Central to Success - The Mentoring Coorindator

Any mentoring program needs a co-ordinator. Someone within the organisation who is the central point of contact is essential. This person is someone who:


People can call with their questions;
Participants and mentors can contact for support;
Liases with senior levels of management and reports on the mentoring program;
Organises program logistics and communication throughout the organisation; and,
Manages external service-providers.

The role of mentoring co-ordinator is not assigned lightly. A mentoring program is designed to have significant, strategic outcomes for the organisation. The mentoring co-ordinator is the project manager responsible for co-ordinating all of the activities that will make or break the mentoring program. So choosing the right person for the job is critical.

The job is not merely to be added to someone's existing workload. The tasks take time; building relationships with participants and mentors and communicating takes time; overall management and reporting takes time. So time needs to be allocated. The amount of time depends on the size and scope of the program. A pilot program will need more time per person than a well-established program.

Co-ordination could be done by a team, with tasks shared but a team-leader will needed to ensure that each team-member fulfils his or her responsibilities. Alternatively, the role could be split. A competent administrative assistant could take care of logistics while another person handles interpersonal communication and management of the program. In any case, the role needs to be clearly defined and appropriate authority and accountability designated.

The co-ordinator will arrange such things as pre-program promotion within the organization, an information package for potential participants and the method of selecting and matching mentoring partners. They will organise events such as workshops, networking and review sessions. Most importantly, they will follow-up and stay in touch with all participants to maintain their enthusiasm and deal with any difficulties. Finally, the co-ordinator will administer the evaluation process and report results.

A documented plan for the mentoring program will help the co-ordinator do their job. It is useful to engage stakeholders in planning the program. An inclusive process not only gathers valuable input but also minimises the possibility of obstruction. A plan for your mentoring program will specify the objectives, activities and timeline for the program.

The old saying: "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail" may be true. But, it is the mentoring program co-ordinator who will implement the plan and ensure that the mentoring works.

This article is drawn from Rolfe, A. (2006) How To Design And Run Your Own Mentoring Program. Mentoring Works. You can purchase on-line now www.mentoring-works.com.

To download the free resource: The Co-ordinator's Checklist click here.