1. Positive Deviance Approach
For Behavior & Social Change
Funded through the Ford Foundation
Tufts University

2. The P o w e r
of Positive Deviance
Solutions before our very eyes
The Premise:
In every community there are certain individuals whose uncommon
practices/behaviors enable them to find better solutions to problems
than their neighbors who have access to the same resources

3. Positive Deviance (PD)
Approach
• Identifying Solutions to Community
Problems Within the Community Today
The Key Question?
What enables some members of the community
(the “Positive Deviants”) to find better solutions
to pervasive problems than their neighbors who have
access to the same resources?

4. e Dev iance
P ositiv
In quiry
Establishes community behavioral norms related to
the problem to be addressed
Enables community to discover successful uncommon
behaviors/ strategies practiced by the Positive
Deviants

5. Find ings
lyzing PD
A na
rs
avi o
s
or
vi
Beh
ha
Be
PD
rs
vio
PDI findings are passed through a Be
ha
conceptual “accessibility sieve”
Only those behaviors/strategies
Ac
Ac
ce
ce
ss
ssi
accessible to all are kept
ib
bll
et
et
ooA
All
ll
The rest are “TBU,” True but Useless (i.e. not
accessible to all) and are discarded

6. Focus on PD Behavior
• We can’t (yet) clone people
• But we can adopt their successful
behaviors/strategies

7. PD Focus on Practice Rather than
Knowledge
“It’s easier to ACT your way into a new way of THINKING, than to
THINK your way into a new way of ACTING”

8. PD Enables us to Act TODAY
Although most problems have complex, interlinked underlying
causes . . .
The presence of Positive Deviants demonstrates that it is possible to
find successful solutions TODAY before all the underlying causes
are addressed!

9. D
The Four Ds of Positive Deviance Approach
D
D

10. De fin e Define
Defin
e
• Define the problem, its perceived causes and related
current practices (situation analysis)
• Define what a successful outcome would look like
(described as a behavioral or status outcome)

11. e term ine
D
• Determine if there are any individuals or entities in
community who ALREADY exhibit desired behavior
or status (PD identification)

12. Di scover
• Discover uncommon practices/behaviors enabling the
PDs to outperform/find better solutions to the problem
than others in their “community”

13. D esign
• Design and implement intervention enabling others in
“community” to access and PRACTICE new behaviors
(focus on “doing” rather than transfer of knowledge)

14. Positive Deviance Process
Design
Discover
Determine
Define

15. Traditional vs PD Problem Solving Approach
Traditional PD
Flows from problem analysis Flows from identification
towards solution and analysis of successful
solution to problem solving
Perceived Problem Parameters
Perceived Problem Parameters
Actual Problem
Actual Problem
Parameters
Fixed
Parameters Expanded
Solution
Expanded Solution
Solution Space
Space
Space
Perceived Problem Parameters
Actual Problem
Parameters

16. PD: Crossing The
“Knowledge/Behavior Change
Gap”
•Social proof
ge •Perceived •Opportunity Behavior
l ed advantage for practice
change
ow
Kn

17. TRADITIONAL VS POSITIVE DEVIANCE
PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH
TRADITIONAL POSITIVE DEVIANCE
Externally Fueled (by “experts” or Internally Fueled (by “people like
internal authority) us”, same culture and resources)
Top-down, Outside-in Down-up, Inside-out
Deficit Based “What’s wrong here?” Asset Based “What’s right here?”
Begins with analysis of underlying Begins with analysis of demonstrably
causes of PROBLEM successful SOLUTIONS
Solution Space limited by perceived Solution Space enlarged through
problem parameters discovery of actual parameters
Triggers Immune System “defense Bypasses Immune System (solution
response” shares same “DNA” as host)

18. PD and Attributes Dictating
“Speed of Adoption of Innovation”
Diffusion Attributes PD Behavior Innovation
• relative advantage • identified as “advantageous”
• compatibility • created within cultural context
• complexity • Requires no special resources
• triability • opportunity to practice
• observability • through PDI and personal
experience
Everett Rogers “Diffusion of Innovation”

19. PD & The Diffusion of Innovation Life-Cycle
Community
Thereby jumping the
participates in
“early adopters/early
discovery of
majority” chasm
innovation
Geoffrey A Moore. Crossing the Chasm.

20. Current Applications of Positive Deviance
Programmatic context Countries
Childhood development & More than 40 countries throughout
Malnutrition (PD/Hearth) the world
HIV/AIDS risk reduction Myanmar, Indonesia, Viet Nam
Antenatal care, Maternal & Egypt, Pakistan
Newborn Care, Breastfeeding Viet Nam
Female Genital Cutting Egypt
Girl Trafficking Indonesia, Nepal
Education Issues Argentina, US (NSDC)
Quality of Health Care US
(Waterbury Hospital, Connecticut)