Online peer-group mentoring: An innovative mentoring program within an Australian professional association

Abstract

This article describes an online peer-group mentoring program to support career-long professional development, professional identity development, and stronger experiential peer-to-peer learning. It was developed in response to ongoing interest among members of the Australian Evaluation Society (AES), a professional association that aims to improve the theory, practice, and use of evaluation. It is intended to complement the technical training that can be provided through workshops or professional training and conventional one-on-one mentoring that members may access in other ways. Now in its third year, the program refined its focus and major objectives from promoting technical skills and knowledge to a broader focus on building professional networks, reducing professional isolation, and enhancing professional confidence. Two distinct approaches emerged from the first two years of the program, with each approach appealing to different participants. Some groups focused broadly on career development and professional network building, while others focused on topics of particular interest to participants. The peer-group approach is relevant to other professional associations in which practitioners tend to work alone or in small groups. Evaluation findings can inform other such associations about designing and implementing online group mentoring programs for their members.