Positive Deviance Approach for Behavior and Social Change

Positive Deviance Approach for Behavior and Social Change From the Inside Out Tufts University, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation

2

The Power of Positive Deviance Solutions before our very eyes v. In every community or organization there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon practices/behaviors enable them to find better solutions to problems than their neighbors or colleagues who have access to the same resources 3

Positive Deviance (PD) Approach v. The very people “whose behavior needs to change to solve the problem” identify existing solutions from within v. Thereby suppressing the “immune rejection response” 4

5

PD for advocacy against FGM-Female Circumcision-Egypt 6

Define the Problem Define desired outcome (described as a behavioral or status outcome) 7

Determine If there any individuals or entities in the community who ALREADY exhibit desired behavior or status (PD identification) 8

Discover (through a PD Inquiry) Uncommon behaviors or strategies enabling the PDs to outperform/find better solutions to the problem than others in their “community” 9

Develop & Implement local initiatives and opportunities for others in the “community” to PRACTICE new behaviors and CREATE new solutions 10

Positive Deviance Inquiry v. Enables community to discover successful uncommon behaviors/ strategies practiced by the Positive Deviants 11

Focus on PD Behavior We can’t (yet) clone people 12 Photo Source: Sternin J and Choo R. The Power of Positive Deviance. Harvard Business Review, January-February 2000: 14 -15

But we can adopt their successful behaviors/strategies Photo Source: Sternin J and Choo R. The Power of Positive Deviance. Harvard Business Review, January-February 2000: 14 -15

Analyzing PD Findings PDI findings are passed through a conceptual “accessibility sieve” v. Only those behaviors/strategies accessible to all are kept v. The rest are “TBU, ” True but Useless (i. e. not accessible to all) and are discarded 14

PD Focus on Practice Rather than Knowledge v “It’s easier to ACT your way into a new way of THINKING, than to THINK your way into a new way of ACTING” 15

When to use the PD approach v Problem requires behavioral or/and social change (adaptive challenges versus technical challenges) v Seemingly “intractable” problem – compelling enough to require a new approach v Presence of Positive Deviants (individuals/ groups exhibiting desired outcome) v Leadership commitment to address issue : “PD champions” v Skilled facilitation 16

MRSA Prevention & Eradication 17

PD ~ a Network Phenomenon 2005 VA Pittsburgh 2007 18

SPECIAL FEATURES 19 Source: http: //www. funnyhub. com/pictures/pages/portable-outhouse. html

LATENT POSITIVE DEVIANCE PD PROCESS UNCOVERS EXISTING PD PRACTICES & CREATES CLIMATE WHERE NEW SOLUTIONS EMERGE 20

PD Enables us to Act TODAY The presence of Positive Deviants demonstrates that it is possible to find successful solutions TODAY before all the underlying causes are addressed 21

Traditional vs PD Problem Solving Approach Flows from problem analysis towards solution Flows from identification and analysis of successful solution to solving the problem Fixed Solution Space Perceived Problem Parameters PD Perceived Problem Parameters Traditional Perceived Problem Parameters Actual Problem Parameters Expanded Solution Space Actual Problem Parameters 22

PD - Complex Adaptive System Through addressing a discrete part of a complex problem (. . a fractal of the whole) … we impact all the underlying structural issues. 23

Bridging the “Knowing / Doing” Gap Self Discovery Social Proof Practice KNOWING DOING

Current Applications of Positive Deviance Programmatic context Countries Childhood development & Malnutrition (PD/Hearth) > 40 countries throughout the world HIV/AIDS risk reduction Myanmar, Indonesia, Viet Nam, West Africa Antenatal care, Maternal & Newborn Care, Breastfeeding Egypt, Pakistan Viet Nam, French Guinea, Sierra Leone Female Genital Cutting Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia Girl Trafficking Indonesia, Nepal Education Issues Argentina, Ethiopia, US Patient Safety & Quality of Care, Medication Reconciliation, conflict resolution US: hospitals, VA Health System, HIS Minn; Colombia Corporate: Management, “Diversity” and US, Mexico Sales 25

Thanks! Questions? 26