I guess Liam needs a little clarification! Over long term, SOPs are fluid. But over short term they are set solid and uncompromising. The organization is responsible for establishing firm and solid standard operating procedures which are set in stone or concrete, whatever you want to call them! But since people have a special talent to come up with new and inventive ways to f'k up, each time there's an event a serious look should be taken at how a procedure could be changed or a new one added to prevent the next guy from making the same mistake. SOPs need to be amended from time to time for that reason. But until they are, they have to be 'set in stone' and enforced striclty or they're worthless.
If an organization has an event that's a near disaster and no changes are made to the SOPs to prevent it from happening again, then that organization is not even reactive! And unless we're doing the best to be proactive, not just reactive, we can't say we're doing everything we can to be safe.
That's why when there's an accident and NTSB, FAA, CAA etc... investigate they recommand or establish new rules to keep the next dumbass from repeating the same mistake again. Afterall, the very definition of stupidity is to keep doing the same thing and expect a differrent result, isn't it?!?
A mentoring program amounts to no more than, monkey see monkey do! Put in writing what exactly you want me to do and I'll do it every time right down to the last detail! I won't be aspiring to be like someone else nor will I pay any attention to what he has to say unless he's standard & by the book. And in that case if I'm too stupid to read and follow the book after I've already been trained and qualified, then I'm just falt out stupid and have no business flying aircraft.
An efficient and comprehensive training program is the starting point for all of this. A 'do it yourself training' system with almost no classroom instruction and an utter lack of consistency among trainers/checkers especially the senior ones (we've got some class A trainer/checkers that do it all by the book and are the best there is, not to offend them here) cannot be expected to produce a constant and standard product. This is how you ge surprises with guys already qualified and online being assessed as needing more attention such as more sectors, mentoring, extra sim time, double check rides, etc... Mentoring already qualified line pilots is trying to fix the problem at it's ass end! Establishing efficient training and solid SOPs is starting at the begining!