In PRINCE2, the interface between the Project Manager and the Team Manager is where plans become reality. Getting this handoff right — with the right tools and the right conversation — is one of the most important things a Project Manager can do to protect delivery quality.
The Three Tools of the Handoff
PRINCE2 provides three management products that formalise the PM-to-team interface:
Product Descriptions
Before any work begins, each product to be created should have a Product Description — defining its purpose, composition, format, quality criteria, and how it will be tested. This is what "done" looks like, agreed in advance. The Team Manager should help write or review these; it is their best protection against shifting expectations.
Work Packages
The Work Package is the formal authorisation to the Team Manager to create a set of products. It references the Product Descriptions, defines the team's tolerances, specifies the reporting requirements, and confirms the handback process. A Work Package that has been discussed, agreed, and signed is a mutual commitment — not just an instruction.
Quality Register
The Quality Register records planned and completed quality activities. When the Team Manager completes a quality check, the result goes into the Quality Register. This gives the Project Manager visibility of quality activity without needing to attend every review — and provides an audit trail that quality actually happened.
The Conversation Matters as Much as the Documents
The tools are necessary but not sufficient. A Work Package handed over without discussion is not a commitment — it is a document. The Project Manager should sit down with the Team Manager to walk through the products, the constraints, and the quality expectations. The Team Manager should have the opportunity to raise concerns before work begins, not after.
This conversation — the "handshake" — is where the working relationship is established and where the team's realistic capacity is factored into the commitment. A Team Manager who has been heard is far more likely to raise issues early when things don't go to plan.