Writing a Spanish Comparison of Alternative Courses of Action

Writing a Spanish Comparison of Alternative Courses of Action

In this lesson, you will write a balanced comparison of alternative courses of action. A strong comparison states the objective, uses the same criteria for every option, explains likely consequences with appropriate hypothetical language, and ends with a provisional recommendation rather than presenting an uncertain outcome as a fact.

Start with the common objective

Example situation:

Una biblioteca necesita reducir los tiempos de espera por la tarde. — A library needs to reduce waiting times in the afternoon.

Your introduction should state the goal before you compare solutions.

El objetivo es reducir los tiempos de espera sin aumentar demasiado el coste del servicio. — The objective is to reduce waiting times without increasing the cost of the service too much.

Choose common criteria

Use the same criteria for every option.

• el coste — cost
• el tiempo de implementación — implementation time
• el efecto esperado — expected effect
• los recursos necesarios — resources needed
• el nivel de incertidumbre — level of uncertainty

Option A

La opción A sería ampliar el horario dos horas de lunes a jueves. — Option A would be to extend opening hours by two hours from Monday to Thursday.

Si se ampliara el horario, más estudiantes podrían usar la biblioteca después de clase. — If the opening hours were extended, more students could use the library after class.

Sin embargo, esta opción exigiría más personal o una redistribución de turnos. — However, this option would require more staff or a redistribution of shifts.

Option B

La opción B sería mantener el horario actual y crear un sistema de reserva para las salas de estudio. — Option B would be to keep the current opening hours and create a booking system for the study rooms.

Si se organizara mejor el uso de las salas, algunas esperas podrían reducirse. — If use of the rooms were organized better, some waiting times could be reduced.

El coste inicial sería menor, aunque no está claro si esta medida resolvería la falta de espacio en las horas de mayor demanda. — The initial cost would be lower, although it is not clear whether this measure would solve the lack of space at peak times.

Option C

La opción C sería abrir los sábados por la tarde. — Option C would be to open on Saturday afternoons.

Esta alternativa podría repartir parte de la demanda semanal, pero todavía no sabemos cuántos usuarios aprovecharían ese horario. — This alternative could spread part of the weekly demand, but we still do not know how many users would take advantage of that schedule.

Use hypothetical language for hypothetical consequences

Do not write:

La opción A reducirá las esperas. — Option A will reduce waiting times.

if the reduction has not actually been tested.

More appropriate:

La opción A podría reducir las esperas si suficientes usuarios aprovecharan el nuevo horario. — Option A could reduce waiting times if enough users used the new schedule.

Use the same criterion across options

Criterion: cost.

• La opción A probablemente tendría el coste más alto. — Option A would probably have the highest cost.
• La opción B tendría un coste inicial menor. — Option B would have a lower initial cost.
• No tenemos datos suficientes sobre el coste de la opción C. — We do not have enough data about the cost of option C.

Do not compare cost for one option and convenience for another as if they were directly equivalent criteria.

Show advantages and reservations together

La opción B es atractiva por su menor coste, pero tengo una reserva: no crea nuevos puestos de estudio. — Option B is attractive because of its lower cost, but I have one reservation: it does not create new study places.

State what information could change the comparison

• Necesitamos saber cuánto costaría contratar personal adicional. — We need to know how much it would cost to hire additional staff.
• También necesitamos datos sobre la demanda de los sábados. — We also need data about Saturday demand.

Write a provisional recommendation

Con la información actual, elegiría probar la opción A durante un periodo limitado, porque es la única que responde directamente a la demanda de la tarde. — With the current information, I would choose to test option A for a limited period because it is the only one that responds directly to afternoon demand.

However, keep the recommendation conditional on the evidence:

Esta recomendación cambiaría si el coste de personal fuera demasiado alto o si una prueba mostrara que la ampliación del horario no reduce las esperas. — This recommendation would change if staffing costs were too high or if a trial showed that extending the hours does not reduce waiting times.

Model comparison

El objetivo es reducir los tiempos de espera por la tarde sin aumentar demasiado el coste. La opción A sería ampliar el horario. Si se ampliara, más estudiantes podrían venir después de clase, pero haría falta más personal. La opción B sería mantener el horario y organizar las salas mediante reservas. Costaría menos al principio, aunque no aumentaría la capacidad. La opción C sería abrir los sábados por la tarde, pero no sabemos cuánta demanda habría ese día. Con los datos actuales, considero más sólida la opción A porque responde directamente a la demanda de la tarde. Sin embargo, antes de tomar una decisión definitiva habría que conocer el coste real de personal. — The objective is to reduce afternoon waiting times without increasing the cost too much. Option A would be to extend the opening hours. If they were extended, more students could come after class, but more staff would be needed. Option B would be to keep the current hours and organize the rooms through bookings. It would cost less initially, although it would not increase capacity. Option C would be to open on Saturday afternoons, but we do not know how much demand there would be that day. With the current data, I consider option A stronger because it responds directly to afternoon demand. However, before making a final decision, the real staffing cost would have to be known.

A practical comparison method

1. State the objective.
2. Choose shared criteria.
3. Describe each option separately.
4. Use conditional and hypothetical forms for expected consequences.
5. Compare benefits and costs using the same criteria.
6. Identify missing information.
7. Give a provisional recommendation and state what could change it.

From Written Comparison to Negotiation

You can now compare alternative courses of action in writing without turning predictions into facts. The next lesson is a speaking task where you negotiate a decision under conflicting constraints.