Report

Positive Deviance and Anticipatory Action in Risk Communication and Community Engagement Solution Design

Published 27. Mar 2026
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In every crisis-affected community, some households manage risk better than others, despite facing the same constraints and having access to the same resources.

Positive Deviance (PD) is an approach that identifies these outliers and uses their strategies to improve outcomes for others. It is practical, low-cost, and grounded in what communities already know.

This discussion paper argues that NORCAP should integrate PD into its Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) work, particularly in three areas: Anticipatory Action (AA), Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), and Cash and Voucher Programming.