Positive Deviance
Use this lens when it best clarifies the decision, behaviour or system condition you are trying to understand.
Positive Deviance vs Asset-Based Community Development
How to choose between positive deviance and ABCD when working with community strengths and uncommon success.
ABCD
Use this lens when it better fits the level of action, evidence or participation challenge in front of you.
Decision guide
Main questionPositive deviance asks who is achieving unusually good outcomes despite similar constraints. ABCD asks what assets, associations and capacities already exist.
Best useUse positive deviance for behaviour and condition discovery. Use ABCD for community asset mapping and local mobilisation.
Combine themMap assets first, then investigate whether some people or groups are using those assets in unusually effective ways.
CautionNeither approach should be used to ignore inequality, funding gaps or structural barriers.