Request for Applications

Positive Deviance Inquiry Subcontract

Application Information

To apply, please submit the items listed below to InfoJamaica@democracyinternational.com on or before the submission deadline.

1. short proposal of approach with an initial research methodology (<5 pages)

2. a portfolio of previous work

3. resumes for the lead researcher and main assistants outlining their roles and functions

4. a price for each deliverable and an overall detailed budget

DI will only contact candidates of interest. The submission deadline is December 15, 2022 at 5:00pm (17:00).

Background:

Crime and violence in Jamaica are ongoing, resulting in a deluge of increasing problems. According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force, there were 1,463 murders in Jamaica in 2021, an increase of 10.6% from 2020. The murder rate for the first five months of 2022 is 6.5% above the 2021 rate for the same period. The Government of Jamaica has established a list of “hotspot” communities, those with the highest rates of crime and violence. A recent needs assessment conducted for the Ministry of National Security’s Citizens Security Secretariat (CSS) points to the need for psychosocial support and case management for children, youth, and victims of gender-based violence in five Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs), or communities deemed at the highest risk in Jamaica.

In these circumstances sub-cultures supporting and normalizing deviant behaviour have emerged and are pervasive, increasing the likelihood of young persons growing up in these communities adopting these behaviours and sub-cultures. However, many people in these communities have resisted the buffeting of risk factors and pressures of the deviant sub-culture. It is established that positive variations exist, and anecdotal evidence suggests that there are bright spots within the hotspots, persons who despite living in the same conditions as others and with access to the same resources (or the same lack of access to resources), positively deviate from the norms and achieve better outcomes than their peers. Additionally, bright spots can exist beyond the individual and family levels and may also be present at the peer, school, and wider community levels. Practices and approaches implemented by persons such as caregivers, teachers, coaches, community leaders, mentors, police officers and others, can also be the key elements in creating these positive variations for youth and other community members. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Positive Pathways Activity in Jamaica, implemented by Democracy International (DI) Inc., is a five-year activity that aims to build community and family resilience to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence. Through a community-driven approach, Positive Pathways strengthens the capacity of parents, caregivers, and communities to leverage economic and social resources to prevent youth violence, while establishing pathway programs to build the resilience of youth at risk of involvement in crime and violence.

To realize this goal, Positive Pathways seeks to award a subcontract to an institution with a proven track record in research, to carry out a systematic Positive Deviance (PD) inquiry to identify replicable positive deviant practices and behaviours.

Positive Deviance practices are often associated with individuals, families, and institutions that have positive outcomes that are not the norm in communities exposed to significant risk factors for violence and which also demonstrate sub-cultures supporting and normalizing deviant behaviour. It is possible to conclude that persons raised and living in these environments are likely exposed to significantly more risk factors for violence and at greater levels of intensity than those living in other communities.

The essential elements being addressed by this contract is to find those practices and approaches (bright spots) that are often “hidden in plain view” associated with protection against risk factors for violence and which promote resilience at the various ecological levels of the individual, family, peer, school, and community levels that when used consistently help prevent or mitigate violence or rehabilitate persons formally practicing violence.

Objective:

Prevention of violence in Jamaican communities is the primary goal of the USAID Positive Pathways Program. The specific objective of this contract is twofold: (1) Carry out a systematic Positive Deviance inquiry. The inquiry will seek to identify replicable practices and behaviours of individuals, families, and institutions that lead to positive outcomes even while they live and operate within communities exposed to significant risk factors for violence and which demonstrate sub-cultures that support and normalize deviant behaviour. (2) Provide technical inputs from the research findings to support community brainstorming workshops on methods for preventing and mitigating violent behaviours, utilizing only the resources that are readily available to members of the communities. These workshops, which will be organized by Positive Pathways Community of Practice (COP), will use elements of improvisational and Forum Theatre to help the community members to pinpoint changes in behaviour that would lead to systematic improvements in their community. These approaches will be validated through community inputs and conversations.

Tasks:

The USAID Positive Deviance Inquiry subcontract is looking for a local institution with research training and experience interested in the application of social and behavioural science to violence prevention and promoting positive youth development.

The institution is expected to carry out research in three diverse and representative communities and parishes chosen from the 12 USAID Positive Pathways target hotspot communities and four parishes to identify practices and behaviours that can be replicated to prevent or reduce violence and crime.

The inquiry should: (1) identify “bright spots in the hotspots”; (2) gain a deep understanding of what enables these bright spots to achieve better outcomes; (3) identify the positive deviance behaviours and practices that enable the bright spots; (4) work with the hotspot communities and a Positive Deviance Community of Practice (COP) that has been established by Positive Pathways, to formulate specific guidance on how these positive deviance behaviours and practices can be replicated by others living in similar situations; and, (5) provide technical inputs, based on research findings, to at least two community brainstorm workshops to promote findings and encourage positive deviance thinking in communities.

