Applications for the 11th cycle of MENTOR-VIP are now open. This means individuals wishing to apply to be mentored during 2017-2018 may make their applications via our website (link given below) between now and May 5.
MENTOR-VIP is designed to assist junior injury practitioners develop specific skills through structured collaboration with a more experienced person who has volunteered to act as a mentor. The programme provides a mechanism to match demand for technical guidance from some people with offers received from others to provide technical support.
Mentoring arrangements may take place in whatever language or languages the mentor and mentee are comfortable to communicate in. The majority of interaction between mentor and mentee takes place through low-cost electronic communication such as email, internet-based telephony, or telephonic exchange.
The general objective of MENTOR-VIP is:
To improve human resource capacity to effectively prevent and control injury and violence through the enhanced development of relevant skills.
MENTOR-VIP is designed to match mentees wishing to develop certain skills with mentors who have agreed to devote their time and effort to assist mentees develop those skills. Matching of individuals is made on the basis of the profiles of mentee and mentor and the overall principles and objectives of MENTOR-VIP. Once a mentorship is awarded the mentee and mentor jointly plan the activities that will be undertaken during the mentorship.
A principle of the programme is that it provide a low-cost model for mentoring. Accordingly, mentoring is expected to take place primarily through electronic and telephonic forms of communication and interaction. Mentorships are for a 12 month period and begin in September of each year.
Awarding of mentorships and application process
Overall guidance to MENTOR-VIP is provided by the Core Group, which assesses candidatures and awards mentorships, discusses and recommends indicated revisions to the programme to WHO and facilitates important activities such as evaluation of MENTOR-VIP. The Core Group consists of 9 individuals from diverse backgrounds relevant to injury prevention and includes one WHO member. WHO coordinates the programme, financially supports the annual meeting of the Core Group, and assures all secretariat functions for the programme.
Prospective mentees must submit an application in order to be considered for a mentorship. The application submission is carried out online and is accessible through the link below. Applications are accepted from mid-February to mid-May each year. Candidates will be made aware of the decisions in June and mentorships formally begin in September. Individuals who apply to be awarded mentorships are encouraged to read all MENTOR-VIP documentation carefully, and to bear in mind that the limited number of mentorships awarded will be based on an assessment of the most appropriate match between mentee candidates and the available mentors as well as the overall principles and objectives of MENTOR-VIP.