By Maria Mothibeli, Head of Operations, SPM
When an incomplete project scope is handed to Operations, the unresolved gaps become delivery problems. Missing technical information can delay work, unclear responsibilities can slow decision-making, and commitments that were not properly communicated can leave the site team trying to meet expectations it did not know about.
This is why project handover should not be viewed as the transfer of documents. It is the transfer of accountability. Once Operations accepts a project, it becomes responsible for delivering the outcome, even though many of the decisions that shape that outcome were made much earlier.
That transfer of accountability should only happen when the project is ready.
A project handover should provide Operations with a complete understanding of the work that has been sold and planned. The agreed scope, technical requirements, customer commitments, programme, resource requirements and known risks should all be clear before responsibility changes hands. Where information is incomplete or decisions remain outstanding, those issues should be identified and resolved before execution begins.
In practice, many delivery problems can be traced back to this point in the project lifecycle. Scope changes that were never communicated, engineering information that is still incomplete, unrealistic programmes or assumptions about resources often become visible only after work has started. By then, Operations is no longer managing a well-defined project. It is managing uncertainty.
That uncertainty carries a cost. Time is spent finding information that should already exist. Site teams make decisions without the full picture. Engineering, procurement and commercial teams are drawn back into issues that should have been resolved during planning. The project continues to move forward, but with greater effort, more disruption and less certainty than necessary.
A disciplined handover allows Operations to assess whether the project is genuinely ready for delivery. It creates an opportunity to challenge assumptions, confirm that resources will be available when required, test whether the programme is realistic and identify risks that could affect execution. This is not about delaying projects or creating unnecessary approvals. It is about ensuring that accountability is transferred with the information needed to discharge it.
It also creates clearer accountability across the organisation. Each function understands what it is responsible for before the next function assumes ownership. Outstanding actions remain with the people responsible for completing them instead of quietly becoming someone else’s problem. When accountability is transferred deliberately, it is far easier to establish ownership, resolve issues and support effective collaboration throughout the project.
Project performance is often judged by what happens once work begins, but many of the conditions that determine whether a project succeeds have already been established. The quality of planning, the completeness of the information and the discipline applied during handover all influence the delivery team’s ability to execute successfully.
Project handover should therefore be recognised for what it is: the point at which accountability moves from planning to execution. When that transfer takes place with complete information, clear ownership and realistic expectations, Operations is able to focus on delivering the project rather than resolving problems inherited from earlier stages.