# Manager handovers: preserve review responsibilities during role changes

A management handover should identify open reviews, controlled documents and decisions awaiting ownership. Transferring an account or folder is not the same as transferring the operational responsibilities attached to unresolved work.

> A management handover should identify open reviews, controlled documents and decisions awaiting ownership. Transferring an account or folder is not the same as transferring the operational responsibilities attached to unresolved work.

Kivloo editorial team · 2026-10-25

## Define the decision behind the record

Prepare an indexed list of authoritative records instead of copying everything into a new document. Define which responsibilities transfer and which remain elsewhere. Give the incoming manager a way to record questions and acceptance without falsely closing underlying issues.

## Transfer recurring duties as well as individual open actions

Define the outgoing role’s sites, review responsibilities, recurring obligations and current open decisions. Identify authoritative records and the access needed to review them. A list of urgent tasks alone can miss regular duties that become visible only after the previous manager leaves.

Record receiving owners, next review points, restrictions and unresolved questions. Confirm that the incoming manager can retrieve the evidence and applicable instructions. Keep acknowledgement separate from completion of the duties and actions transferred.

Test a pending corrective action and a recurring review due after the role change. The record should identify who now owns each item and preserve the earlier history. Verify relevant access changes without assuming that a role announcement automatically transferred permissions, knowledge and accountability.

## Worked example

An outgoing manager has pending supplier reviews and corrective-action verifications. The handover links the records and names the next responsible roles. The incoming manager can find source evidence and distinguish accepted responsibilities from matters still requiring clarification.

## Build a usable record

Use the fields below to capture the facts needed for this particular decision. Keep the actual observation separate from any later correction or approval.

- Role and site scope

- Pending decisions and reviews

- Authoritative record links

- Incoming owner and acceptance

- Unresolved questions and next step

## Example record and review decision

Fictional record example: ROLE-A → HANDOVER-11 → ROLE-B: review scope, open actions, recurring obligations, access and acknowledgement.

Confirm the incoming manager can retrieve the evidence and knows the next required reviews and unresolved decisions.

A role change announcement does not itself transfer access, review ownership or knowledge of outstanding restrictions.

## Test the review, not just the form

Revisit the handover after the role change. Confirm that outstanding items remain visible to their new owners and that previous decisions retain their author and context. Avoid interpreting a completed handover as proof that every linked action is finished.

## Does a folder transfer complete a management handover?

No. Make responsibilities, outstanding decisions and acceptance explicit as well as transferring access.

## Does changing a job title transfer all review duties?

Not by itself. Identify the actual obligations, receiving owners, evidence access and next review points, and confirm the handover rather than relying on the title change alone.

## Continue reading

- [Workplace safety management: from risk assessment to verified actions](https://kivloo.com/en/guides/workplace-safety-management-guide)

- [Multi-site checklists: control shared templates without hiding local differences](https://kivloo.com/en/guides/multi-site-template-governance)

- [Local checklist variations: record why a site differs](https://kivloo.com/en/guides/local-checklist-variations-register)

- [Multi-site dashboards: compare definitions before comparing percentages](https://kivloo.com/en/guides/multi-site-completion-dashboard)

- [Workplace safety inspections: turn findings into verified corrective actions](https://kivloo.com/en/guides/workplace-inspections-corrective-actions)

- [Digital HACCP records: build a temperature log your team can actually use](https://kivloo.com/en/guides/digital-haccp-temperature-records)

## Sources and further reading

- [ILO · ILO-OSH 2001](https://www.ilo.org/resource/guidelines-occupational-safety-and-health-management-systems-ilo-osh-2001)

- [OSHA · Hazard Identification and Assessment](https://www.osha.gov/safety-management/hazard-identification)

- [OSHA · Hazard Prevention and Control](https://www.osha.gov/safety-management/hazard-prevention)

Operational guidance, not a certification or a legal assessment. Adapt examples to your site, approved procedures and local requirements. Product links lead to the English website; this guide does not imply a fully translated application or verified hardware compatibility.

Canonical: https://kivloo.com/en/guides/manager-review-handover