QMAP Resource Corner: Match Agreements

Findings from the Quality Mentoring Assessment Path (QMAP^®) process have provided MPM with new insights into issues mentoring programs face as they work to advance quality in their programs while also managing day-to-day functions of mentoring initiatives.  One operational area that programs may overlook is developing match agreements – documents that spell out terms and conditions for participating in a mentoring program for mentors, mentees and, often, mentees’ parents or guardians.  For program staff who put a lot of effort into presenting program guidelines during the recruitment, screening and training phases, having these agreements can seem redundant or unnecessary.  In fact, match agreements can provide a reminder of the “rules of the road” for mentoring at a critical time, and set the stage for mentors and mentees to create a shared understanding of how they will connect and work together.

Match agreements, sometimes presented as contracts between mentors and mentees, or mentors and the program, provide a way to reiterate the program’s expectations for mentoring relationships, whether they are one-to-one matches or part of a group model.  They also reinforce the commitment being made to the mentoring program and relationship.  Match agreements are typically finalized as the relationship gets its official start, at the first mentor-mentee meeting.  Reviewing and signing off on the agreement as part of the introduction to the mentoring relationship offers a way to share, once again, the program’s purpose and the rules, roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in the program – including the role of the program staff to provide support and assist the match.  Having both mentors and mentees sign the agreement shows that both adults and youth have an equal say in determining the course of the relationship; having parents/guardians sign off on the same or similar agreements underscores the importance of family involvement and support for the match.

Areas commonly laid out in match agreements include frequency of communication and contact, expectations about confidentiality, and program requirements, such as documentation or evaluation.  Samples of match agreements and contracts with parents/guardians, mentors, and mentees are available through several sources:

• The Elements of Effective Practice Toolkit  – Tools to Structure Effective Program Operations, developed by MENTOR in conjunction with the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring Programs – see tools linked under Screening and Matching
• Generic Mentoring Program Policy and Procedure Manual, published by the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence and the National Mentoring Center at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory – pages 115 – 117
• Going the Distance: A Guide to Building Lasting Relationships in Mentoring Programs, created by the U. S. Department of Education and the Mentoring Resource Center – appendix form A-19

Most of the samples referenced are customizable and can be adapted for your program’s use.  If you start with an outside source when creating a match agreement, make sure to consider unique expectations your program has for everyone involved in making, and sustaining, a mentoring match; an example might be goal-setting activities that mentors and mentees are expected to complete.  Incorporate those elements into your match agreements so that all expectations about program rules, roles and responsibilities are clear to everyone.

You should also consider that the audience for these documents might range from elementary school students to highly trained professionals.  Language you use must meet the needs of this wide range of readers, so it should be unambiguous, concrete and easily understood.  Make sure materials are available in non-English formats, if needed, or use translators when reviewing match agreements so that everyone has a chance to read through the information and ask the questions needed to build buy-in for your program’s objectives and standards.

Do you have a great example of a mentor/mentee match agreement?  We would love you see how you approach this – and so would your peers!  Send your materials to Polly, and help MPM build our collection of innovative best practices to share with others in the field.

QMAP Resource Corner: The Issue of Evaluation

Findings from MPM’s Quality Mentoring Assessment Path (QMAP^®) process have provided MPM with new insights into issues mentoring programs face as they work to advance quality in their programs while also managing the day-to-day management of mentoring initiatives.  From data gathered through QMAP assessments of Minnesota mentoring programs during 2012, evaluation issues appear to be a significant source of challenge (and, at times, frustration) for program staff.  Items related to program and participant evaluation made up four of the top 10 areas in which mentoring program staff indicated a need for more support.

Perceived challenges involving evaluation have several sources.  For some program staff, a lack of background on evaluation strategies, or training on developing and conducting evaluations, makes it difficult to know how to approach the process.  For others, limited time and reduced resources create barriers to implementing evaluation practices on a regular, consistent basis. There are also those who question the value of effort spent on evaluation, when evaluation results don’t seem to truly demonstrate the impact that mentoring programs and relationships have.  As a result, for many mentoring programs evaluation planning and execution can be an afterthought, and often gets overlooked in the drive to fulfill key activities such as recruiting mentors or maintaining contact with participants.

