Jane Lewis, from Woodward-Lewis and Susan Ritchie, an Involve associate and director of Mutual Gain, give an introduction to Positive Deviance – a problem solving approach within communities based on the observation that through their uncommon (or deviant) behaviour some individuals and groups within communities develop better solutions to problems than others – explain how it works and when to use the approach.

1. Positively Deviant
how to change behaviour by acting your way into a
new way of thinking
Sue Ritchie and Jane Lewis

2. Outline
• Current barriers to effective engagement and
community action
• What Positive Deviance is
• What it has achieved – some case studies
• Why it‟s different
• Lessons/inspirations

3. What about…..?
• A change process that happens naturally and
wins and keeps converts?
• Something that uses natural networks, brings
people together and creates a fertile
environment for solving problems?

4. Why are we here?
• Experiential Learning – Students, Council,
LSP, Home Office
• Practice of community „engagement‟
– Communication
– Structure
– Contacts/leaders
– Investment
– Guardians
– Method repetition
– Behavioural change

5. Saving children with no money
http://www.vietvaluetravel.com/vietvalue2010-
images/news/img1/conongdan_737.jpg
http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/countr
y/img/5976_04sh-vietnam-0167.jpg

6. “In every community there are people whose
unusual practices or behaviours enable them
to find better solutions to problems than their
neighbours who have access to the same
resources.”

7. The PD approach
5. Measurement and 6. Scaling up
reinforcement How can we
Have we achieved our aims? expand the PD
Are we still getting better? approach?
4. Sharing the “how” How can we
What can we all do? build on the
How do we do it? results?
3. “Treasure Hunt”
What is the norm? Are there
positive exceptions? What do they
do? How do they do it?
2. Finding the Focus
What is the “right” problem? What is our
desired outcome?
1 Finding the right people/start point
Aligning the exercise to the intent. Who needs to be
involved? Where might we start?

8. Not just a process….
5 step
process
Way of
Tools and
being and
techniques
thinking

9. Key concepts
• Ownership not buy-
in
• The group is the
guru
• Don‟t decide about
me, without me
• Acting your way into
a new way of
thinking
• What and how, not
why

10. Discussion
• Initial reactions
– Intellectual
– Emotional
• Resonance with personal experience?

11. In practice
CASE STUDIES

12. Problem statement
People don’t talk
about domestic
abuse

13. Rock, paper scissors
Pictures courtesy of BGDAS

14. Courtesy of BGDAS

15. Some of the PD traits identified
PD – A PD – B PD – C PD – D
Taxi driver Volunteer Teacher Community
worker
Local Local Not local Local
Family Personal No experience Personal
experience experience experience
No training attended groups Trained in child No training
as client protection
Listens and Listens and Listens and Listens and
refers refers refers refers
Recognises Recognises Recognises Recognises
scale of problem scale of problem scale of problem scale of problem
Extensive local Known well in Community Keen to tell
knowledge community limited to school others and do
something

16. Normal versus PD behaviours
Normal beliefs behaviours PD behaviours (must all be
(presence of one needed) present)
Don't realize the scope of the issue of Realized the scope
DV
Believe they don't know enough about it Didn't feel they needed to solve the
to help issue, but just raised it and listened
non- judgmentally
Are worried they will say the wrong Checked with professional if unsure
thing
Don't know who can help Knew where to sign post people and
encouraged them to seek professional
help

17. Outputs and outcomes
• Big Brother “diary room” set up to replicate
PD features
• Reached over 200 people
• 15% increase in reported incidents of DV
during the period of the pilot

18. BBE Questionnaire results – 57
participants
How easy was the subject to talk about?
4%
16%
23%
very difficult
difficult
easy
very easy
57%

19. Children’s attainment in Gosport
Photo by courtesy of Kirsty Dinnen

20. Finding more time for Hertfordshire Adult
Care Services
Time Taken on Specific Categories During A Day
Logging in at start of day
2.2
1.33
3 Problems with
Iris/Hyperwave/Printers/Soft
ware throughout day
Telephone Calls made that
24.25 were unanswered or led to
further work
Updating Iris or Hyperwave
3
77.59 3 Interruptions by telephone
1.5 calls for other workers or by
workers face to face
Travelling to and from vistis

21. PD and its affinities (work in progress)
Positive
Psychology
Palo Alto
AI
School *
PD
PD
Behavioural Complexity
Science Science
Design
* Solutions focused Thinking
brief therapy

22. “Because making progress on adaptive
problems requires learning, the task of
leadership consists of choreographing and
directing learning processes in an
organisation or community.”
Ronald Heifetz, Leadership without Easy Answers, Chapter 8 – Creative
Deviance on the Frontline

23. Why PD is different
• Not just involvement and participation, ignites
action
• Enquiry to find PD behaviours reaches out
into all parts of the community, is inclusive
and welcoming
• Builds trust, mutual respect and responsibility
• “De-victimises” people
• Changes day-to-day behaviour in day-to-day
ways – doesn‟t depend on new facilities or
people

24. PD delivers
• Confidence
• Hope
• Unexpected ideas and
solutions
• Empowerment
• Initiative
• Effective leverage of
diversity
• Creates an ecosystem
that involves all
stakeholders

25. Lao Tzu said it best
“Go to the people. Live with them.
Learn from them. Appreciate them.
Start with what they know. Build with
what they have. And with the best of
leaders, when the work is done, the
task accomplished, the people will say:
‘We have done this ourselves’.”

26. The PD approach
5. Measurement and 6. Scaling up
reinforcement How can we
Have we achieved our aims? expand the PD
Are we still getting better? approach?
4. Sharing the “how” How can we
What can we all do? build on the
How do we do it? results?
3. “Treasure Hunt”
What is the norm? Are there
positive exceptions? What do they
do? How do they do it?
2. Finding the Focus
What is the “right” problem? What is our
desired outcome?
1 Finding the right people/start point
Aligning the exercise to the intent. Who needs to be
involved? Where might we start?

27. Reading and Contacts
www.woodward-lewis.co.uk
www.mutualgain.org