The External Assessor is available for consultation by telephone, or in person, if the registrant wishes to make the journey for a face to face meeting. The External Assessor receives a copy of an applicant s proposed plan of advanced training and should approve it within one month of registration. He gives advice on the implementation and progress of the PATR programme and conducts an interim assessment of the registrant with the PATR Co-ordinator. This normally takes place after the first two years of the PATR programme, when assessment focuses on the completion of the advanced training plan and looks ahead to the next two years of responsible experience. Mentor A mentor should be sought and valued by all professional staff, whatever their experience and level in the organisation.
Senior staff are likely to have peer-level mentors in other departments.
Less experienced staff, including staff undertaking PATR, should have senior physicists or engineers as mentors who may work in the same department but, preferably, are not in a line management relationship. The role of mentor is that of wise counsellor, who is committed to developing and maintaining an ongoing relationship of advice and support with mentees. To be effective in the role, a mentor should not attempt to be mentor to more than four individuals at any one time. The mentor is identified as a key role in the Institute s Continuing Professional Development Scheme and is as crucial for staff undertaking PATR as it is for staff who have attained full professional competence and seek to maintain it. An interview of approximately one hour s duration which will test the registrant s professional competence.