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Exit Management Plan Checklist
Adapted from DES Contract Management Manual
INSTRUCTIONS
This checklist is a sample only, and it is not exhaustive. Add issues not covered in this sample checklist
that may apply to your contract. Use the checklist to guide the preparation of an Exit Management Plan
for your contract.
The Exit Management Plan
The components of an effective exit management plan include:
1. Termination notice
2. Exit transition period
3. Exit transition plan
4. Exit governance and reporting
1. Termination Notice
Regardless of whether the agency terminates the contract, or the contract comes to an end, when
working with an exit management plan, the agency should issue an exit management notice to the
contractor which specifies:
❑ The people, services, or parts of the agency impacted by the transition,
❑ The estimated total timeframe to transition any remaining work, deliverables, or documents
to the agency, and
❑ The date upon which the agency and the contractor will meet to develop the specific scope
of the exit transition plan.
2. Exit Transition Period
Just as there is traditionally a timeframe to ramp up services after the contract is signed, in highly
strategic relationships, there is also a transition period at the end of the contract or at termination. The
exit transition period generally encompasses the time from the date of the termination notice until the
completion date when the exit is complete.
3. Exit Transition Plan
If the agency developed a transition plan at the beginning of the contract, the exit management plan
will provide a reverse snapshot of that initial transition plan. The exit transition plan ought to be
specific about the roles, duties, and expectations of both the agency and the contractor.
The plan should include:
❑ Timelines for the various activities required to exit the relationship,
❑ List of the contractor’s personnel responsible for managing and implementing the exit plan,
❑ Preparations for a transfer of knowledge regarding the work,
❑ Outline all items the contractor will transition to the agency such as, manuals,
documentation, drawings, and anything that enables a software system to fully transfer
to the agency,
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Exit Management Plan Checklist
Adapted from DES Contract Management Manual
❑ Plan for continuity of contractor’s services during the transition period including a list of
the contractor’s support personnel,
❑ Communication plans for all impacted stakeholders during the exit process,
❑ Process for the contractor to fully answer all reasonable questions about the items
being transferred,
❑ Identification of all security and disaster recovery tasks contractor undertook during the
duration of the contract,
❑ Inventories of all licenses, permits, and other agreements (sub-contracts) that require
notification, assignment, or transfer of rights, and
❑ Lists of confidential information and whether it needs to be retained, returned or destroyed.
4. Governance and Reporting
The exit process will involve questions and concerns. The resolution of any issues arising from the exit
transition should be managed within the existing governance structure. The exit transition plan should
identify the contractor’s reporting requirements to the agency.
Reports may include:
❑ The progress of the transition,
❑ The destruction or retention of confidential information,
❑ The remaining work to be done to complete the contractor’s exit from the relationship,
❑ Identify key issues impacting the timing of the exit plan,
❑ Identify potential risks while implementing the exit plan, or
❑ Detail of key actions that need to be taken by the various stakeholders to facilitate a smooth
transition.
Additional Issues
❑ Did you include a governance structure in your exit management plan, or does your exiting
governance structure suffice?
❑ How have you documented notice of termination or contract closeout? Does the current or
standard contract notice provisions include:
• A specific list of items (manuals, documentation, drawings, and anything that enables a
software system to transfer) as part of the termination,
• The estimated exit transition period (ideally based on a pre-agreed exit duration period),
and
• The date upon which the agency and the contractor will meet to develop the specific
scope of the exit transition plan.
❑ Document the structure of the Agency’s exit transition team: the personnel responsible for
planning, managing, and implementing the transfer for your agency.
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Exit Management Plan Checklist
Adapted from DES Contract Management Manual
❑ Request the structure of the contractor’s exit transition team: the personnel responsible
for planning, managing, and implementing the transfer for the contractor.
❑ Document the required reports the Agency needs from the contractor, including the
frequency of the reports.
❑ Document communication plans for impacted stakeholders.
❑ Create a financial plan to finalize invoices and open credit/debit memos, etc.
❑ Document who will develop inventories of all licenses, permits, and other agreements that
require assignment or transfer of rights, when the list is due, and what information is to be
included on the list.
❑ Plan for the return, retention or destruction of confidential information.
❑ Check Your Work
o Is your exit management plan fair and well documented?
o Does the plan address all essential criteria?
o Is the plan clear and executable?