Though understanding evaluation processes can seem intimidating, there are ways to build your knowledge of what evaluation is, and why it is relevant to the day-to-day work of mentoring programs.  This month, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) is offering a full day of exploration on evaluation in workshops providing an overview of evaluation practice.  In the morning session, Establishing an Evaluation Practice That Works for You, participants will learn about a variety of key evaluation tactics and work on developing preliminary evaluation plans; in the afternoon session Beyond Basics: Advanced Skills to Build Effectiveness through Evaluation, participants will gain information about managing evaluation processes and analyzing evaluation data, and get a chance to develop evaluation tools for use in their programs. The workshops are led by Leah Goldstein Moses, CEO of The Improve Group, which provides evaluation, research and strategic planning services to organizations of all sizes, including many nonprofits.  Leah and her Improve Group colleagues have provided evaluation support to several MPM projects, and were instrumental in the QMAP development process, so they have a strong understanding of evaluation concerns of mentoring programs. Workshops will be offered by MCN in St. Paul on April 18^th and by MCN’s Northeast Minnesota chapter in Duluth on April 30^th; separate registrations are required for each workshop session.

If you are interested in broadening your understanding of evaluation practices at your own pace, there are many resources, in print and online, to turn to – so many that it can be hard to know where to begin.  A few places to start for mentoring programs are:

- The Evaluation Handbook, developed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, provides a thorough overview of program evaluation and in-depth information on using logic models to guide evaluation design.  The Kellogg Foundation is also a great source for materials on evaluating youth-serving organizations; many materials, like the Handbook, can be downloaded for free.

- The “Frequently asked questions about evaluating programs” chapter in Using Mentoring Research Findings to Build Effective Programs, created by the Mentoring Resource Center and the National Mentoring Center, offers practical guidance on implementing evaluation processes; the publication also provides a good guide to key mentoring research studies available prior to 2007.

- The Online Evaluation Instrument Toolkit, compiled by Oregon Mentors and the National Mentoring Center at Education Northwest, collects downloadable evaluation instruments, surveys, scales, and questionnaires relevant to outcomes measured by youth mentoring programs.  This is a valuable one-stop shop for evaluation tools; the Toolkit is searchable by keywords, making it easier to track down the tools you need.

Ultimately, the practice of evaluation in mentoring programs depends whether evaluation processes are seen as contributing to the program’s quality and sustainability.  As you think about your own evaluation practice, consider how you are using your own evaluation findings to tell the whole story of your program, not just what outcomes you measure.  Looking at how your findings connect to new developments in  the field can help make the case for the value of your program’s contributions to the lives of the youth and your community.  As recent postings in the Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring have pointed out, 2013 is shaping up as a big year in mentoring research; the more you know about what your program is accomplishing, the stronger your case will be for connecting your work with the bigger picture emerging on the impact of mentoring for children and youth.

I am a CHAMPION for Minnesota Youth!

Youth Day at the Capitol 2013 was held on March 13^th at the Minnesota State Capitol hosted by the Youth Policy Alliance (YPA), a collaboration of statewide agencies promoting a healthy and sustainable comprehensive youth system for all Minnesota youth. MPM is a collaborative partner in the YPA.  I, along with Mai-Anh, helped plan this year’s event.

The day kicked off with a rally in the Capitol’s rotunda that was led by youth, for the youth. Two young elected officials showed their bi-partisan support by taking the stage to speak about the importance of getting involved in the community and in policy.  I was amazed at how packed the rotunda was.  The youth in attendance were energized and ready for the day.  Mai-Anh said she could hear the young people one floor down in the Capitol building!

The first of two speakers, Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) spoke about getting involved when no one believed in him.  He concluded his speech by saying, “You are the future of the state of Minnesota…you can make a difference.” Next, Representative Carly Melin, (D-Hibbing) talked about the importance of voting once the youth turn 18—how this is the most basic and easy way to have their voices heard.  She finished by encouraging, “It’s important for young people to step up and run for office…there’s a lot of ways to get involved.”

