Project Handover Survival Guide
From Chaos to Clarity in Your First 30 Days as a New IT Project Manager
You've just inherited a project mid-flight. The previous project manager has vanished, documentation is scattered across six different folders, stakeholders are panicking, and everyone expects you to somehow make sense of it all by Thursday's meeting.
This is the book I wish I'd had when I started as a project manager.
Project Handover Survival Guide transforms that terrifying Monday morning into professional opportunity. In just 30 days, you'll move from "the new person trying to figure things out" to the confident leader who sees clearly, acts decisively, and delivers results that build unshakeable credibility.
Battle-tested knowledge from 40+ real projects. Learn the three critical questions that unlock project truth faster than weeks of documentation review. Master turning inherited chaos into sustainable momentum with proven frameworks, IPMA complexity assessments, and modern AI acceleration strategies.
Stop firefighting. Start leading.
The author is letting you choose the price you pay for this book!
You've just inherited a project mid-flight. The previous project manager has vanished, documentation is scattered across six different folders, stakeholders are panicking, and everyone expects you to somehow make sense of it all by Thursday's meeting.
This is the book I wish I'd had when I started as a project manager.
Project Handover Survival Guide transforms that terrifying Monday morning into professional opportunity. In just 30 days, you'll move from "the new person trying to figure things out" to the confident leader who sees clearly, acts decisively, and delivers results that build unshakeable credibility.
Battle-tested knowledge from 40+ real projects. Learn the three critical questions that unlock project truth faster than weeks of documentation review. Master turning inherited chaos into sustainable momentum with proven frameworks, IPMA complexity assessments, and modern AI acceleration strategies.
Stop firefighting. Start leading.
About
About the Book
You've just inherited a project mid-flight. The previous project manager has vanished, documentation is scattered, stakeholders are panicking, and everyone expects you to somehow make sense of it all by Thursday's meeting.
Project Handover Survival Guide transforms that terrifying Monday morning into professional opportunity. In just 30 days, you'll move from "the new person trying to figure things out" to the confident leader who sees clearly, acts decisively, and delivers results that build unshakeable credibility.
This isn't theory—it's battle-tested knowledge from 40+ real IT projects across Nordic and international environments. You'll learn the three critical questions that unlock project truth faster than weeks of documentation review. You'll discover how to build stakeholder trust through strategic conversations, not perfect plans. You'll master the art of turning inherited chaos into sustainable momentum using proven frameworks from PRINCE2, Agile, and Half Double methodologies.
Week 1: Absorb, Listen, Learn—see clearly before acting fast
Week 2: Clarify, Confirm, Align—turn confusion into shared understanding
Week 3: Decide, Plan, Mobilise—create plans that actually work with real resource constraints
Week 4: Deliver, Learn, Adjust—build trust through visible progress and sustainable rhythm
Professional-grade tools included:
- IPMA Complexity Assessment framework for strategic project analysis
- Cultural assessment tools for multicultural teams
- AI acceleration strategies for modern project managers
- Ready-to-use templates and checklists
Each chapter includes field examples from real projects (anonymized for confidentiality), actionable checklists, and templates you can implement immediately. Whether you're new to project management or a seasoned professional taking on an inherited mess, this guide delivers the frameworks and real-world intelligence you need to succeed from day one.
Written by Jens Øster, an experienced IT project manager with IPMA-B, PRINCE2, and SAFe certifications, who has successfully navigated dozens of project handovers across complex technical and organizational environments.
Stop firefighting. Start leading.
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About the Author
Jens Øster, M.Sc.Eng.
Jens Øster is a senior IT project manager and consultant with extensive experience delivering complex projects across multiple sectors. With over 40 successful projects under his belt, he specialises in helping organisations navigate the challenges of inherited projects, agile transformations, and complex stakeholder environments.
His educational background includes a Master of Science in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark, specialising in Computer Systems. He has supplemented this foundation with professional certifications in PRINCE2, PRINCE2 Agile, IPMA Level B, Scrum Master, SAFe, and ITIL.
Jens is passionate about sharing practical project management knowledge that works in real organisational contexts. His approach combines thorough methodology with pragmatic adaptation to organisational culture and constraints.
Contents
Table of Contents
- Excelled Project Management Series
- About the Author
- Release Notes
- PREFACE
- Be the Project Lighthouse and the Falcon
- The 80/20 Rule for Project Takeovers
- How to Use This Guide
- A Path for Every Project Manager
- QUICK START GUIDE
- Documentation to Collect and Update
- Week 1: Absorb, Listen, Learn
- Week 2: Clarify, Confirm, Align
- Week 3: Decide, Plan, Mobilise
- Week 4: Deliver, Learn, Adjust
- PART 0: THE PROFESSIONAL’S PREPARATION
- Project Management Foundation Training
- Define What “Good Project Management” Means to You
- What If You Don’t?
- Field Example: What If You Fail Early?
- PART I: ABSORB, LISTEN, LEARN (Week 1)
- Chapter 1: The Initial Assessment (Day 1-3)
- Your Job Is Not to Act Fast – It’s to See Clearly
- The Three Critical Questions That Unlock Project Truth
- Essential Documents That Actually Matter
- Your Day 1-3 Action Checklist
- How to Get Your Documents in Shape
- Red Flags That Demand Immediate Action
- Field Example: How Three Questions Revealed the Hidden Crisis
- What if You Don’t Talk to People and Ask What Is Broken?
