Following a two week vacation in August, I returned to find a colleague’s message thanking me for my “amazing handover notes.” But I’ll be honest—my handover notes haven’t always received such a warm reception. Handover notes detail the essential information someone would need in order to cover your key responsibilities during a variety of situations, such as • When you’re away • Taking a new position • Shifted to a higher-priority project • Organizing a project handover to the client. A person stepping into your shoes needs core information documented in a concise way. This sets clear expectations and explains the level of involvement needed once you’re gone (ranging from a very light touch to daily contact). In other words, project handover notes serve as a master checklist and information hub, detailing aspects of the project that are critical to its success. Handover Notes Template 1. Name: STELLA EKALLAM 2. Job Title: SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR 3. Date of Handover Note: MARCH 21/2013 4. Duration of Assignment (include. A Microsoft Excel template for a structured checklist with the option to check and uncheck by double clicking. Project handoff notes should at least cover: • Who’s working on your projects • What they’re doing • A list of key meeting dates or milestones • The client’s contact details (and contact preferences). In my younger PM days, I would received panicked phone calls because my handover didn’t cut the mustard. My notes were actually pretty comprehensive, but there would be some related task I’d missed. During one situation, the person covering for me couldn’t locate the latest wireframe document because I hadn’t saved it to the company Drive for everyone to access. (Google Docs solves most of these issues for me now, but it’s always important to check that people have the right permissions to access and view documents.), which is all too easy to forget when we’re in a rush to get out the door. Several years down the line, I realize that handovers don’t need to be daunting. They just need to be an honest account of where the project is, who’s accountable for doing what, and when it needs to happen. Get your free perfect project handover template! We’ll also send you occasional news and updates from Resource Guru, but we will never sell your address or send you spam. You can unsubscribe at any time. When do you need to create handover notes? Handover notes should always be written if you’re taking more than three consecutive days off. If you’re merely taking a long weekend, get people within the team to cover the basics of your role, e.g., running your morning scrum. Handover notes can also be repurposed; I usually copy recent notes and update them with just a few tweaks. Much of the information should still apply if your project portfolio hasn’t changed, meaning simple updates to the status and details, and removing projects you’re no longer looking after. Step 1: The prep work A good handoff process entails: • Informing relevant parties/stakeholders of your absence in advance • Doing prep work with the client before you leave • Creating and sharing your notes at least one day ahead of time • Running through projects in person with your stand-in • Meeting for an official handover back to you • Reviewing and improving the process. It really helps if your company has an official handover template.
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March 2018
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