Project Handover Document

When to use this

Used when an owner changes mid-project. Captures the institutional knowledge that would otherwise vanish — the decisions and the reasoning behind them.

What’s included

• 1. Project at a glance
• 2. Decisions made to date (and the reasoning)
• 3. People
• 4. In-flight work
• 5. Watchouts (the things you wouldn't know from reading the docs)
• 6. Documents and access
• 7. First two weeks for the incoming owner
• 8. How to reach me after handover

What to customise before you use it

• Replace Project Name with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Name with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Date with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace One sentence with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Amount with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Green / amber / red with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Politics or sensitivities with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Person whose buy-in matters more than their title suggests with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Hidden dependency on another project with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.
• Replace Link with your real meeting, project, or stakeholder details.

# Project Handover — [Project Name]

**Outgoing owner:** [Name]   **Incoming owner:** [Name]   **Handover date:** [Date]   **Sponsor:** [Name]

## 1. Project at a glance
- Objective: [One sentence]
- Original deadline: [Date]   Current expected: [Date]
- Original budget: [Amount]   Current spend: [Amount]
- RAG: [Green / amber / red]

## 2. Decisions made to date (and the reasoning)
| # | Decision | When | Why | Implication |
|---|----------|------|-----|-------------|
|   |          |      |     |             |

## 3. People
- Sponsor and their expectations
- Steering committee members
- Working team and their strengths
- Key external dependencies (suppliers, contractors, partners)

## 4. In-flight work
| Workstream | Status | Owner | Next milestone | Risks |
|------------|--------|-------|----------------|-------|
|            |        |       |                |       |

## 5. Watchouts (the things you wouldn't know from reading the docs)
- [Politics or sensitivities]
- [Person whose buy-in matters more than their title suggests]
- [Hidden dependency on another project]

## 6. Documents and access
- Shared drive: [Link]
- Tool access I need transferred: [List]
- Meetings I'll forward to your invite: [List]

## 7. First two weeks for the incoming owner
- Week 1: 1:1s with every workstream lead and the sponsor
- Week 2: First written status update in the new owner's voice
- End of week 2: 30-min review with sponsor on any direction-change

## 8. How to reach me after handover
- [Period of availability]
- [Channel]
- [What I'm happy to be pinged on; what should go to others]