains better because..."
- SEDIMENT: Social, Economic, Disadvantages, Implementation, Management, Environmental, Need, Trade-offs
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring the pre-release resources: The Issue Evaluation paper provides sources you must reference specifically — quoting or citing a source with "Source B shows that..." is a Level 3 requirement; generic statements without source evidence cap at Level 2
- Only discussing one option: You must engage with ALL alternatives given in the resources, not just your recommended option — use IDEALS to ensure you evaluate every option and identify its strengths AND weaknesses
- Forgetting stakeholder conflict: Level 3 answers name a specific stakeholder who would oppose your recommendation, explain why, then resolve the conflict with a counter-argument — "local residents favour hard engineering but environmental NGOs oppose it because..."
- Stating your decision at the end instead of the beginning: AQA mark schemes reward stating your recommendation clearly in the first sentence, then building evidence to support it — "burying" your conclusion in the last line is a common structural error
Memory Aid
- I — Identify the issue and decision
- D — Data: evidence in the booklet (types, strengths, limits)
- E — Evaluate: advantages and disadvantages of each option
- A — Alternatives: consider ALL options, not just your preference
- L — Losers and winners: stakeholder analysis (who benefits, who loses, who pays)
- S — Supported decision: your recommendation + evidence + own knowledge + justified conclusion
- S — Social impacts (on people, communities, quality of life)
- E — Economic impacts (costs, jobs, property values, tourism)
- D — Disadvantages (specific downsides and unintended consequences)
- I — Implementation (feasibility, timeline, planning requirements)
- M — Management (long-term maintenance, who is responsible, what happens in 50 years)
- E — Environmental impacts (habitat, natural processes, carbon, biodiversity)
- N — Need (how urgent, how many affected, what happens without action)
- T — Trade-offs (what is sacrificed, is it acceptable given the context)
- "On balance, Option A is preferable because [reason that outweighs the alternative]..."
- "Although Option B has the advantage of [specific advantage], its main limitation is [specific limitation that outweighs the advantage]..."
- "The most significant factor is [specific factor] because it outweighs [counter-factor]..."
- "Option A would be more sustainable in the long run because [specific reasoning linked to timescale or natural processes]..."
- "For stakeholders such as [specific group], Option A is better because [reason]. However, for [other group], this creates a problem because [reason] — but this is outweighed by [resolution]..."
- "The evidence from Source [X] suggests [interpretation], which supports Option A over Option B because [causal reasoning]..."
- "Despite [strongest counter-argument], Option A remains the better choice because [definitive reason]..."