Wondering what you should you consider before setting up your mentoring scheme? You’ve come to the right place. Read on to discover SUMAC’s ultimate scheme design checklist

1.   Why are you setting up a scheme (what are the drivers)?

2.   What is the strategic purpose of the scheme (in the long term what does the organisation wish to achieve)?

3.   What are the tactical objectives of the scheme (what will the participants gain)?

4.   Who is the scheme aimed at (who will be the mentors and who will be the mentees)?

5.   What will be the eligibility criteria for mentors and mentees?

6.   What is your overall process flow in terms of accepting applicants, matching, offering and confirming partnerships, training/briefing, support, monitoring, evaluation/feedback and closing partnerships?

7.   What will your timescales be (will you have a rolling scheme and accept applications at any time, or will you run on a cyclical basis)?

8.   What documentation will you produce (web content, guidance notes, handbooks etc)?

9.   How will you publicise and promote the scheme?

10.   What information will you need from applicants in order to manage the process, make good matches, and monitor progress?

11.   How will you manage the application process?

12.   Who will do the matching?

13.   How will you communicate with your members?

14.   What briefing or training will you provide for mentors and mentees (such as social networking, helpline, expert mentor and other resources)?

15.   What will you do to promote a sense of community across your scheme membership?

16.   How will you monitor the progress and success of mentoring partnerships and your scheme in general?

17.   How will you ensure that partnerships are concluded and do not drift?

18.   How will you evaluate the effectiveness of your scheme, both in terms of scheme design/management (such as administration, support, matching process, training and documentation) and outcomes for participants ( did they achieve their objectives, what other benefits did they derive)?

19.   Last but not least, contact SUMAC® for a demo of the platform that could save you a huge amount of time and effort setting up and managing your scheme.