Six things a project handover should include

Make access usable by the receiving team

Source files are not enough when deployment still depends on a former developer’s personal account. Record the organization that owns each repository, server, domain and store account, then invite individual operators with the access they need.

Have the receiving team sign in and perform the intended tasks. An account list will not reveal expired invitations or inaccessible recovery methods.

Use invitations and a secret-management channel instead of collecting passwords in a shared document. List access to remove and credentials to rotate after transfer. Any access retained for maintenance needs a named owner and an agreed period.

Give each handover item an acceptance check

Each item needs both a deliverable and a way to check it:

1. Repository: source, history and version information that the next team can fetch.
2. Administration: accounts and roles tested against the tasks operators need.
3. Deployment: working server, store and domain access, with renewal owners.
4. Documentation: setup, data structure, integrations, backup and recovery procedures.
5. Handover session: a walkthrough performed by the receiving team, with gaps recorded.
6. Usage rights and dependencies: agreed delivery and usage terms for components such as CoUI, plus external service costs.

Compare actual deliverables with the agreed scope. Account access alone does not establish the usage rights for every dependency.

Document reasons and consequences

The next team needs to know what can safely change. Beside a configuration value, explain why it was chosen, what depends on it and how to check a change.

For example, documenting a retry limit should include whether an operation can be duplicated. A retention period should identify the workflows that rely on it. Record the actual values for the environment being transferred.

Separate setup, routine operations, incident response and design decisions. Add an owner and a verification date. Keep unresolved issues distinct from normal procedures so new operators can recognize known limitations.

Finish with a practical rehearsal

Ask the receiving team to fetch the source, prepare configuration and deploy to a safe verification environment. The outgoing team should record where the instructions fall short, rather than silently completing missing steps.

After deployment, check login and a principal workflow, locate logs and review the rollback procedure. Rehearse data-affecting recovery in a separately prepared environment.

Assign an owner and a due date to remaining questions. Completion becomes clearer when it means the next team performed agreed tasks, rather than merely received a bundle of files. Keep the result as the baseline for any subsequent support.