The CSC is happy to present our next individual impact case study, the latest in our ongoing series highlighting the impactful work of Commonwealth Alumni around the world.
This study features CSC Alumnus Stephen Christopher Johnson, who was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship in 2016 to complete a PhD in International Development at the University of Sussex. Whilst on award, Stephen was inspired by the UK’s approach to evidence-based interventions, and he was determined to replicate this approach in Jamaica. He identifies this as the most significant change he experienced as a result of his Commonwealth Scholarship:
‘You take it for granted how evidence is used in the UK. Almost everything is evidence-based. For me, having first-hand experience of this was the greatest takeaway. I worked on my soft skills, and I was able to use that to negotiate when I came back. I learned how to be nuanced, how to use polite euphemism, rather than saying “that is not working, get rid of it”, saying “the evidence doesn’t back that, let’s take a different approach”.’
Upon his return to Jamaica, Stephen began working with FHI 360 International in collaboration with USAID under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Jamaica’s crime rates have historically been amongst the highest in the world, particularly for the country’s youth. In response to this, the FHI 360 programme focused on the prevention of youth crime and violence by addressing the root causes of crime. The programme was implemented through the application of the Jamaica Risk Assessment Tool, which was used to measure the risk of a young person becoming involved in criminal activity. If a young person was assessed to be at risk, they were connected to a social worker or psychologist and enrolled in various risk-reduction programmes.
Stephen joined the programme as a monitoring and evaluation expert, where he sought to improve the service by suggesting evidence-based changes. One of Stephen’s first suggestions was the introduction of case managers. By conducting an internal comparison of various youth crime and violence prevention programmes, Stephen gathered the evidence needed to advocate for the introduction of case workers into the Jamaican initiative. Subsequent key indicators showed that the involvement of case workers led to a measurable improvement in outcomes for at-risk youth. Stephen feels that his work with FHI 360 is the most significant change that he had brought about in his local community:
‘In terms of the biggest change for me, I think my community, let me start there first. It would be working on the youth crime and violence project. I actually was able to measure and state specifically the type of change that was made in terms of differentiating youths’ lives. These are maybe potentially persons who would have been involved in gangs, who I know are now on a sustainable path where they are now gainfully employed, still employed, and making a difference in their lives.’
Currently, Stephen is working on a new project under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In collaboration with the University of Oxford, he is working to develop the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), an international framework that can be used to measure acute multidimensional poverty. In order to expand the MPI for the Jamaican context, Stephen is working to collate evidence demonstrating the relationship between poverty and the ownership of an internet-capable device. By evidencing this, Stephen hopes that digital poverty will be integrated into the Jamaican government’s approach to poverty reduction and social security.
In addition to his work with USAID and UNDP, Stephen has also been involved in the design and implementation of Jamaica’s National Drug Survey. This survey assesses the prevalence of substance use for individuals aged between 12 and 65 years. The findings of the survey were published in 2024, and were indicative of high-risk patterns of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use across several Jamaican parishes. The survey enabled the Ministry of Health to tailor treatment and prevention strategies in order to ensure that mitigation efforts were focused on the most affected areas, and they were a key factor in the development of Jamaica’s national alcohol and tobacco policy.
Stephen’s work supports two CSC Development themes: Strengthening health systems and capacity, and strengthening global peace, security and governance. His work also contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG 6 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Read Stephen Christopher Johnson’s case study here.
