Introduction

The feature called "Multiple fields estimation" (sometimes referred to as "Multi-field estimation") has been added to Agile Poker for Jira Cloud in version 100.4.0 to Interactive and Asynchronous sessions.

The Multi-field estimation allows estimating several Jira fields at once and, optionally, calculates a final value (a final score) based on the estimates.

The most common cases for using the feature are the following: 

• a team calculates effort based on several estimations, like:
  • Dev + QA estimates
  • Frontend + Backend estimates
  • Research + Development estimates
  • The most pessimistic, the most optimistic, the most likely estimates (as a part of PERT estimate); 
• a team uses both Story Points and Time estimates for planning;
• a team uses a specific value for prioritization, including the following well-known frameworks:
  • WSJF
  • ICE
  • RISE
  • Impact/Ability
• when estimates for several numeric fields are required.

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Creating multi-field session

Overview

Before starting a multi-field estimation session, Jira fields for every estimation value or prioritization criteria along with the field for the final score are required. Since Agile Poker operates with existing Jira fields, you need to specify fields for estimation even if your goal is to get a single final score field updated.

In order to create a multi-field estimation session, navigate to Agile Poker from a selected board and click on Create session under Interactive or Asynchronous sessions: 

Turn ON the Multi-field estimation toggle to configure the multi-field session. Note that the toggle enabling will disable the Estimation field selector, which is used for a single field estimation: 

Templates

Once the multi-field toggle is activated, multi-field estimation configurations appear with a template selector being the first option. By default, the Custom template is selected. 

Custom template provides the ability to estimate from 2 to 5 numeric fields in one session. This is a generic template that provides a great level of flexibility and covers most of the multi-field estimation cases. Use "Add criteria" and Remove (the bucket) options to control the number of fields to estimate. Note that all the field selectors are mandatory and you will be able to proceed to the next step only when all of them are selected.

Prioritization templates support specific prioritization frameworks. Estimation fields are labeled with framework criteria names and the number of fields is fixed. The supported frameworks are:

• WSJF - Weighted Shortest Job First
• ICE - Impact, Confidence, and Ease
• RISE - Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort
• Impact/Ability or Impact/Effort

Final score

In most cases, the outcome of a multi-field estimation is not the estimates themself, but rather a final value calculated based on the estimates. That is why there is an optional Final score feature that can provide the final result.

The final score is saved to a Jira field, that is why once it is enabled, it is mandatory to specify the field.

Each template has a preset formula: for the Custom template it is a weighted sum, for ICE it is I*C*E, and so on. 

Each field has an alphabetic identification: A, B, C, D, or E, that is used in the formula and in the session later on: 

Custom and WSJF templates are slightly customizable with the weights:

Estimation values

Estimation values for all the fields are configured below the multi-field configurations. Currently, there is no way setup different estimation cards layouts for different fields:

If you need to have different estimation values for different fields, consider the following approaches:

1. You can change the Estimation values from inside the session. For example, for Interactive session, you can estimate field #1 first, change the estimation values and proceed with estimates for field #2.
2. You can have several sets of values at once, like this: 

In the session, it will look like this:

Estimating time as one of the fields

Since Jira doesn't provide a way to create time custom fields, in the Multi-field estimation time estimates will be combined with estimating numeric fields. For example, if you need to sum up DevEstimate (numeric field) with QAEstimate (numeric field) to get a final estimate saved in Original estimate (time field), we recommend the following approach: 

1. Find out your Default unit for time tracking from Jira → Settings → Issues → Issue features → Time tracking, it might be Minute, Hour, Day, or Week.
2. Use Agile Poker's ability to label estimation values: use the format of "label=value"
3. Combine #1 and #2 to create an estimation layout. For example, for Minutes as the default unit for time tracking:

Such a format will align with the standard Jira's time format and make it easy for Agile Poker users. 

Session scope

Both Interactive and Asynchronous sessions will let you estimate issues that support all of the selected estimation fields. If, for example, a specific issue type will be missing at least one of the selected estimation fields, it won't appear in Agile Poker's Multi-field estimation session.

Check the detailed guide on this topic.

Saving configuration as personal default

All the Multi-field estimation configurations can be saved and pre-populated during the next session creation by using "Save this configuration as my personal default" option:

Session flow

Multi-field session flow is pretty similar to the standard Interactive and Asynchronous sessions' flows. The main difference is that a field, not an issue, is in focus, is estimated. It means that:

• each issue has several tabs with the estimation fields;
• pressing "Save and next" leads to the next field, not to the next issue;
• triangulation and reference issues show values for the selected estimation field;
• during the personal estimation phase of Async session, the personal progress is tracked based on the number of fields submitted; 
• each estimation field for each issue has its own comment field in Async session;
• the backlog now shows 2 types of values: 
  • a final score if it's enabled for Interactive session and Final estimation phase of Asynchronous session;
  • estimates for all the estimation fields during the personal estimation phase of Asynchronous session or in all the cases if the final score is disabled;
    Note that a moderator can navigate to any tab (field) of any issue by clicking on the corresponding field from the backlog.

In case the final score is enabled for the Multi-field estimation session, it will be shown on the right from the estimation field tabs:

Whenever all the criteria of the final score formula are estimated, the final score will be calculated, shown to all of the participants, and saved to the corresponding Jira field. It will be automatically recalculated upon further changes of the estimates in Agile Poker. In case you are interested in automatic field calculation outside Agile Poker in Jira, navigate to the Automating final score calculation outside Agile Poker space.

Note that if the final score formula contains a denominator, like in the case of WSJF or Impact/Ability templates, it has to be <> 0 so that the final score is calculated. 

Grid view

During the final estimation phase of both Interactive and Async sessions, participants can see a grid with all the personal estimates. Click on the grid view icon next to the participants: