Evaluating the Mentorship Program

A well-designed, mission-centered assessment plan is essential to creating a dynamic mentorship program, which is robust and continuously improving. Successful evaluation programs begin with clearly defined, measurable goals and draw on a combination of data to determine whether the program has achieved these goals. This chapter provides you with the tools that you need to design, develop, and implement a strong program evaluation. These include data-collection methods, quantitative and qualitive data, and data presentation, with examples of key program characteristics. Two types of evaluation programs are necessary. Formative evaluation is conducted on an ongoing basis, at regular intervals during the program term. This allows the program director to identify strengths and weaknesses in a timely manner, address issues that may arise, and make course corrections, leading to continuous gradual improvement. Summative evaluation, which is often referred to as outcomes assessment, occurs at the end of each mentorship program cycle. Outcomes assessment has become a dominant force in higher education accreditation, and as such, a strong assessment plan is needed to meet regulatory demands.