To compare aims, implementation and outcomes, list each aim, note what was done and check what the records show. Then judge each aim separately and finish with a verdict that matches the evidence.
This lesson is part of the development and prosperity cluster. It relies on the careful reading skills from reading historical data without inventing causation.
What goes in an aim, action, outcome grid?
Draw three columns. Under aim, write what the policy set out to change. Under action, write what was actually carried out. Under outcome, write what the records show, with a figure if you have one.
Fill one row per aim. The gaps in a row, such as an aim with no recorded outcome, are as useful as the filled cells.
Worked example: a verdict on the New Economic Policy
The New Economic Policy (1971 to 1990) had two prongs: eradicating poverty irrespective of race, and restructuring society so that ethnic identity is no longer tied to economic function. 1 Here is the grid, built from figures reported by the Ministry of Economy. 2
| Aim | Action | Documented outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Eradicate poverty irrespective of race | Income-generating activities, expansion of education and training facilities, employment generation and modernisation of rural life | The poverty rate fell from 49.3% in 1970 to 16.5% in 1990 |
| Raise Bumiputera ownership of corporate equity to at least 30% by 1990 | Education and training opportunities for Malays and other indigenous groups | The share was 2.4% in 1970 and about 21% in 2012; no 1990 figure is given |
Row 1. The actions match the aim, and the poverty rate fell by 32.8 percentage points (49.3 − 16.5 = 32.8) over 20 years, so this aim looks largely met. The link is qualified, since the figures do not show how much of the fall came from the policy itself.
Row 2. The documented outcome rose but stayed below the target in the figures given. The share was about 21% in 2012, which is 18.6 percentage points above 1970 (21 − 2.4 = 18.6) and below 30%.
Verdict. “The NEP carried out its poverty and training actions, and the poverty rate fell sharply, but the Bumiputera equity share was about 21% in 2012, below the 30% target, and the source gives no figure for 1990. It partly achieved its aims.” 2 3
Why judge each aim separately?
One verdict for the whole policy hides differences. A single line such as “the policy was a success” cannot be checked against the evidence. Two lines, one per aim, can be checked row by row.
For real policies in your textbook, use the same grid with the textbook’s stated aims and the figures it gives. If a real outcome is not documented in your textbook, say that it is not shown and avoid guessing.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to write the verdict first and look for evidence afterwards. The verdict then sounds confident but does not match the records.
| Step | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Verdict, then evidence | Grid, then verdict |
| Scope | One verdict for all aims | One verdict per aim |
| Gaps | Ignored | Named: “the records do not show” |
A second slip is to count implementation as an outcome. Building a school is an action. Higher attendance is an outcome. Write them in separate sentences.
Check yourself
FELDA was established on 1 July 1956 for land development and resettlement aimed at poverty eradication through rubber and oil palm, and its first scheme, Lurah Bilut, began in 1958. 4 Fill an aim, action, outcome row from this and write a one-sentence verdict.
Answer
A sample: “FELDA’s aim was to reduce poverty through resettlement and rubber and oil palm, and its first action was the Lurah Bilut scheme in 1958, but these facts record no outcome, so they cannot show whether the aim succeeded.”
The first scheme is an action, not an outcome. Naming the gap (“no outcome recorded”) is better than guessing. Use your textbook’s figures to complete the row.
What to study next
Put all four skills together in the development and prosperity practice set. If the verdicts feel shaky, revisit explaining economic and social aims.
If you want a teacher to check your verdicts with you, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition.