National Guideline on implementing mentoring programs

Transcription

1 National Guideline on implementing mentoring programs National guideline - April 2013

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3 Notice Disclaimer Engineers Canada s national guidelines, model guides, and white papers were developed by engineers in collaboration with the provincial and territorial engineering regulators. They are intended to promote consistent practices across the country. They are not regulations or rules; they seek to define or explain discrete topics related to the practice and regulation of professional engineering in Canada. The national guidelines, model guides, and white papers do not establish a legal standard of care or conduct, and they do not include or constitute legal or professional advice. In Canada, engineering is regulated under provincial and territorial law by the engineering regulators. The recommendations contained in the national guidelines, model guides and white papers may be adopted by the engineering regulators in whole, in part, or not at all. The ultimate authority regarding the propriety of any specific practice or course of conduct lies with the engineering regulator in the province or territory where the engineer works, or intends to work. About this Guideline This national guideline was prepared by the Qualifications Board (QB) and provides guidance to regulators in consultation with them. Readers are encouraged to consult their regulators related engineering acts, regulations and bylaws in conjunction with this guideline. About Engineers Canada Engineers Canada is the national organization of the provincial and territorial associations that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada and license the country's 290,000 members of the engineering profession. About the Qualifications Board QB is a committee of the Engineers Canada Board and is a volunteer-based organization that provides national leadership and recommendations to regulators on the practice of engineering in Canada by:» developing new national guidelines, model guides, and white papers on admission, training, practice and new areas of practice in Canada as well as maintaining the existing national guidelines and model guides;» developing and maintaining syllabi for the assessment of international engineering graduates;» organizing national events where professionals in similar areas of work can share information on similar issues as well as best practices; and» conducting research, monitoring and providing advice on key issues and trends for Engineers Canada and regulators. 1 Introduction to mentoring programs Within the engineering profession, the term mentor has several possible meanings: 1. An individual who takes technical responsibility for the work of an engineer-in-training when that engineer-intraining does not have a P.Eng. in their workplace. 2. An individual who guides an engineer-in-training towards licensure during their formation period. 3. An experienced individual who supports the professional and personal growth of a less-experienced individual (the mentee). This guideline considers the third and most general definition, in acknowledgement of the fact that mentoring can provide benefits at any point in an engineering career, not only during the engineer-in-training period. The term mentee is also used in its most general sense. This refers to any individual who is looking for the guidance with their career. These may be engineers-in-training, engineers or any other type of licence holder. The purpose of this guideline is to provide recommendations on how to implement and run a mentoring program, for the regulators who wish to introduce one. In particular, this guideline is focused on programs that support formal mentoring relationships: i.e. those which are structured and include written records of goals and achievements. 1.1 Purpose of mentoring programs The purpose of the mentoring program is to encourage the development and growth of less experienced members. Mentoring appeals to a wide range of individuals, and offering such a program is one way of providing service to members and 3

4 encouraging them to get involved with their regulator. 1.2 Benefits of mentoring programs Mentoring assists the mentee in developing skills that would otherwise be learned through trial and error. This provides benefits to many parties including the mentee, their employer, the mentor and the engineering regulator. For the mentee this may include access to a network of professionals, or a confidante to share professional goals with. For the mentor it may provide confidence and an opportunity to give to the professional community. For the regulator, the mentoring relationship provides an opportunity for the mentee to learn about the regulator and its role. In addition, the mentee learns the value and benefit of volunteerism within the engineering profession. Within the context of professional licensure, in the case where the mentee is an engineer-in-training, the mentoring relationship can also be a place where the mentee learns about the real-life application of professional ethics and the role of the engineer at work and in society. Further, the mentor can provide guidance to the mentee on obtaining and reporting on acceptable engineering work experience. 2 Key components of a mentoring program Before starting work on creating a new mentoring program, it is helpful to review the best practices for the creation and maintenance of mentoring programs. The EMT Group, Inc. ( has published a list of Quality Assurance Standards for youth mentoring programs. These standards cover the major aspect that should be integrated into a mentoring program. Key components of these standards are equally applicable to professional mentoring programs. They state that every program should include: 1. a statement of purpose and a long range plan; 2. a recruitment plan for mentors and mentees; 3. a training curriculum for mentors and mentees; 4. a matching strategy; 5. a monitoring process; 6. a support, recognition and retention component; 7. closure steps; and 8. an evaluation process. This guideline attempts to provide input for each of these components, to help the regulators build successful and sustainable mentoring programs. The complete copy of the EMT Group s guideline on Starting a Mentoring Program is included in Appendix A. This example is general in nature, and may provide a good overview for those who are starting new programs. 3 Program resources The following section details some of the resources that will be required in order to launch a successful mentoring program. 3.1 Program guideline The guideline should explain what the mentoring program is all about, and provide information for mentors and mentees on what to expect if they become involved. It should provide an overview of the purpose, the structure and expectations of the program and the expected outcomes. Here are useful resources for regulators who wish to develop a guideline:» National guideline for mentoring programs» APEGA Strategies for Success in Mentoring; a handbook for mentors and protégés PEO Mentee Guide and Mentor Guide, available on request» Zachary, Lois J., The Mentor s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, Jossey-Bass, ISBN-10: , ISBN-13: » Zachary, Lois J., Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization s Guide, Jossey-Bass, ISBN-10: , ISBN-13: » Zachary, Lois J., The Mentee s Guide: Making Mentoring Work For You, Jossey-Bass, ISBN-10: , ISBN-13:

