The mentorship program will undergo a rigorous evaluation on multiple levels to ensure it is achieving its goals and objectives effectively and efficiently. We will employ both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods to have a well-rounded understanding of how the program is performing.

From a qualitative standpoint, we will conduct participant surveys, focus groups, and interviews on a regular basis. Surveys will go out to both mentors and mentees at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after being matched to gauge their experiences and satisfaction levels. This will include questions about the quality of the matching process, frequency and effectiveness of meetings, development of the mentoring relationship, and perceived benefits gained from participation.

We will also hold focus groups with a sample of mentors and mentees at the 6 month and 12 month marks. The focus groups will delve deeper into participants’ experiences to understand what aspects of the program are working well and what could be improved. Factors like support and guidance received, goal setting approaches, challenges faced, and impacts of the relationship will be explored. Individual follow up interviews may also be conducted if needed to gather additional qualitative feedback.

All qualitative data collection will follow rigorous protocols for obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality of responses, and having a third party facilitate data collection activities to reduce potential bias. Responses will be analyzed for themes to understand successes and opportunities for enhancement. Participants will also be provided an avenue to offer feedback or raise issues anonymously if preferred.

Quantitatively, we will track key participation and outcome metrics. Things like number of applications, matches made, monthly meeting frequencies, program completion and retention rates will indicate how well the matching process and relationship building aspects are functioning. Participant demographics will also be tracked to evaluate diversity of reach.

Mentees will set goals at the start of the relationship and self-report progress made towards them at intervals. At completion, they will also evaluate the degree to which participation impacted areas like skills development, career prospects, and social support networks on a standardized assessment scale. Mentor assessments of mentee growth and achievement will provide additional perspective.

Partner organizations involved in referrals or promotional efforts will also provide feedback on the program’s value and their satisfaction levels with coordination. Internal program staff will track operations metrics like workload volumes, processing times and administrative efficiency. Periodic reviews will examine staff experiences and identify needs for professional development.

Both qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed by an independent research group with expertise in program evaluation methodologies at the end of the first calendar year, and then annually going forward. Comparative analyses will track trends in satisfaction levels, outcomes data and other metrics over time. Recommendations will be provided for continual improvement of the program based on learnings.

An oversight committee comprised of stakeholders from funding, community and participant representation will also regularly review evaluation findings alongside program leadership. This committee provides guidance for strategic planning, determines priority enhancement areas, and ensures accountability for results.

By using this multi-faceted, ongoing evaluation approach we aim to demonstrate the mentorship program’s effectiveness, drive optimization initiatives based on evidence and ensure long term sustainability through informed decision making. Regular publication of evaluation highlights and impacts achieved will also maximize transparency and opportunities for recognition of successes.

This robust evaluation plan entailing qualitative, quantitative, participatory and analytical components will allow us to comprehensively assess how well the mentorship program is serving its mission and determine avenues for strengthening the model over time. The mixed methods approach, emphasis on continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and independent oversight all contribute to a rigorous, credible and useful program evaluation.