The TA Coordinator (or instructor or other mentor) role is to ensure that the project team agrees to a viable and relevant project scope and breadth and then develops and implements a work plan to give credible and actionable recommendations/results to the company sponsor. In addition, under the direction of the Course Instructor, you may assist the team in assuring the deliverables are business-relevant and support the team where they lack business experience. Through regular meetings and checkpoints, the mentor will assure that the team stays on task, on point, and on schedule to provide the deliverables as promised.

The TA Coordinator will meet these responsibilities largely by:

1. Supporting the team during team formation by helping them understand the team roles and the making of role assignments.
2.  Assure that the team has established weekly team meeting times that all members can attend and that weekly company sponsor meetings are scheduled.
3. Advising the teams in developing and negotiating the tasks and deliverables necessary to meet the needs of the company sponsors (documented in the engagement letter).
4.  Assisting the team in developing a work plan to complete the tasks and deliverables in a credible and timely manner.
5. Advising the students on how to implement the work plan (e.g., secondary research, market analysis, financial analysis, etc.) and assist them in overcoming obstacles encountered during the project.
6. Reviewing the completed tasks and deliverables to ensure they meet a quality standard prior to developing final recommendations.
7.  Review the final technical report and executive presentation for completeness, engagement, and professionalism.
   • Assure that complete documentation exists to support all conclusions and recommendations.
   • Assure that the executive summary is concise, complete, and follows a business top-down (recommendation first) approach.
   •  Assure that the final presentation follows the pyramid principle approach (situation, recommendations, conclusions, and supporting information) and provides a compelling argument meeting the deliverables of the project.
8. Provide feedback to the Course Instructor on the performance of the team and its members.
   
   • Provide feedback concerning the completion of each of the project milestones (e.g. engagaement letter, workplan, etc.)
   • Contacting the company sponsor after mid-term and final reports for sponsor feedback.
   • Periodic email and verbal updates to the Course Instructor on the team's progress.
9. Update the team’s grades in Canvas after the TA coordinator reviews the assignments and milestones following the associated rubrics provided.

It is expected that the workload should average about ½ to 1 hour per team per week, with more effort involved in weeks 1 to 4 and weeks 13 to 15. There will likely be less involvement in the middle weeks of the project. But as always, each project is unique, and the workload could be spread out differently for your projects. It is recommended that the mentor contacts the team and reviews the project's progress toward milestones and deliverables at least every two weeks. 

Each TA Coordinator will have their own mentoring approach, but it is essential that the student team take ownership of the project and process. The mentor should coach, counsel, advise, and support, but should never take over the direction or decision-making process for the team. There will be times when the team is struggling, and the mentor should shift from coaching to a directive role with very specific suggestions to help the team through difficult issues. But always remember that the team has the final say on project plans and approaches. If you feel the team is not taking your advice and the credibility or actionability of the project outcome is in question, contact the Course Instructor ASAP.

If you have any questions concerning your involvement in working on the projects or with the students, please contact the Course Instructor for further clarification. Thank you for your support of the students and Project-Based Work Experience at Ensign College and BYU Pathway.