Throughout the day, tours were held every hour along with a scavenger hunt for prizes.  Youth were encouraged to attend committee, in addition to their legislative meetings.  On the social side, I was in charge of live-Tweeting throughout the day on the YPA’s Twitter account (@YPAMN) to keep everyone in the loop as to what was happening in the Great Hall and around the Capitol by using the hashtag: #youthday2013.  (You can still tweet with me by searching YPAMN!)

The YPA was excited to have 334 youth attend the event with 153 adults representing 61 organizations across the state.  As a group, 91 meetings were held with legislators to get the word out about the importance of youth services!  Similar to last year, young people in attendance asked their legislators to be champions for youth after they shared their stories.

To view some of the many highlights from the day, you can watch this great video put together by the Minnesota Youth Intervention Prevention Association, one of the nine partner organizations behind Youth Day at the Capitol.

Overall, all in attendance felt that Youth Day 2013 was a resounding success!  So much hard work went in to planning the day.  It was a joy to see it played out.  The best part of the day is watching the transition from nervous youth at registration to empowered advocates after their meetings is remarkable to see.  Hearing the young people burst with pride when talking about their meetings with legislators proved how valuable this experience was to the youth.  They felt important, valued, and heard.  I felt honored to be part of the experience.  Stay tuned for details on Youth Day 2014 (#youthday2014)!

QMAP Resource Corner: Strategic Planning

As more mentoring programs use MPM’s Quality Mentoring Assessment Path (QMAP^®) process, MPM is learning more about how programs are striving to upgrade their management, operations and evaluation practices. More importantly, we are learning about the areas that present the greatest challenges to mentoring programs, and exploring new ways to connect program staff with useful, practical resources to support their efforts towards continuous improvement.

Based on data gathered in 2012, strategic planning emerged as the top area in which Minnesota mentoring programs could benefit from more support. For some programs, the pressures of surviving in the present take priority over looking ahead to the future; for others, the process of gathering and synthesizing the data needed to create an effective map for the road ahead can seem like a daunting task.

Fortunately, there are many forms of assistance available for programs developing or enhancing strategic plans.  Minnesota is home to a great source of advice, assistance and support for strategic planning and other key organizational functions, MAP for Nonprofits.  MAP provides management consulting, staff training, board recruitment, and more to nonprofit organizations of all sizes, serving over 500 organizations a year.  Visit MAP’s website for information on services provided in the Twin Cities and beyond, as well connections to local strategic planning experts.

For those who prefer to do their own research, the Free Management Library offers original material and links to online resources on hundreds of topics relevant to the nonprofit sector.  The Strategic Planning section, curated by leading nonprofit thinker Carter McNamara, offers a wealth of information and ideas, as well as ready-to-use tools and templates to start your strategic planning journey. The Library’s Strategic Planning Blog also provides updates on new tactics to guide planning and insights on implementing the planning process.

Finally, for the true planning do-it-yourselfer, the Strategic Planning Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations, Revised and Updated offers a step-by-step guide to preparing for, and leading, strategic planning, as well as samples of actual plans.  This practical resource was developed (and recently updated) by local leader and national strategic planning expert Bryan Barry.  First published by Wilder Foundation’s Fieldstone Alliance group, the workbook is now available through Turner Publishing.

Found any great strategic planning tools or resources?  We are always looking for additions to the QMAP Resources section, so let us know what has worked for you.

A Moment with Lady Gaga

The Lady Gaga Born Brave Bus Tour was an event for Lady Gaga’s fans to get connected to local resources in an open, kind environment, where her little monsters (the name Lady Gaga uses for her fans) could be themselves without fear or judgment. What a wonderful way for youth to get connected with each other, resource providers, and Gaga herself. The event was full of excitement, love and bravey.

I started my day off at 3:30 a.m., for a live news segment about the bus tour and mentoring. (I have never put make-up on so early in the morning). I arrived at the Xcel Energy Center at 4:45 a.m. and saw many little monsters braving the cold to receive tickets to the “monster pit.”  Talk about dedication and determination. Just think of what her fans are capable of if they were that determined to stand in the cold for DAYS to receive tickets. I am excited to see what they will do in the future.  I, happily, did not have to brave the cold and was able to tape the news segment inside, but just as I walked inside, my nerves kicked in. Luckily, I had one of my mentors, Mai-Anh, there to support and guide me through my first time speaking on the news (Did I mention I am not very fond of public speaking?).  But with          Mai-Anh’s help and a run-through of questions from Chris, the news reporter, I was ready to go. And with a blink of an eye, my five minutes (really 90 seconds) of fame was over. To check out the video, visit the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota’s Facebook or Twitter page.

