Handover is one of the most important things your club does each year. It keeps your club resilient, stops knowledge from disappearing when people move on, and gives your incoming executive the confidence to hit the ground running.

A lot of the challenges clubs face are cyclical, and many can be avoided with a solid handover and clear documentation. Learning every system from scratch is hard. A good handover means your next team doesn't have to stress.

What a good handover includes

A strong handover covers four main areas:

• General administration: logins and passwords, shared drives, calendars, your constitution, asset inventory, and any subscriptions or ongoing costs.
• Club operations: regular tasks for each role, your club's yearly cycle, how you use OUSA systems like Sporty and the grants portal, and how you manage finances.
• Reflections and lessons: what worked, what didn't, and what you'd do differently. This is the knowledge that's hardest to find anywhere else.
• Connections and relationships: sponsors, suppliers, venues, University staff, and supporters like Critic and Radio One. Introduce your incoming exec to these people in person where you can.

Tips for a smooth handover

• Start early. Handover really starts at the beginning of the year. Keep a record of your processes, successes, and challenges as you go, including any funding, equipment, or resources you got and how you got them.
• Bring the new exec in early. Invite incoming members to meetings and let them see behind the scenes before they officially take over.
• Choose a format that works for you. A handover document, a well-organised Google Drive, and in-person conversations all work. Most clubs do best with a mix.
• Go to the bank together. Changing bank signatories can be slow and fiddly, so get the outgoing and incoming exec to the bank as early as you can.
• Stay available. Be open to questions from your incoming exec, even the ones that seem silly. It makes a huge difference.

Resources

We've put together a few resources to make handover easier:

• Handover Guide & Checklists
  • Everything you need to prepare your handover, including checklists for your AGM, the formal committee handover, OUSA re-affiliation, new year preparation, and O'Week Clubs Day. It also has forms to record exec contact details and club account logins.
• Handover Reflection & Planning Workbook
  • A set of reflection questions for your outgoing exec to work through together. It helps draw out the lessons and know-how from 2026 so you can pass them on to your 2027 team.
• Clubs Planning Guide 2027
  • Key OUSA and University dates for 2027, including grant rounds, O'Week, workshops, and re-affiliation, so your new exec can start planning.

Need a hand?

If you have questions about handover or re-affiliation, get in touch with the Clubs Development Officer at cdo@ousa.org.nz.