Use a ten-section checklist to prepare the transfer of a governance function. Bring together the information, outstanding work and relationships a successor or interim needs to understand.
Free PDF · 8 pages · Company secretary handover checklist
By Beyond Governance
- Review ten areas of a governance handover
- Identify outstanding matters and approaching deadlines
- Prepare for a clear final handover conversation
Download the handover checklist
Making the handover useful to the next person
A successor needs to understand more than where the documents are stored. They also need to know what is unresolved, which deadlines are approaching and who can explain the context behind an issue.
The Governance Handover Pack provides a checklist for assembling that information. Its ten sections cover the organisation, board, calendar, policies, active work, access arrangements and key relationships. Adapt it to your role and keep it current as the handover develops.
What the checklist covers
Organisation and board context
Gather the background information and board or committee details the incoming person needs to understand the function.
Calendars and deadlines
Review the meeting timetable and forthcoming obligations so that approaching work is visible during the transition.
Policies and live matters
Identify current policies, open board actions, work in progress and matters involving regulators, auditors or transactions.
Access and relationships
Record the access arrangements and key contacts needed to locate information and work with colleagues or advisers.
Risks and the final conversation
Bring unresolved risks into the discussion and use the final review section to check what has been covered.
Who the pack is for
Outgoing and incoming company secretaries, governance teams, interim professionals and managers organising a change of responsibility or a period of cover.
What belongs in the live matters section
The checklist prompts you to review open board actions, policy work, regulator or auditor correspondence and transactions. These categories help the next person understand the work still in motion.
Why download the checklist
It provides a shared structure for the people giving and receiving the handover. Working through the sections can expose missing context and unresolved tasks early enough to discuss them before responsibility changes.
How to use it
Adapt the checklist to the organisation, add the information relevant to the role and work through it together at the handover. It is a starting point, so include any additional responsibilities or risks specific to your function.
Download the Governance Handover Pack
Prepare a handover that explains both the records and the work still to do.
Button: Download the handover checklist
Related resources
The First 90 Days as Group Company Secretary
Forward Agenda Planning for Boards and Committees
Further support
Explore CoSec on Demand for governance capacity during a transition or period of absence.
