---
name: prepare-a-handoff-note
category: start
description: Prepare a handoff note that transfers current state, decisions, evidence, work in progress, risks, access, contacts, and next actions. Use when responsibility moves between people, teams, shifts, or vendors.
---

# prepare-a-handoff-note

Write for someone who was not present and must act safely.

## When to use

- Use for project, operations, incident, leave, shift, vendor, or role transitions.
- Do not put passwords, private keys, or unnecessary sensitive data in the note.

## Procedure

1. Identify scope, outgoing owner, incoming owner, handoff time, overlap, and acceptance authority.
2. State current status, last verified evidence, important changes, and what is not complete.
3. List active work with owner, state, next action, deadline, dependency, and source link.
4. Summarize decisions, assumptions, risks, issues, exceptions, and escalation triggers.
5. Link systems, documents, dashboards, runbooks, contacts, and approved access-request paths.
6. Describe near-term calendar events, irreversible actions, and safe stop conditions.
7. Walk through the note, answer questions, verify access independently, and record acceptance.

## Done

- A handoff note records scope, verified state, work, decisions, risks, links, contacts, access paths, next actions, and unknowns
- Incoming-owner, source-link, access, deadline, escalation, walkthrough, and acceptance checks verify continuity