Information for Group Mentors

Tuia Pito Ora NZILA’s Registration programme thrives when experienced members awhi emerging professionals. If you are keen to serve as a Group Mentor, ngā mihi — your tautoko helps grow confident, competent landscape architects across Aotearoa.

Purpose

Group Mentors guide a group of Graduate or Affiliate candidates through workshop-style sessions. You provide collective advice, peer learning opportunities and light-touch assessment to support their progress toward Registration.

Who can be a Group Mentor 
  • A Registered NZILA Landscape Architect
  • Confident facilitating small-group discussions and sharing practice experience
  • Willing to support candidates across a range of workplaces and project types
Role at a glance
  • Facilitate branch graduate workshops
  • Offer guidance and feedback in a group setting
  • Help identify knowledge gaps and suggest CPD
  • Hold sufficient knowledge of participants’ progress to act as a seconder for Registration applications if appropriate
  • You are not expected to know every detail of each individual’s competencies.
    The personal Mentor remains the primary assessor.
Workshop cadence and organisation
  • Branches aim to run two workshops each year. Where that is not possible, at least one workshop must be held.
  • Graduates must attend at least two workshops during Stage 1.
  • Workshops may be organised by the branch or by the graduates in coordination with the branch registration lead.
  • Each session should include clear objectives, space for Q&A and a simple record of outcomes.
What happens in a workshop
  • Short check-ins on progress with Assessment Workbooks and portfolios
  • Peer discussion on practice topics and the New Zealand context
  • Targeted mini-sessions to fill identified gaps in knowledge
  • Signposts to resources, CPD, and upcoming group mentoring dates
Suggested agenda (90 minutes)
  1. Karakia/whakatau and quick round-table updates
  2. Focus topic chosen from participant feedback
  3. Case discussion or short activity
  4. Action points for each participant and next workshop date
Preparation checklist for Group Mentors 
  • Read the Registered Member Guide, especially the practice areas, core competencies and criteria
  • Coordinate with the branch registration representative
  • Collect topics from participants in advance
  • Bring example materials where helpful
  • Keep brief notes of attendance, key themes and agreed next steps 
Resources
Current Group Mentors

Huge thanks to the team currently in these roles facilitating group mentoring workshops and supporting candidates on their registration journey.

NORTHERN:  Leigh Wilson

CENTRAL:     Nicole Thompson and Kate Males

SOUTHERN:  Jeremy Cooke

If you need to contact the NZILA Head Office, please direct queries to admin@nzila.co.nz