Here is a handover document template that you should complete with outgoing and incoming committee members.
Here is a list of prompts to help you get the most out of your handover meetings.
Please read our handover questions and answers below for more information.
This guidance is only relevant to societies. UEA Sport arranges handover with clubs.
What is a handover?
A handover is when old committee pass on crucial information, their knowledge of process and tips for the new committee. Old committee members make a document with essential information that is then given to new committee members. Old committee membes and new committee members then meet-up for a handover discussion(s).
Handover Document
What information should you include in a handover booklet?
This will differ from group to group. However, anything that is important and easily forgotten, such as passwords, should be put in the handover document. We have a template below that you can edit to suit your needs.
Here is a list of essential information you should put in your handover document:
- Email addresses and passwords to email addresses.
- Social media accounts and passwords to social media accounts.
- Information and access to any group chats and social media groups.
- External website log in information.
- Share Point log in information (please note if you have a google drive or non microsoft based drives please notify the SU immediately to discuss provisions for your society).
- Room bookings information for room bookings happening after the committee change and before the year ends.
- Contact information for sponsors, external contacts, or SU / UEA Sport members of staff that your group frequently contacts.
- Information regarding your locker. List what is in the locker and it's working condition, where the key to the locker is kept and what number locker you have.
Here is a list of recommended information you should consider including in your handover document:
- Information regarding meetings and the frequency of them
- Recommendations regarding best rooms or venues for activities and events you run
- A list of events or activities you ran last year and whether they were received well or what you would change
- General committee tips - what you found worked well for your committee this year and any improvements or processes you would recommend for the new committee
- A bank of ideas you had but weren't able to implement
When should you make a handover?
Current committee members should begin making a handover, or editing last year's handover document over the Easter period before a new committee is officially elected. Winners of the election will be announced by April 8th 2021.
Who should you give the handover to?
Current committee members should give newly elected committees members their handover document and organise a handover discussion. You should send in your handover documents to the SU once it is made so we can save it in it is lost during committee change period.
Handover Document Template
Here is a handover document template that you should complete with outgoing and incoming committee members. This is a basic template that can be used by all societies. Please feel free to add in any additional sections you feel would be useful for your incoming committee members.
Handover Meetings
What should we talk about at handover meetings?
There isn't a set list of questions you need to ask at handover meetings. We encourage you to talk about what feels natural and important to you and ask questions that come to your mind in the meeting. However, we have put together an list of promts to help you get the most out of your handover meetings. See this list of prompts here.
When should we run our handover meetings?
Once the committee elections have finished and we have announced the newly elected committee, you should then book in an online handover meeting for a time convenient to all that should attend. Voting for committee elections close 6th April 10pm. Winners will be announced by the 8th April.
How many handover meetings should we run?
We recommend you:
- Have one large meeting where all the current and newly elected committee meet,
- plus multiple meetings for individual roles to meet up i.e. current president meets with newly-elected president. For these meetings, only the relevant roles should attend
This means that the more committee members you have in society, the more handover meetings you should have.
Who should attend handover meetings?
In short, current committee members, and newly-elected committee members!
We recommend you:
- Have one large meeting where all the current and newly elected committee meet,
- plus multiple meetings for individual roles to meet up i.e. current president meets with newly-elected president. For these meetings, only the relevant roles should attend.