5 3.2 Program forms For a structured mentoring relationship, forms are necessary to help the mentoring pair track established goals, track their progress and document their successes. These forms should be readily available to any potential participants, for example through a website. Examples can be found in the National guideline for mentoring programs. Resources:» National guideline for mentoring programs» APEGA Strategies for Success in Mentoring; a handbook for mentors and protégés [3] 3.3 Program website A public website should be established to provide general information about the program, such as the guideline, benefits of mentoring, time commitments, how to get involved, a registration portal, etc. In addition, it may be helpful to create a private website for those who are participating in the program. This would provide a place for the program coordinator to share general information such as upcoming events, key dates for the program, or contact information, and could also serve as a place for mentor/mentee pairs to communicate online, if desired. 3.4 Personnel support The required budget and number of support personnel will vary based on the number of participants and the size and extent of the mentoring program. Normally one person will be required to dedicate anywhere from 30% to 100% of their time to the monitoring and maintenance of the program. This could include time required to support any online tools that are used (as mentioned in Section 4.3). It can also be an advantage to have a committee of member-volunteers who can assist with program direction and goals. There are several potential roles for such a committee:» initial assistance to plan and launch the program;» ongoing assistance to help find mentors;» ongoing assistance to help match mentors and mentees; and» ongoing assistance to plan mentoring-related events. What role the committee plays will depend on the size of the regulator and on the extent of the program itself. In larger regulators, regional coordinators may also be required to facilitate activities at a distance. The majority of the time and effort are required during the up-front planning stage. After the program is running, each time the program is opened up and the process of matching mentors and mentees is initiated, there will be additional work, but monitoring established pairs should require less effort. 4 Implementation strategy 4.1 Work plan To keep track of any new undertaking, it is helpful to have a list of planned activities and their status. The following work plan example shows recommended activities: # Activities Responsible Due date Status 1.0 Program planning 1.1 Decide on mentoring program type and purpose (formal vs. informal, remote vs. face-to-face, for purposes of licensure or not, length of mentoring round, etc.) 1.2 Appoint a Mentorship Coordinator 1.3 Mentorship Coordinator to contact the other program coordinators for lessons learned 5

6 1.4 Determine program costs considering staff time, matching software (if any), training events, recruitment, social events 2.0 Buy in 2.1 Obtain approval to implement the Mentorship Program 2.2 Form a Mentorship Committee of volunteers 3.0 Program development Develop list of mandatory session and documents for the program (if launching a formal program) [1] Develop program guide (a generic explanation of the program and its purpose) Develop forms for mentors and mentees (see National guideline for mentoring programs) Develop agenda and materials for training workshops for mentors and mentees 3.5 Develop criteria for participation 3.6 Develop a communication plan Develop public website to publicize the program and its objectives, including a registration portal Develop private website for mentors and mentees to exchange information, and for the regulator to provide guidance and forms 4.0 Pre-launch planning Identify potential dates/places: 4.1» Social event to solicit potential Mentors (optional)» Training workshop for mentors and mentees» Initial meet and greet between mentors and mentees Recruit participants ( , phone calls, newsletter, networking, website, outreach events, etc.) Monitor number of mentor/mentee applicants, and start initial matching process 5.0 Launch the program 5.1 Schedule the training session 5.2 Match mentors with mentees, sign agreements [2] 5.3 to inform the matches, include next steps 5.4 Hold the training session 6.0 Post-launch activities 6.1 As per request from mentors/mentees reassigning of mentors and mentees 6.2 Mentor/mentee mid-point feedback request 6.3 Mentor/mentee mid-point feedback review 6.4 Mentor/mentee feedback/appreciation meeting 6