- Chapter 2: Stakeholder Triage
- The Four Types of Stakeholders
- Your Introduction Strategy for Maximum Impact
- Field Example: Adapting Your Introduction Strategy in Real-Time
- Advanced Stakeholder Intelligence Gathering
- Your Alliance-Building Strategy
- Field Example: Challenging Sponsor’s System Preference
- Communication Patterns That Build Confidence
- Managing Stakeholder Dynamics in Meetings
- Field Example: Turning a Blocker into an Ally
- What if you don’t map informal power?
- Chapter 3: Team Reality Check
- The Reality of Inherited Teams
- The Team 1:1 That Actually Builds Understanding
- Building Credibility Through Competent Questions
- Quick Wins That Build Instant Credibility
- Managing Inherited Team Dynamics
- Creating Psychological Safety in Inherited Teams
- Field Example: Transforming the Conflictual Technical Team
- What If You Ignore Team Dynamics?
- Chapter 1: The Initial Assessment (Day 1-3)
- PART II: CLARIFY, CONFIRM, ALIGN (Week 2)
- Chapter 4: Documentation Detective Work
- The Three-Source Verification Rule
- Which Documents Actually Matter (And Which to Ignore)
- Your Documentation Power Technique: The Four Folders Strategy
- Creating Your Project Summary Document
- Field Example: Why Professional Standards Matter
- What If You Trust Inherited Documentation Blindly?
- Chapter 5: Scope Reality vs. Scope Fantasy
- The Scope Archaeology Method
- Identifying Scope Creep Already in Progress
- Managing Expectation Misalignment
- Your Scope Clarification Framework
- The Change Request Reality Check
- Managing Scope in Complex Multi-Team Projects
- Field Example: Managing Multi-Team Scope with Fixed Budget
- What If You Don’t Clarify Scope Boundaries?
- Chapter 4: Documentation Detective Work
- PART III: DECIDE, PLAN, MOBILISE (Week 3)
- Chapter 6: Risk Assessment for Inherited Projects
- PRINCE2’s Exception Management Applied to Inherited Risk
- Use Risk to Focus Your Project Manager Falcon Eyes
- The Top 10 Risks in Handover Projects
- Resource Risks That Kill Projects
- Your 30-Point Risk Assessment Checklist
- Using Complexity Analysis
- Field Example: How Team Planning Revealed Hidden Resource Risks
- What If You Ignore Hidden Risks?
- Chapter 7: Budget and Timeline Reality
- The Three Budget Realities You Need to Understand
- Timeline Assumptions versus Timeline Reality
- The Honest Conversation Framework
- Resetting Expectations Without Losing Trust
- Planning Your Path Forward
- Field Example: Agile Long-Term Planning
- What If You Avoid The Budget Reality Conversations?
- Chapter 6: Risk Assessment for Inherited Projects
- PART IV: DELIVER, LEARN, ADJUST (Week 4)
- Chapter 8: Establishing Your Project Rhythm
- Team Setup and Meeting Cadence Options
- Meeting Efficiency Principles
- Management by Exception (PRINCE2 Approach)
- Communication Structure That Scales
- Beyond Weekly Rhythm: Major Milestone Planning
- Establishing Team Code of Conduct
- Red Flags in Project Rhythm
- What Success Looks Like After 30 Days
- Field Example: Managing 10 Parallel Project Tracks
- What if You Create Meeting Bloat Instead of Rhythm?
- Chapter 9: Quick Wins and Early Victories
- The 15 Types of Quick Wins for IT Projects
- Track Your Success and Share Strategically
- Building Foundation While Delivering Wins
- Red Flags to Avoid in Quick Win Selection
- What Success Looks Like After 30 Days
- Field Example: The Status Meeting Transformation
- What if You Focus on Perfect Solutions Instead of Quick Wins?
- Chapter 10: Building Your Project Culture
- The Culture Iceberg Model
- Understanding National Culture Impact
- Using Team Assessment Tools for Culture Building
- Field Example: Making the Team Own Scrum Values
- Your Project Culture Establishment Plan
- What Success Looks Like After 60 Days
- What if you ignore cultural differences?
- Chapter Summary: Building Your Project Culture
- Chapter 8: Establishing Your Project Rhythm
- FROM HANDOVER TO MASTERY: WHAT’S NEXT
- The Principles That Drive Long-Term Success
- Deliver Often and Early
- Give Feedback to Your Team
- Evaluate Project Execution Quarterly
- Embrace Continuous Improvement
- Use Your Full Project Organisation
- Invest in Understanding Your Project Scope
- Delegate to Develop Others
- Maintain Radical Transparency
- Your Evolution as a Project Leader
- Good Luck with Your Projects
- The Principles That Drive Long-Term Success
- APPENDICES
- Appendix A: Tools
- RACI Framework for Inherited Projects
- Risk Assessment Framework
- IPMA - Characterisation of management complexity
- Quick and Powerful Evaluation
- Project Manager Evaluation
- Stakeholder Communication Scripts
- Appendix B: Templates
- Template: Assertive Stakeholder Introduction Meeting
- Template: Team Member 1:1 Intro Meeting
- Template: Issue Handling Meeting
- Template: Weekly Status Report Template
- Template: Monthly Steering Committee Report:
- Code of Conduct - Example A
- Code of Conduct - Example B
- Template: Scrum Value Workshop Intro Email and Agenda
- Appendix C: Use AI to Accelerate Your Project
- Pitfalls to Watch Out For:
- AI for Accelerated Impact: Your Strategic Use Cases
- Appendix D: Glossary of Key Project Terms
- The Documents You’ll Need
- The People You’ll Work With
- Your PM Tools
- How to Stay on Track
- PRINCE2 Core Principles to Know
- Appendix A: Tools
- References and Further Reading
- Books and Reports
- Online Resources
- Additional Reading
- Excelled Project Management Series
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