Action Definition and Requirements

What makes an activity citizenship action?

Citizenship action connects what you learn about society with an attempt to make a difference within it. It is a planned course of informed action on a citizenship issue or concern, meant to bring about a benefit or a change for a particular community or for society more widely.

Each part of this definition matters. Planned means deciding what you intend to achieve and how to work towards it. Informed means using citizenship knowledge and research rather than acting only on an assumption. Action means doing something to address the issue: researching a problem without taking the investigation further is not enough.

You must carry out an investigation linked to some part of the GCSE Citizenship subject knowledge, either alone or with others. The investigation leads to practical citizenship action. For example, investigating a lack of local youth facilities could lead to presenting evidence to local councillors and asking them to consider improvements. This connects a community concern with knowledge about local government and citizens' participation in decisions.

The intention to achieve change is important, but success is not guaranteed. A decision-maker might reject a proposal or change might take longer than your project allows. You can still evaluate what happened and what you learned.

How different people can address an issue

Governments, organisations, groups and individuals have different powers and resources. Understanding these differences helps you choose an appropriate action and audience.

Governments can set policies, allocate funding and deliver public services. For example, government departments and agencies put policies into practice, and the Civil Service provides services such as paying benefits and pensions. Governments can also propose new laws, but Parliament must approve them and they require Royal Assent before becoming law. Councils make and carry out decisions about local services.

Organisations might provide support directly, investigate a problem or campaign for change. Groups can bring people together to raise awareness, organise a petition or lobby decision-makers. Individuals can contribute evidence, contact representatives or join collective action.

Consider the different approaches to helping people struggling to afford energy bills:

• Government and councils could provide grants towards bills, increase benefit rates in line with inflation, fund treatment of damp and mould in homes, and plan health services to meet increased demand. Government action also includes the energy price cap.
• Organisations, such as charities, could offer debt advice and mental-health support. Businesses could make premises available as warm banks: places where people can spend time somewhere warm.
• Groups could organise a pressure-group campaign asking government and energy companies to lower energy prices.
• Individuals could help set up a warm bank, share its location on social media or raise donations for people struggling financially.

These methods can complement one another. A warm bank offers practical help, but does not itself change energy prices. A campaign seeks wider change, but cannot guarantee that decision-makers will agree. Government financial support can reach beyond a single local project, but requires funding and decisions about who receives help. Comparing methods means considering both their potential benefit and their limits, rather than assuming one approach solves the whole issue.

A method should fit the intended change. A presentation can help an audience understand an issue, but it cannot itself require a council to provide a service. Lobbying councillors puts a request before people involved in local decisions, but a letter does not guarantee that they will agree or that resources will be available.

For a youth-facilities investigation, students could gather evidence about young people's needs, summarise it in a formal letter and request feedback from councillors. An invitation to discuss the issue at school could create another opportunity to explain the proposal. These approaches connect research with an attempt to influence a decision, rather than simply expressing dissatisfaction.

Building a logical citizenship enquiry

An enquiry is more useful when its research questions follow a logical order. Begin by understanding the issue, then investigate perspectives and possible responses before deciding what action to take.

For example, an enquiry about youth facilities might ask:

1. What facilities are currently available, and who can use them?
2. What needs or difficulties do young people identify?
3. What do other affected people think, and why?
4. Who has responsibility or influence over possible improvements?
5. Which proposed change is practical, and what evidence supports it?

The order matters: a proposed solution should respond to an identified need, not come before you understand the problem.

Primary research collects information first-hand, such as interviews or a survey. Secondary research uses existing information, such as council information, reports or news articles. They can complement each other: a focus group might identify difficulties using facilities, while existing information helps establish what provision already exists.

Research should inform decisions. If your evidence challenges your initial understanding, reconsider your proposal rather than ignoring the findings.

Representing viewpoints fairly

Your investigation should present your own viewpoint clearly and accurately represent other people's views. This means explaining both what someone thinks and the reasons they give, without exaggerating or changing their position.

Seek views that challenge your own as well as those that support it. Suppose students want more youth facilities. Young people might argue that existing provision does not meet their needs, while another participant might support improvements but question their cost. These positions are not simply 'for' and 'against' young people: they concern different needs and priorities.

Consider how strong each argument is in light of the evidence. You might respond to a cost concern by investigating a smaller proposal or the use of an existing space. A justified conclusion explains why your preferred action is appropriate while acknowledging important objections.

Differences can also arise within your team. Discuss the reasons behind them, identify shared aims and agree a way forward. Listening to disagreement can improve the action rather than prevent it.

Turning findings into a practical plan

A plan connects your evidence to your intended benefit or change. It should explain:

• what you aim to achieve and who should benefit
• which action you will take and why it fits the aim
• who will do each task and in what order
• the time, resources and permissions needed
• possible barriers and how you could adapt
• what evidence will help you judge progress.

Keep the aim manageable. Requesting a meeting about local youth provision is more practical than promising to solve every problem facing young people.

Discuss arrangements with your teacher before contacting people or organising activities. Use agreed contact routes, protect personal information and obtain appropriate permission before sharing identifiable responses or photographs.

As you carry out the plan, communicate clearly and adapt when necessary. Keep useful evidence, such as correspondence, research findings and feedback, so that you can explain both what you did and why.

Judging effectiveness and impact

Critical evaluation means making a reasoned judgement, not simply describing the project or saying that it went well. Compare the results with your intended aims and consider the effects on the people concerned.

Sending a letter shows that you completed a task. Receiving a reply shows that you reached a decision-maker. Neither alone proves that youth provision improved. A meeting, a commitment to investigate or an actual change represents a different level of progress. Explain which outcome your evidence supports.

For an awareness activity, asking comparable questions before and afterwards can help reveal changes in knowledge or attitudes. However, a small or unrepresentative group limits how widely you can apply the findings.

Consider what worked, what was less effective and why. Assess whether different people benefited, whether important views were overlooked and what you would improve. Your conclusion should recognise partial success and uncertainty rather than claiming more than the evidence shows.

How the investigation is assessed

AQA assesses the investigation through questions in Paper 1, Section A. These draw on your knowledge and understanding of the skills, methods and processes gained through taking citizenship action.

Understanding your decisions is therefore essential: how research informed the action, how you represented viewpoints, how you planned and what evidence supports your evaluation. The project gives you experience of how citizens can try to make a difference, including the limits and challenges they encounter.

Definition and requirement

Citizenship action: planned, informed action addressing a citizenship issue and aiming to benefit or change a community or wider society.

Carry out an investigation linked to GCSE Citizenship subject knowledge, alone or with others, leading to practical action.

Match methods to powers

Government can propose laws, set policy, provide funding and deliver public services; Parliament approves legislation. Organisations, groups and individuals can provide direct support or try to influence decision-makers.

Compare methods by their likely benefits, reach, resources and limitations.

Connect enquiry to action

• Sequence questions: understand the issue → examine viewpoints → identify decision-makers → consider responses.
• Use primary and secondary research to inform decisions.
• Present your own view clearly and represent others' views accurately, including their reasons.
• Match the method to the aim and the audience's powers.