Table of contents:

Introduction

Relative estimation sessions are designed for making quick and rough estimations of large batch of issues (50+). The flow for relative estimation sessions is based on the Team Estimation Game method (description on agilelearninglabs.com, another description on thedroidsonroids.com), translated into electronic world and employing trello-like user interface for smooth issue drag'n'drop experience. The relative estimation mode is also heavily inspired by techniques known as Magic Estimation or Silent Grouping. Here is general gist of the session: 

1. Session moderator selects issues to estimate and shares his screen with the participants. Moderator is going to interact with the user interface on behalf of the participants.
2. Someone starts the session by taking the top issue from the deck, and places it in the middle of the virtual wall.
3. Another person picks the next issue off the top of the deck, then decides if it’s smaller or bigger than the issue already placed on the virtual wall:
   • if it’s smaller, it gets placed on the left
   • if it’s bigger, it gets placed on the right
   • if it’s around the same, then it should be placed below the already placed issue (forming a column, or a bucket)
4. Another person may:
   
   • either take another issue from the deck and place it on the virtual wall with the same rules as above
   • move a single story card already placed on the wall/table together with a comment explaining this move
5. The team continues to take turns placing issues until the deck is finally depleted.
6. All issues are on virtual wall. Now is the time to fine-tune the order by moving issues one at a time with a few words of explanation.
7. When everybody is OK with the outcome, the issues are ordered left to right, smallest to largest.
8. The last step is to assign estimation value corresponding for each column - usually using Fibonacci sequence, and save the results (by default under Story Points custom field).

Viewing the sessions dashboard

To start working with asynchronous sessions go to the sessions dashboard view. You can go to this view from the Jira Software backlog screen by:

• opening the "Agile Poker" dropdown and clicking link "Manage sessions", or
• clicking the Agile Poker Enterprise logo on the Jira project sidebar.

Creating asynchronous session

1. On the sessions dashboard view, click the "Create session" button.
   
2. On the "Create new session" popup choose "Asynchronous session" and click "Next":
   
3. Choose issues you want to estimate (session scope) and click "Next".
   
4. Define session name, participants and an e-mail invitation message. For each session, you can also choose the field you want to estimate on. Then click the "Create" button to start your session.
   

Estimating issues

1. On the sessions dashboard screen, click the "Estimate" button to go to the session.
   
2. Select the first issue from the list on the left, choose estimate and type comment. Then click the "Save & next" button and repeat this for the next issues.
    
3. Once you estimate all the issues, simply leave the session page.

Previewing estimation results

Every session participant can see the overview of how many issues others have estimated in the top-right corner of the session screen. Hovering over the user shows the number of issues estimated by her or him. The green tick will show up next to the users who estimated all the issues.

Session moderator can preview partial estimates even if the session is open. To do this go to the sessions dashboard, open the "more" dropdown for the estimation session you are interested in and click "Review partial results".
 

On the screen, pick an issue to see partial results in the "Estimation results" section.

Closing session

Once everybody choses their estimates, the moderator can close the session. Participants can no longer estimate issues in closed sessions but they can review the results instead. Session moderator can close the session in two ways:

• From the sessions dashboard view using the "Close" button:
   
• From the estimation view using the "Close session" button in the top-right corner of the screen:
   

Reviewing estimation results

When the session has been closed all participants can review the results. Moreover session moderator can save final issue estimate directly from the results screen. To see estimation results:

1. On the sessions dashboard, click the "Review results" button.
   
2. Pick an issue from the list on the left. You will see the "Final estimation for..." panel. Based on the user estimates and comments, enter the final issue estimate and click button "Save & next". Final estimate value will be saved to the issue field selected on the create session screen (in this example "Story point").
   
3. Once you save the final estimate for all issues, simply leave the session results page.

Restarting session

While reviewing the results, session moderator may decide that for some issues another estimation round is needed. If this is the case, click the "Restart session" link on the results screen. The "Restart session" dialog is very similar to the "Create session" dialog. Choose issues to be reestimated and update list of session participants if needed. Once you restart the session Jira can send e-mail invitations to all participants and estimation will proceed as usual. 

Customizing estimate values

You can configure estimate values available for the session participants. Read the Board settings documentation page for details.

Reviewing the estimation results later

After the session has been closed, you can view proposed estimates and estimate comments at any time by going back to the session screen or simply from the agile board and view issue page.