After three rounds of the CESSDA Mentorship Programme and with experiences from twenty mentorships, it is time to evaluate the programme and see how it can be further developed.
The overall conclusion is that the programme has fulfilled its purpose but could benefit from more flexibility. Experience shows that circumstances can change quickly, from delayed decisions on institutionalising to pandemics, which requires an ability to quickly adjust established plans and reallocate resources. It would also be an advantage for the programme to have a wider range of experts to choose from when appointing mentors.
Until now, the programme has only been open to CESSDA partners and new members. It would benefit from being open to all CESSDA SPs, regardless of their level of maturity. More mature SPs who want to develop new services could then seek support from, and collaboration with, colleagues with more expertise in the field.
The new concept of the Mentorship programme is intended to be an asset to CESSDA and all its member and partner SPs by facilitating the exchange of general and specialised expertise. To achieve that, the programme needs a solid foundation and sustainability of mentorship within CESSDA ERIC.