Handing over project records before the contractor closes
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Give the receiving person an index of the project records and a way to use them. Sending a large folder is not enough if nobody knows which drawing is current, which manual relates to the installed equipment or which document is still missing.
Start with the records required by the actual project arrangements and relevant responsibilities. Ask the client, project contact and appropriate adviser to confirm the scope. This index does not certify the work or establish that statutory information duties have been fulfilled.
Index by purpose and version
Use the document’s own identifier where available. Record enough context to distinguish it from a similar file without changing its original history.
| Field | What it should explain |
|---|---|
| Record and reference | The actual document and the project or part it relates to |
| Version and date | Which issue is being supplied and what its status is |
| Purpose | Why the recipient needs it, according to the agreed handover |
| Intended recipient | The authorised person or controlled system receiving it |
| Delivery evidence | What was sent and any acknowledgement or response |
| Open gap | Missing item, disputed version or question, with a named owner |
Mark a draft as a draft. Do not rename it “final” merely to make the folder tidy. Where several versions exist, ask the responsible person which belongs in the handover and what history must remain available.
Check that the pack answers a real question
Choose an agreed enquiry, such as locating the operating information for a particular installed item. Ask the intended recipient to find the relevant file using the index. Do not require them to understand an ex-employee’s personal folder names.
If the test fails, identify whether the problem is a missing document, an unclear reference or access. These need different remedies. A fresh export will not fix a drawing that was never supplied.
Use the client handover agenda to obtain a clear response about outstanding items. Keep acknowledgement of receipt separate from acceptance of technical content.
Preserve access without copying everything everywhere
Confirm what happens to the project platform or other hosted service as subscriptions and user accounts change. The software cancellation check helps ask the provider about the actual access and retrieval options.
Use the business’s approved information-handling arrangements. Do not place passwords or unnecessary personal records in the handover pack, and do not assume every recipient should receive the same files.
For project safety information, use the duty-holder enquiry brief. Its scope and recipients need confirmation for the actual project and jurisdiction; a general document index is not a substitute.
Tell UK Auction Group if computers or other contents remain in use for an agreed records task. Give a clear release condition once access and information handling are resolved. Keep client project documents in the controlled business process, separate from the information approved for an equipment sale.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.