The institution must partner and collaborate with reputable local level organizations to ensure local ownership within the hotspot communities. The institution chosen will prepare a research plan and conduct field research activities following a minimum two-day deep dive workshop into Positive Deviance principles guided by the USAID Positive Pathways team including their Positive Deviance expert consultant. Later the institution will be required to conduct a 1.5-day participatory research technical training activity or series of activities (supported by the PD Expert and a member of the Community of Practice) in each research site. The purpose of these activities is to ensure that the inquiry is being conducted within the positive deviance guidance, including strong community participation in the inquiry, and should not limited to “subjects only.”

The inquiry should focus on what exists within each hotspot community and not what is needed. Researchers should study individuals and organizations in depth using qualitative methods (subject and key informant interviews, simple ethnographies, shadowing, etc.) to identify the uncommon positive deviant practices and behaviours that result in positive outcomes for themselves or others.

One of the results of inquiries will be the identification of “positive deviants” i.e., the individuals and organizations whose behaviours, practices, and systems that they have established or influenced to achieve positive outcomes for themselves or for others whom they influence. From these inquiries and observations, the firm will develop a set of recommendations and guidelines for replicating the uncommon and existing positive deviant behaviours, as well as new behaviours generated through the various methodologies including theatre, validated with community inputs.

Grant activities must be focused in 3 of the following communities:

• Kingston & St. Andrew - Jones Town, Hannah Town, Denham Town

• St. James - Flanker, Norwood, Salt Spring

• St. Catherine - Naggo Head, Gregory Park, New Land

• Clarendon - May Pen, Effortville, Palmers Cross

In the selection of the communities, one community from each of the target areas of Kingston and St. Andrew and St. James must be included.

Supported by data and evidence of the effectiveness of the behaviours and activities of Positive Deviants, the institution is expected to ensure that activities contribute to the body of knowledge of what works in preventing violence in Jamaican communities. The institution along with the Positive Pathway Program will host a dissemination workshop to include key institutions and individuals well placed to adopt, implement, or influence the adoption of the practices, systems established, and behaviours found during the inquiry to be associated with Positive Deviants.

The institution selected will work in close coordination and in full partnership with the USAID Positive Pathways team including our Positive Deviance expert consultant. The work of the institution will also be subject to periodic oversight by a Positive Deviance Community of Practice, a group of Jamaican professionals interested and committed to the continued use of the Positive Deviance approach for addressing social challenges within Jamaica that has been established by Positive Pathways. The institution shall keep Positive Pathways appraised of progress and challenges and any suggested adjustments to the work plan.

Timeline:

The timeline for this scope of work is 9 months.

Budget:

Please provide pricing per deliverable and a corresponding detailed budget. The detailed budget may include labor by position, fees, and/or any other costs associated with these items.

Deliverables:

-Inception report including evidence of completion of the two-day deep-dive workshop with the PD consultant, communities selected, research methodology and workplan.

-First Progress Report as per agreed upon outline including: • Evidence of completion of at least one of the 1.5-day participatory research technical training activities. • Summaries and participant attendance lists for all trainings and all inquiry activities conducted. • Clippings of media coverage, and sample communications products (if any)

-Second Progress Report as per agreed upon outline including: • Evidence of completion of two additional 1.5-day participatory research technical training activities. • Summaries and participant attendance lists for all trainings and all inquiry activities conducted • Clippings of media coverage, and sample communications products (if any)

-Draft Inquires Completion Report and Findings that includes: • Draft final report for DI review including: an executive summary: a demographic description of participants; the methodology applied to the inquiry; the firm’s activities; detailed descriptions and analysis of the findings; and any notable successes or challenges faced during conduct of the inquiry. •Report on technical inputs, based on research findings, for at least two Improvisational and Forum Theatre activities with findings and recommendations related to violence prevention.

-Final report

-Present findings and recommendations in a dissemination event organized and sponsored by USAID Positive Pathways.

This is an illustrative list, which may be further revised or expanded during the Co-Creation Workshop.

NOTE: As part of the negotiations with the successful applicant, Positive Pathways and the Positive Deviance firm will further define milestones and deliverables. The negotiation period may include refinement to the methodology and work plan, without altering the program description, based on information gathered from the Positive Deviance firm, the Positive Pathways staff, and other Positive Pathways associated social and behavioural science experts. Safety and the COVID-19 situation in each community will also be considered.

Evaluation:

Applications will be evaluated to determine which presents the best value to DI, specifically considering the following areas:

• Experience in social research

• Experience in planning and executing research, ideally in underserved communities

• Experience in the design and application of research using qualitative methods (subject and key informant in-depth interviews, simple ethnographies, shadowing, etc.)

• Quality of previous research reports

• Demonstrated willingness and capacity to learn and apply the positive deviance research approach

• Approach demonstrates commitment to gaining community-level perspective and buy-in

• Price