This study was commissioned to evaluate Phase II of the Rural Excellence Mentoring Programme.

• Project Dates: 2005 - 2007
• Project Leader: Neil Ward
• Staff: Terry Carroll, Nicola Thompson, Jane Atterton
• Sponsors: Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA)

The Programme had two key aims:

1. To conduct an evaluation of Phase II of the Rural Excellence Mentoring Programme and assist in developing clear messages on the dissemination of best practice in rural policy delivery;

2. To consider the potential for the development of a Rural Excellence quality standard to recognise the achievements of those authorities who realise major service delivery improvements.

Phase II of the Mentoring Programme consisted of a formal programme of mentoring for officers and members in twelve selected authorities. The study addressed a much wider range of issues than Phase I, in particular connected to the future ‘added value’ of the expanded Mentoring Programme. These included:

• Examination of the extent to which the lessons learned in Phase I of the Mentoring Programme have successfully informed the development and execution of Phase II;
  
  
• The provision of practical advice on how learning from the Mentoring and Pathfinders programmes might be linked. Together, the two projects should provide invaluable information on what constitutes excellence in terms of the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and how these roles can be strengthened and enhanced to ensure that all local authorities achieve higher standards. In short, through what processes can mentored authorities become mentoring authorities?;
  
  
• Assessment of the prospects and practicalities for rolling out (or mainstreaming) mentoring more widely beyond those authorities involved in Phases I and II of the Programme. And linked to this;
  
  
• Research into the feasibility of introducing an accreditation scheme for rural authorities involving consideration of such factors as quality standards, methods of assessment and compliance monitoring and how such a scheme might relate to CPA and other inspection processes.