Session Flow in Agility Poker Planning

Owned by Jasmine
Last updated: Nov 20, 2024
4 min read

Agility Poker Planning's session melds Planning Poker with Jira Cloud, fostering efficient estimations and discussions.

Ideal for teams in the same timezone, this session suits both remote and co-located groups, especially those with more experience.

Roles in Interactive Session:

  • Moderator: Manages session settings and issue selection.

  • Participants: Engage in estimations and discussions, with potential moderator privileges.

  • Observers: Watch the session with read-only access.

Session Flow:

  1. Moderator configures settings and initiates the session.

  2. Participants join as participants or observers.

  3. Issues from the backlog are displayed for estimation.

  4. Participants provide individual estimates.

  5. Post-vote, a discussion phase leads to consensus.

  6. Moderator finalizes the estimate for each issue.

  7. The process repeats for all backlog issues.

  8. Session concludes once all issues are estimated.

Creating a session in Agility Poker Planning

Step 1: Open the “Create Session” Screen

  1. To initiate a session in Agility Poker Planning for service/software projects, go to your project's left-side menu and select 'Agility Poker Planning'.

  2. Then, on the 'All sessions' screen, simply click 'Start New Session'.

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Step 2: Create the Session

  1. Session Naming: Choose a name for your session (up to 100 characters) or use a default one.

  2. Save Default Configuration: Optionally set this session's settings as your default for future sessions on this board. It will remember fields like session type, estimation field, participants, observers, estimation values, and timers.

  3. Default Configuration Per Board: Each board can have its unique default settings, applicable across all estimation types.

  4. Session Type Selection: Choose between Public and Private session types.

  5. Estimation Values Selection: Pick from standard sets or create a custom one for participant use. Time values like "1w", "1d", "1h", "1m" are also available.

  6. Timer Configuration: Set up timers in seconds to manage discussion or voting durations effectively.

  7. Manage Participants: After configuring, click Next to proceed to the participant management page.

Step 3: Select Participants

  1. Assign a Moderator: Designate a single individual to have complete control over the session's flow.

  2. Identify Estimators: Choose team members who will actively participate in the estimation process.

  3. Define Observers: Select individuals to observe without contributing estimates, such as newcomers, external team members, or project leaders.

  4. Proceed to Issue Selection: After setting roles, click Next to move to the 'Select issues' stage.

Step 4: Select Issues to Estimate

  1. Choose Estimation Field: Pick a Jira field where the session's estimates will be recorded.

  2. Issue Selection for Estimation: Decide which issues will be included in the session. Consult the provided documentation for guidance on filtering issues.

  3. Initiate the Session: Click 'Start session' to begin the estimation process. Remember, you can alter session configurations later if needed.

Even once a session is underway, you can modify its configuration. This is done by selecting the cog icon inside of the session.

Joining a Session in Agility Poker Planning

To participate in an active session, team members can visit the 'All sessions' page of Agility Poker Planning.

For direct access, the session's link can be shared by the moderator or any participant/observer. This link is easily obtainable via the copy icon next to the session name or from the 'All sessions' page.

Experiencing issues joining a session? If it's a private session, only those listed as participants can join. Should you encounter access difficulties, contacting the session's moderator for inclusion on the participant list is the best course of action.

Session Estimation Workflow in Agility Poker Planning

Session Entry: Joining via a shared link automatically sets you as a participant in public sessions. Participant statuses are indicated by avatar colors: active (green icon) and inactive (greyed out).

PHASE 1: Initiating Estimation: The moderator activates the session, triggering estimation cards for participants to begin their estimations.

 

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Issue Insights: Quick details of issues are displayed on the right. For full details or edits, only the moderator can click 'Edit issue'.

PHASE 2: Estimation Submission: Participants submit their estimates via designated sections.

 

PHASE 3: Discussion and Finalising Estimation: After all estimates are in or the moderator ends voting by clicking Finish voting or if all online participants have estimated it will automatically reveal all, a discussion phase ensues with visible estimates.

 

Revising Estimates: Participants can update their estimates during discussions reflecting them instantly.

Finalizing Estimates: The moderator concludes the voting by saving the final estimation.

Exiting the Session: Participants can leave but are marked as inactive. It's crucial to exit if no longer participating, as the final estimation won't auto-trigger with each estimator's submission.

Session Conclusion: The moderator ends the session after all issues are estimated, ensuring closure for all participants.