Mentoring Program Overview
The ASFPM Mentoring Program brings together mentors with expertise in one or more areas of floodplain management and mentees who desire assistance in developing or enhancing their floodplain management skills, with the ultimate goal of building state capability for effective floodplain management to reduce flood losses and protect the natural functions of floodplains. ASFPM mentors transfer knowledge, provide insight, and share experiences with mentees to develop effective state floodplain management programs and capable floodplain management professionals. Mentors provide the link between knowledge and skills and day-to-day job duties.
ASFPM Mentoring Program Objectives
- Build floodplain management knowledge, skill and capability: The mentoring program helps state floodplain managers assess in which areas they can improve their effectiveness and expedites learning for new professionals.
- Provide trusted guidance and feedback: Mentoring adds value to training and education through relationships with tenured practitioners who share insight and “on-the-job” experience.
- Create a peer network and communication forum: Mentoring activities provide expanded opportunities to meet other floodplain management professionals, and a variety of ways to discuss and vet valid, relevant and consistent information.
- Provide situational guidance: State floodplain managers (new and experienced) often find themselves in “crisis management” mode when flood disasters, new technologies or political priorities demand immediate attention. The mentoring program provides quick problem-solving support and assistance for handling job-related concerns.
- Sustain professional development: The mentoring program helps establish relationships with state floodplain managers, establishes benchmarks for effective floodplain management, provides training and supports learning.
ASFPM supports mentoring partnerships by pairing mentees with its pool of vetted mentors who are ASFPM members with relevant subject matter expertise, and providing them with straightforward guidance on and a structure that supports the development of successful relationships. ASFPM recognizes and respects participants' time limitations and need for flexibility, as such the mentee and mentor negotiate their own partnership goals and activities that meet their individual needs and schedules. Participation in the mentoring program is voluntary for mentees and mentors.
In addition to facilitating mentoring exchanges via these mentee and mentor pairings, the ASFPM Mentoring program provides unique mentoring resources to participants through the ASFPM Mentoring webpage.
Mentoring Website
ASFPM created the ASFPM Mentoring Program website to introduce interested individuals to the program and walk them quickly through the ASFPM mentoring process. The website allows interested applicants an opportunity to explore the program, access this handbook, and register online. In addition, registered program participants can use the website to manage their profile information via the My Profile page and initiate a mentoring partnership via the Request Mentoring function. The program manager(s) is available to answer questions through the website contact page and works closely with applicants and participants to help facilitate successful partnerships.
ASFPM envisions that its Mentoring Program can be the primary resource used by state floodplain managers, state NFIP coordinators, state flood mapping coordinators and their staff for floodplain management training and professional development assistance.
A PDF version of the ASFPM Mentoring Program Handbook is available at this link.