7 7.0 Program evaluation 7.1 Summarize feedback from feedback sessions, lessons learned or surveys, etc. (adjust program as required) 7.2 Share feedback with other coordinators 7.3 Keep statistics regarding participation rates, mentor/mentee satisfaction, feedback, etc. 4.2 Communications When the program is being initially advertised, a variety of communication channels should be considered from the program coordinator to the membership. This includes newsletters, the regulator s website, outreach events and personal communications by phone and/or . Once the program is up and running, is typically the most efficient form of communication to the mentoring pairs. It may also be effective to set up an online forum or message board where program participants can exchange information, look for tips or guidance and ask questions. For the actual mentoring relationships, most mentors and mentees prefer and receive the most benefit from face-to-face communication. 4.3 Training Face-to-face training is beneficial for both mentors and mentees, and mandatory training is recommended at the beginning of each mentoring round in order to get best results from the mentoring program. In general, both mentors and mentees will need training regarding:» program purpose;» code of conduct for mentoring relationships;» expectations on required reporting, meetings and time commitments;» roles and responsibilities; and» tips for a successful relationship and awareness about common pitfalls. More specific and detailed training is useful for the mentors. This training should focus on two areas:» Facilitation of the mentoring sessions: the interpersonal communication skills required to get the most out of a mentoring relationship.» Content of the mentoring program: the discipline- or program-specific knowledge required to meet your program s purpose (e.g. how does the licensure process work?). Interpersonal communication skills might include information on:» how to be a good listener;» identifying barriers to communication;» building rapport and empathy;» active listening;» asking appropriate questions; and» strategies for the initial meeting. Some mentors are likely to find these skills relatively easy. Others will require more guidance, and may appreciate specific wording of what to say during their first contact with their mentees. This section of the training could also include some case studies or example scenarios to provide practical advice on how to act as a mentor. It is imperative that both mentors and mentees are provided with written material (guides) that build on the training session. This way they will have material that they can refer to between initial training and their first meeting. It may also be beneficial to provide ongoing training to help participants gain new skills and techniques that could improve the outcomes of each 7

8 mentoring relationship. Resources and examples of mentoring program guides are listed in Sections 4.1 and Matching mentors and mentees Matching mentors and mentees is a time-consuming process that needs to consider many inputs. Typically, mentees are asked to provide preferences for a mentor profile. This could include things such as gender, age ranges and/or years of experience, culture, physical proximity, preferred meeting times, field of practice, other interests, etc. Research indicates that mentoring relationships are most successful when mentees have some say in choosing their mentors. This can be accomplished through a statement of preferences or even more directly, by allowing mentees to choose between a few options, pre-selected by the Mentoring Coordinator. Three possible ways to accomplish the matching are:» The program coordinator can be responsible for this task. APEGA has had positive experience with this approach. Contact them directly for more information.» The committee can assist the program coordinator with this role. APEGBC has had positive experience with this approach. Contact them directly for more information.» Software can be used which will match pairs based on criteria provided by the individuals. PEO has had positive experience with this approach. Contact them directly for more information. It is normal for mentors to be in short supply, so some may be asked to work with more than one mentee. The recruitment of mentors is best supported by a formal plan, but many times simple networking and word-of-mouth yield the best results. It is important that mentors are recognized and thanked through an appreciation event, mentoring awards or even simple things like credit towards their continuing professional development requirements. 5.5 Success measures and continuous improvement Success for a mentoring program can be measured on two levels: the success of individual mentoring pairs and the overall success of the program. At the individual level, success is defined by each pair. It could include: licensure, developing a network, having a sounding board, getting support/guidance. The clearest way to measure this is through program reports and final feedback (surveys, face-to-face, etc.). At the program level, it is possible to measure things such as: licensure (if this is the purpose of the program), number of participants, length of relationships, time to match, or others. Measuring these criteria is a much simpler process of pure information gathering. For both types of success measures, improvements can only be made if good records are kept from year to year, and these statistics are tracked and analysed. Monitoring the program allows for the continuous improvement that is necessary for its sustainability. This is facilitated by having fixed timing for the mentoring rounds and structured reporting from each mentoring pair. 5 Conclusion In the end, the specifics of any mentoring program will be dictated by the purpose that the regulator sets for its program, the resources available to run the program, and the number of members in participating in the program. Mentoring programs with varying purposes and sizes have been launched at APEGBC, APEGA, PEO, OIQ, Engineers Nova Scotia and PEGNL. Contacting the program managers at these regulators will be the best source of information and guidance. 6 Definitions Formal mentoring relationship: A structured relationship with set meeting times, expectations, and written records of goals and achievements Goal: The long-term vision of what an individual would like to accomplish. Each goal consists of several objectives that are the smaller steps required to achieve a goal. Mentee: A less-experienced individual who benefits from the guidance of a more-experienced mentor. 8

9 Mentor: A more experienced guide, counsellor or coach who fosters the development of a mentee. Objective: The small steps required to achieve a goal. They should be specific and measurable. Endnotes [1] In a formal program mandatory items could include self-assessment, goals and objectives, etc. See examples in the National guideline for mentoring programs [2] This could include a mentoring agreement between the mentee and mentor as well as a mentoring plan. See examples in the National guideline for mentoring programs [3] 9