Positive Deviance
Thriving Against the Odds
THRIVING AGAINST THE ODDS
We are a boutique knowledge, communications and advocacy consultancy on a mission to generate and communicate rigorous knowledge. Knowledge which has the power to drive meaningful change for young children, their families and the social sector more broadly.
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Positive Deviance means to thrive against the odds.
Uncovering and scaling the reasons that some individuals, organisations and systems thrive when the odds are stacked against them is what inspires us.
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Our approach is rooted in authenticity and creativity, defined by empathy.
Proteas grow in landscapes where few plants survive and they bloom most brilliantly after a fire, thereby embodying a spirit of Positive Deviance
WHAT WE DO
At Positive Deviance, we believe that knowledge generation, communication and advocacy go hand in hand.
We support our clients in generating actionable knowledge through rigorous research and ensuring that knowledge does not sit on a shelf but is communicated effectively to relevant audiences in ways that resonate with them.
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We transform complex insights into accessible, innovative, and beautifully crafted outputs—making knowledge engaging and actionable. Our mission is to honour the rigour of research while reimagining how it is communicated, so that ideas spark change, empower communities, and inspire lasting impact.
KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
We connect our clients to the humans they serve through impactful knowledge generation.
COMMUNICATIONS & ADVOCACY
Knowledge is made actionable through communications for impact and advocacy.
EVIDENCE-BASED CONSULTING
We support organisations to turn insight into direction, alignment and action.
Mangroves flourish in saltwater swamps where most plants cannot survive, transforming harsh, hostile environments into thriving ecosystems that protect and sustain life thereby embodying Positive Deviance.
OUR APPROACH
Our approach is rooted in authenticity and creativity, defined by empathy.
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Empathy. We listen with the intent of deeply understanding our clients’ needs, their audiences’ points of view and our research participants’ experiences.
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Authenticity. We are true to ourselves and our values in all we do. We create authentically and ethically, ensuring maximum impact for our clients and society more broadly.
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Creativity. For us, knowledge generation, communications and advocacy are all creative pursuits. We combine rigour with imagination, ensuring that the knowledge we generate is not only accurate and reliable, but also engaging, beautiful, and actionable.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
From lived experience to actionable insight.
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Decisions that shape the lives of children, families, and communities are only as strong as the insights behind them. Policies and programmes must respond to real, lived experiences in current fast-changing contexts where timely, locally grounded data is limited. At the same time, advances in AI are increasing this demand for high-quality, real-time inputs that reflect actual human realities.
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At Positive Deviance, we address these challenges by:
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Connecting organisations and entities directly to children, families, and others in the social sector, through rigorous, context-specific knowledge generation.
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Translating knowledge into clear, actionable insights through strategic communication for advocacy and impact.
Baobab trees not only withstand but thrive in some of the driest landscapes on earth. They store vast reservoirs of water in their massive trunks and live for thousands of years. They are Positive Deviance.