Fast forward to about 9 hours later, Nicki, another AmeriCorps Member at MPM, and I were on our way to the Born Brave Bus Tour for training. We arrived at 2 p.m. for training and our eyes grew with awe and wonder. The art that was displayed with the bus tour was created mostly by Lady Gaga’s fans from around the world, and it was beautiful. It was fantastic to know that youth around the world have been able to tap into their sparks and have a platform this huge to display their sparks. I am sure many of the artists featured have mentors in their lives that have helped them get in touch with their spark and that have supported them to show it off to the world.

At 3 p.m., little monsters started showing up and were dressed to impress their mother monster (more Lady Gaga lingo). Glitter, sequence, lace, studs, neon, and heels were everywhere you turned. It was spectacular to see all the designs created by youth. While everyone was all dressed up, Nicki and I talked to many youth about the mentors in their life and how to get resources on mentoring. It was music to my ears to hear how many youth had a mentor or were a mentor to other youth! I would guess about 75% of the youth in attendance were able to say that they had a mentor. Words used to describe mentors were everything from love and understanding to kindness and support. It just goes to show that youth are the experts in their own lives and know what they need from adults and mentors.

Then, around 4:45 p.m., the air changed from excitement to “fandemonium” because Lady Gaga was there! Her little monsters were so excited, so overwhelmed, and so overjoyed that Gaga was there to see, support, and cherish them. It was at that moment that my heart grew fonder for Miss Gaga herself because she truly cares about her fans, the LGTBQ community, and all youth that may feel like they do not belong.

To wrap up the day, I was talking to two young ladies from London who said that an event like this, where youth can receive help and resources, never happens in the UK. They hope, and so do I, that more events like the bus tour happen because young people are saying that this is what they need: a place to receive many resources in open, safe environments to help them be empowered and succeed in life.

Farewell from April Riordan, Director of Training & Community Partnerships

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my departure from the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota.  I will miss the smart, passionate and fun people I’ve had the pleasure of working with for six and a half years but am excited about the new opportunity ahead.

Some of the achievements I’m most proud of include the development and launch of QMAP; the creation of our Program Services Council; our fabulous Maximize Your Impact mentor training; the Elements of Effective Practice 2-Day workshop format; our Minneapolis Training Institutes; and the introduction of webinars, including most recently, the Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series.

But I think what I will miss the most are the calls from program staff who just want to “bounce an idea” past me (or get a second opinion about a screening or matching decision), the smiles and hugs from familiar faces at conferences and events, and the shared learning and partnership of my colleagues across the nation and beyond.

I’m so grateful for the opportunities presented to me by MPM and for the mentorship provided by my co-workers and supervisors.  I am excited to see what the next chapter holds for this hard-working team and organization!

My last day in the office is November 13.  For training requests and inquiries after that, please contact Polly Roach, Vice President of Strategic Services, at polly@mpmn.org or (612) 370-9119.

To stay in touch with me, email aprilriordan@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Best regards,

April

Conference is Just Two Clicks Away – Register for Live Streaming!

Can’t make it to the Twin Cities to participate in the 2012 Minnesota Mentoring Conference in person this year?  How about joining us online?

For the first time, MPM is offering a “live streaming” option for the conference.  Register for this option and you can view and listen to our morning keynote session that showcases all three of our dynamic speakers as well as two specially featured workshops – live – through your computer or tablet.

MPM staff did a test run with the streaming service on Friday and it is fun and easy.  No complicated set up or registration.  You just click a link, enter your name, and then click again.  Two clicks.  That’s it.  Plus, it works on just about any computer or operating system.

Want to see what it looks like?  Click here for a slideshow of MPM’s test run!  Then, visit mpmn.org to register.  Deadline for all conference registrations – including live streaming – is October 8.

Still have questions or concerns?  Post them here or contact me directly at april@mpmn.org.