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Case Study:

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER)

“This mentoring program allowed me to witness the real value mentoring brings to people across our organisation. It created genuine connection, supported people in identifying their future paths, and strengthened capability. I would strongly encourage others to participate.”

Alastair Jones, Director General, DWER

“This mentoring program allowed me to witness the real value mentoring brings to people across our organisation. It created genuine connection, supported people in identifying their future paths, and strengthened capability. I would strongly encourage others to participate.”

Alastair Jones, Director General, DWER

Overview

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) partnered with Next Level Mentoring across three consecutive years to deliver structured mentoring programs supporting leadership development, career growth, and organisational connection.

Across 2023, 2024, and 2025, the programs supported 65 mentoring pairs, producing consistently high satisfaction, strong goal achievement, deep cross-department relationships, and significant internal career mobility.

This three-year evaluation demonstrates not a single successful cohort, but a repeatable, high-performing leadership development system.

Program Goals

  • Develop internal leadership capability
  • Strengthen collaboration across divisions, teams, and regions
  • Provide a structured, supportive mentoring process for mentors and mentees
  • Build a sustainable mentoring culture within the department

 

Program Size

  • 2023: 16 mentoring pairs
  • 2024: 19 mentoring pairs
  • 2025: 30 mentoring pairs

 

This case study focuses on 4 key areas across the 3 programs

4 key areas

  1. Career acceleration
  2. Program satisfaction
  3. Mentoring relationships
  4. Building a culture of mentoring

1) Career Progression

The mentoring program contributed to significant internal mobility and leadership growth. Results of promotions during the program were tracked for the mentees on the 2024 & 2025 program.

2024 Mentee Promotions during the program

  • 5 internal promotions during the program
  • 2 external promotions
  • 7 total promotions (37% of mentees)
 

2025 Mentee Promotions during the program

  • 10 internal promotions
  • 2 external promotions
  • 12 total promotions (40% of mentees)
 

Combined Impact

  • 19 total promotions across 49 mentees
  • 39% promotion rate

This is significantly higher than typical public-sector rates and demonstrates the acceleration a Next Level Mentoring program has on the participant's career.

2) Program satisfaction

Participants in both programs consistently reported high satisfaction with both the match making process and their mentoring experience.

Mentee Satisfaction

2023 program

  • Satisfied with mentor match: 4.7
  • Overall satisfaction: 4.4

2024 program

  • Satisfied with mentor match: 4.4
  • Overall satisfaction: 4.4

2025 program

  • Satisfied with mentor match: 4.3
  • Overall satisfaction: 4.3 

 

Mentor Satisfaction

2023 program

  • Satisfied with mentee match: 4.3
  • Overall satisfaction: 4.1

2024 program

  • Satisfied with mentee match: 4.8
  • Overall satisfaction: 4.6

2025 program

  • Satisfied with mentee match: 4.5
  • Overall satisfaction: 4.7

 

Overall

This level of consistency is rare in large-scale developmental programs. It demonstrates that the program continues to provide value to the participants.

3) Relationship strength

A strong indicator of mentoring quality is whether pairs choose to continue the relationship.

Below is the percentage of mentoring relationships that continued once the program formally closed, based on feedback from both mentors and mentees.

2023 program

  • 75% of mentoring relationships continued.

2024 program

  • 93% of mentoring relationships continued.

2025 program  

  • 84% of mentoring relationships continued.

On average 9 out of every 10 pairings continuatd their mentoring relationships after the program formally finished. 

This demonstrates that the design of the program allowed deep relationships to form and provide ongoing value to both the mentors and mentees. 

4) Building a Mentoring Culture

The overall aim is to build a long-lasting culture of mentoring 

2023 program

  • 92% of mentors were willing to participate in 2024 program

2024 program

  • 100% of mentors were willing to participate in the 2025 program

2025 program

  • Number of mentees applying to the program increased by 155%
  • Number of mentors applying to the program increased by 230%
  • 90% of mentors were willing to participate in the 2026 program.

This significant interest in the 2025 shows both strong growth and engagement at all levels. This is a strong indicator that a mentoring culture at DWER has been established.

10 reasons why the program works

  1. Involvement from both DWER and NLM to ensure the program runs smoothly.

  2. Executive sponsorship - the program has buy-in from the top.

  3. A structured five-stage mentoring framework ensures a repeatable process.

  4. "Mentee-led" matchmaking process ensures the mentee owns the relationship.

  5. Participants opt-in rather than be told to participate which ensures the right mind-set.

  6. Goal-setting coaching allows each cohort to focus on what really matters to them.

  7. Maintaining the program's simplicity and letting the pairings go on their own unique journey.

  8. Blending in-person with strong digital engagement via Teams allows regional office involvement.

  9. Consistent communication and program support when needed.

  10. Evidence-based evaluation from feedback and continuous improvement.

10 reasons why the program works

1) Involvement from both DWER and NLM to ensure the program runs smoothly.

2) Executive sponsorship - the program has buy-in from the top.

3) A structured five-stage mentoring framework ensures a repeatable process.

4) "Mentee-led" matchmaking process ensures the mentee owns the relationship.

5) Participants opt-in rather than be told to participate which ensures the right mind-set.

6) Goal-setting coaching allows each cohort to focus on what really matters to them.

7) Maintaining the program's simplicity and letting the pairings go on their own unique journey.

8) Blending in-person with strong digital engagement via Teams allows regional office involvement.

9) Consistent communication and program support when needed.

10) Evidence-based evaluation from feedback and continuous improvement.

“A huge thank you to Darren McFarlane and Next Level Mentoring for delivering such an outstanding program for us at DWER.

Over the past three years, we’ve seen incredible growth—not only in participation but in impact. Both mentors and mentees are realising tangible benefits: building confidence, expanding networks, and developing leadership capability.

The inclusion of our Executive team has taken the program to new heights, reinforcing a culture of learning and collaboration that strengthens our organisation for the future.”

Michelle Raymond, Manager of Talent & Culture, DWER

DWER 2025 Mentoring Program participants

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