How To Prepare A Project Handover Document (With Free Template)

What is a project handover document?

A project handover document is a comprehensive guide that summarizes all the details, processes, and instructions related to a specific project. It typically includes information about project deliverables, deadlines, resources, responsibilities, key stakeholders, and other crucial details.

This document is essential for facilitating a smooth transition between project teams. It ensures that every significant detail of the project is communicated, thus preventing confusion or missed opportunities. Using a project handoff template simplifies the process and makes project management more efficient.

Now that you understand the purpose of project handover notes, let’s learn how to write successful handover documentation.

How To Prepare A Project Handover Document in 5 easy steps

Project handover documents provide all the key information needed for someone to cover your major responsibilities. They are useful in various situations, such as:

• Organizing a project handover to a client
• Passing a project to a different department or contractor
• Shifting to a different position or project
• Ensuring your responsibilities are covered while you’re out of the office

Handoff documentation aligns the person taking over the project with the necessary tasks. Specifically, it allows you to:

• Create a project handover checklist and information hub for all important projects
• Set clear expectations when handing a project off to a team member, client, or external stakeholder
• Align everyone involved in completing the project and keep them updated throughout the process

This tool helps your marketing, sales, and product teams collaborate and stay aligned.

1. Define clear project goals and expectations

Create a header that includes your company branding and the project name. Define clear dates for the handover and important milestones. Include a brief project overview to explain the project scope. What is the main goal of the project? What key deliverables are needed? List the ongoing tasks and other background information.

Providing a clear outline, goals, and deliverables sets clear expectations while explaining the level of involvement needed once you hand the project to the next team. Remember, this document will serve as a master checklist and information hub for stakeholders taking over the project. You’ll need to detail all aspects of the project that are critical to your project handover document’s success.

2. Identify and manage key stakeholders, including both your team and the group who will be taking the project over

Start your project handover process as early as possible. Inform stakeholders from both your team and the receiving team about the upcoming transition promptly.

Hold a quick handover meeting to avoid any misconceptions about project tasks. Introduce the main points of contact on both sides and give everyone enough time to adjust their work and plan for the new project. Designate each stakeholder and their role, and include contact information for all team members as needed.

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3. Communicate the project details, tasks, and deliverables

The benefits and deliverables must be measurable and clearly communicated from the start. Ask yourself: Why are we doing this project? How will we know when it is complete?

Remember, tasks and deliverables won’t get done if they aren’t assigned. Assign each milestone, task, and deliverable to the appropriate contact to ensure accountability.

When creating your project outcomes section, prioritize important activities to ensure everyone is aligned. In most cases, the project manager stepping in will help assign tasks to the appropriate contacts on their team.

Quick Tip: Along with the table created in Xtensio’s project handover template, you can add task list modules to update the status of each item and track the live document as the project progresses. This allows all stakeholders to maintain visibility into what’s in progress, what’s next, and what’s completed. Update statuses as you go and share the link to keep both your marketing team and management on the same page.

4. Outline potential risks and roadblocks beforehand so change management issues can be handled efficiently

This section should explain any risks or potential risks you foresee for this project or during the handover process. You can add these to the comments section in the project objectives table or create a new section at the bottom of the template for more detailed notes.

5. Develop appropriate training and guidance for the group taking over the project, or ensure that the handover notes include thorough instructions

Once your project handover plan is structured with all details, requirements, issues, and challenges, organize a meeting with the new project manager or main point of contact to discuss the plan in detail.

Walking stakeholders through the project handoff document allows you to discuss project goals, achievements so far, and the upcoming roadmap. Clearly highlight important deadlines and milestones to ensure everyone is aligned before the handover. This conversation will also help identify gaps in your process and improve planning for future projects.

Share your project handover document as a link, review and improve the project handoff process

The project handover document is interactive and should be updated as tasks and input items evolve. Involve your team members and stakeholders from the receiving team to update statuses, tasks, and notes as the project progresses. Share the public link to your folio as a responsive webpage (with optional password protection), export a PDF, or post it on your bulletin board.

The project handover template is adaptable just like other Xtensio tools, it can and should be repurposed, revisited, and revised regularly.

Written by

Alper Cakir is the founder and CEO of Xtensio, a next generation document collaboration platform, a staple tool for businesses globally. He boasts over 17 years in the tech industry with expertise in UX/UI design, product management, and innovative business strategy. His passion for design led him to work with major clients like CBS Interactive, NBC Universal, and Toyota. Before Xtensio, he co-founded Fake Crow in Los Angeles, known for its innovative UX/UI approach. Alper studied music theory and jazz composition at Istanbul Bilgi University and guitar at Musicians Institute in London. Known for his hands-on approach, his philosophy is to simplify processes, cut through bureaucratic red tape, and empower teams to achieve their best work.

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