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Handoff Requirements

FINAL ACTION ITEMS FOR DISCOVER TEAMS

I hope you guys had a good weekend and happy final weeks! Here are some of the last things that tech leads want you guys to complete to officially off-board from the Discover program! Please make sure to read all of these instructions in full.Your deadline to complete this is the end of the week (this Friday). At least one person needs to do this, so you can all decide who has the capacity to do this amongst your teams.

Discover Program Project Team Offloading​

Write an email to your client for hand-off​

What I think you should include in these emails:

  1. Project recap (3-5 sentences). Summarize the original goal, the core functionality you built, and the current state (did you complete your MVP? Is the project considered "beta", version 1 shipped?).

  2. Deliverables list. Bullet out every asset you’re handing over (repo link, design files, datasets, credentials, user guide, slide decks, etc.).

  3. Access instructions. Clarify where everything lives (GitHub, Figma, Google Drive, etc.) and list the exact permissions the client needs to view, edit, or deploy.

  4. Next steps / maintenance. Note any open issues, nice-to-have features, or known bugs. Recommend who should own future work (client dev, IT team, a future Discover program group).

  5. Support window. Offer a short support period (e.g., “We’ll be available for quick questions until June 20”). It's okay if you say that you can't support the project anymore. Tech leads will figure out the next steps when it comes to that.

Remember: CC disc@u.northwestern.edu so we have a record—no CC means it didn’t happen! You must do this so we have record that you have off-loaded your project!!.

2. Package & transfer every project asset​

AssetWhere to storeFinal checks
Source codeGitHub repo (transfer ownership or add client as admin)README.md has build/run steps
Designs & mock-upsFigma → “Project-Name-FINAL” folderAll frames named & grouped, share link set to “Anyone with the link – can view”
Docs & diagramsGoogle Drive → /Client-Hand-off/ or something like that. Or if not Google Drive, whatever else your client uses.“Getting Started” & “Quick Start". You should already have this done though.
Credentials / secretsSomewhere secure/semi-secure, Google Docs maybe?MAKE SURE THAT 1- YOUR CREDENTIALS WORK AND 2- THAT PEOPLE WHO DON'T NEED THEM DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEM ANYMORE

My advice: Try to do another walkthrough of your project, to make sure that things haven't broken since the showcase last Monday.

you might also want to rotate your credentials (getting new ones) depending on your project.

3. Finalize documentation if you haven't already​

  1. README: Update install commands, environment variables, and any setup quirks/common issues.

  2. CHANGELOG: Add a final entry — [v1.0] – 2025-06-13 - Final client release.

  3. Issue/Tasks board: Close done items, label anything left as future-work, assign to “Client”.

  4. Documentation Website (Optiona): Add in a page somewhere in the documentation website to include links to presentations, past meeting notes, demos, etc etc.

This is the living knowledge base that your client, DISC, and future Discover Program participants will be using so PLEASE make this as clean, easy to navigate, and detailed as possible.

4. Record or host a walkthrough (strongly encouraged)​

  • record a Loom / Zoom demo (10-15 min) and link it in both the email and README.

5. Confirm completion & access revocation​

  1. Wait for the client to reply “All set!” (or similar) and verify they can open all links.

  2. Remove your personal access to client resources if requested (GitHub, Gmail accounts, etc.).

  3. Send a message to Tech Leads that your client has accepted the hand-off of the project.

Final Week Checklist​

  • Hand-off email sent (CC disc@u.northwestern.edu)

  • All deliverables uploaded / permissions verified

  • README, CHANGELOG, and wiki updated

  • Walkthrough call or recording shared

  • Client confirmed access & you posted ✅ update

Deadlines​

  • Priority deadline: Friday, June 13 (lets everyone breathe before finals).

  • Absolute last call: Monday, June 16 (no extensions—grades are due).

If your team has any questions or blockers, please don't hesitate to reach out to the tech leads. Let's close out the Discover program strongly and make sure that everything is all set so we can leave a good final impression for our clients!!