11 Project Mentor Selection

--- tags: CF --- # 11 Project Mentor Selection ## What is this about? Previously, mentor volunteering in the second half of the course has been done on an ad hoc basis. Given how important these roles are, the CF should be well-informed and deliberate when they select mentors. This document is a guide for the CF and serves in addition to the guidance for [students](https://founders-and-coders.gitbook.io/coursebook/projects/student-project/sprint-one/student-roles) and [mentors](https://founders-and-coders.gitbook.io/coursebook/projects/student-project/sprint-one/mentor-roles). ## How? - In week 7, Collect recommendations from FAC staff and the previous CF - In week 8, post an EOI form in London Programme Repo - In week 8, post an EOI form in Slack - Before week 11, Select based on these criteria: - Technical Experience - has this person played this role professionally? - Enthusiasm - Availability - is this person able to commit to 3 weeks of being 'on-hand', code reviews and catch-ups? - Having a well-balanced set of mentors - e.g. do we have a mixture of men and women? There's a balance to be struck between offering the opportunity for fresher grads to gain some experience of the role and making sure they have the experience to perform the role. As CF, this balance lies in your hands. We look for 'student project' mentors who have 6+ months' relevant post-FAC experience, and 'Tech for Better' mentors who have 12+ months' post-FAC experience. For two reasons: - This gives a broader range of people the chance to work and connect with the current cohort and vice versa - This ensures mentors have sufficient relevant experience to support their mentees If the CF has doubts about or is unfamiliar with a mentor's experience/abilities/avilability they should arrange a 15 minute call to discuss the commitment and the mentor's motivations. In the past, we've had mixed levels of commitment from mentors and some teams have had little support available. By being deliberate in the selection process rather than posting an issue to LP and allowing people to self-assign, the CF ensures there will be consistent and balanced support to all members of the cohort. ## Who is needed? See links above for more detail on responsibilities. ### Role mentors Eight people across the two projects: - Two Scrum Mentors - Two DevOps Mentors - Two QA Mentors - Two UX/UI Mentors One of each should be assigned to SP and the other to TFB project based on criteria above. ### Team mentors Eight all-rounders who are available across the project, knowledgeable in React and familiar with our curriculum. One mentor should be assigned to a team for each of the eight projects (across SP and TFB). ### Code Reviewers This is a new role proposed for FAC21 to increase involvement of immediate previous cohorts. Each person from the previous cohort should be asked to: - Code review one project once Effectively, this means that across the eight projects, each should be alumni reviewed twice each week. ## Time commitment Timings key: Week 0 - The week before the design sprint Week 1 - Design Sprint Week 2 - Build Sprint 1 Week 3 - Build Sprint 2 ### Role mentor #### Week Zero - 15 minutes to present to the cohort on the role and who they are #### Week One - 30 minutes to brief the four mentees in more detail on their responsbilities and to find out any specifics that will be relevant for the mentor's support #### Weeks Two and Three - 15 minute call with each mentee each week - Run two 30 minute drop ins with all four mentees each week - mentees should bring questions - Available on Slack for 80% of project time ### Team Mentor #### Week Zero - 15 minute intro to the team #### Week One - 30 minute call in which the team brief on project and mentor helps scope the project #### Week Two and Three - Each week, conduct a one-hour code review, either live or async. - Expect four 15-minute debugging calls - Available on Slack for 80% of project time ### Code Reviewer #### Week Two or Three - Conduct a one-hour code review, async.