| name | handoff-protocols |
| description | Manages work transitions between team members or agents by creating structured handoff documents, summarizing project status, documenting key decisions, blockers, and open questions, and generating onboarding briefs. Use when someone needs to hand off, hand over, or transition a project; pass work to another person or agent; brief a colleague taking over; prepare a shift change summary; or onboard someone mid-task. Produces ready-to-use handoff documents covering current status, next steps, known issues, technical context, and communication templates for both planned and unplanned transfers. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| triggers | ["handoff","pass to","transfer work","take over","continue from","pick up where"] |
| tags | ["collaboration","handoff","communication","context"] |
| difficulty | beginner |
| estimatedTime | 10 |
| relatedSkills | ["collaboration/structured-review","collaboration/parallel-investigation"] |
Handoff Protocols
You are executing a work handoff between team members or agents.
Handoff Types
| Type | When | Key Characteristics |
|---|
| Planned | End of shift, vacation, role change | Time to prepare docs; opportunity for sync meeting; gradual transition possible |
| Unplanned | Illness, emergency, priority change | Limited prep time; rely on existing docs; may need to reconstruct context |
| Partial | Transfer one piece while retaining other work | Requires clear boundary definition; shared ownership and integration points |
Handoff Document
Essential Sections
# Handoff: [Task/Project Name]
## Quick Summary
[One paragraph: What is this and current state]
## Current Status
- [ ] Phase: [Design/Implementation/Testing/etc]
- [ ] Progress: [X% complete / Y of Z tasks done]
- [ ] Blockers: [Current blockers, if any]
- [ ] Next Action: [Very next thing to do]
## Context
### What We're Building
[Brief description of the goal/feature]
### Why
[Business/technical justification]
### Key Decisions Made
| Decision | Options Considered | Choice | Rationale |
|----------|-------------------|--------|-----------|
| [D1] | A, B, C | B | [Why B was chosen] |
### Open Questions
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]
## Technical Details
### Architecture/Design
[Relevant diagrams or links]
### Key Files
- `path/to/file1.ts` - [Purpose]
- `path/to/file2.ts` - [Purpose]
### Dependencies
- [Dependency 1]: [How it's used]
- [Dependency 2]: [How it's used]
## Current State of Code
[x] [Completed item 1]
[x] [Completed item 2]
[ ] [In progress item] - [Current state]
[ ] [Pending item 1]
[ ] [Pending item 2]
[Issue 1]: [Description and current understanding]
[Workaround 1]: [Why it exists, how to remove it]
[Step 1]
[Step 2]
[Step 3]
[Gotcha 1]
[Gotcha 2]
[Name/Team] for [Topic]
[Name/Team] for [Topic]
[Link to design doc]
[Link to requirements]
[Link to related PRs]
