A handover pack for one concrete task
A handover pack explains how a task is carried out and which information it needs. It connects the workflow with decisions, exceptions and the right documents.
The template below is a starting point. Adapt it to your task together with the people who are professionally responsible.
Template to copy
1. Task and scope
Name of the task:
What starts it:
Which result should be produced:
What this pack covers and what lies outside its scope:
2. Workflow and responsibilities
The main working steps in order:
Who carries out each step:
Which information comes in and what is passed on to the next person:
3. Decisions
Which decisions arise during processing:
Which criteria and binding requirements apply:
Who may decide or approve:
4. Exceptions and limits
Which known exceptions can occur:
How they can be recognised:
When a question, an interruption or additional instruction is needed:
Who is responsible in these cases:
5. Documents and sources
Which templates, files and sources of information are needed:
Where the current valid versions are kept:
Which access rights are required and who grants them:
Do not enter passwords or personal credentials.
6. Open questions and review
Which details are still unclear, contradictory or unchecked:
Who clarifies each point:
Who has reviewed the content, when and to what extent:
7. Handover and updates
Who is to take over the task:
Which case will be worked through with this person:
Which questions and additions arise:
Who updates the documents when things change:
Where the agreed version is stored:
Checking the pack in practice
Ask a suitable person to work through an agreed case with the documents. Is the right template found? Are decisions understandable? When an exception occurs, is it clear whom to ask?
Add the missing information with the professionally responsible people. Record which cases were checked and where additional practice or instruction is still needed.
Choosing the right format
The pack can be an editable document, sit in SharePoint or in an existing knowledge system. What matters is that the intended person can find the information and work with it.