Issue Assignment and Watcher Management

Overview

The Issue Assignment and Watcher Management feature enables users to efficiently reassign open issues to designated coverers or add them as watchers during planned absences. This powerful bulk operation tool ensures seamless work continuity by transferring issue ownership or maintaining visibility through the watcher mechanism, preventing work items from stalling while team members are away.

Understanding Issue Assignment Management

What is Issue Assignment in Out of Office?

Issue assignment management is a core feature that allows users to:

• Bulk reassign multiple open issues to designated coverers

• Add coverers as watchers to maintain visibility without changing ownership

• Preview affected issues before confirming reassignment actions

How It Works

The system identifies issues based on:

Accessing the Assignment Dialog

Navigation Steps

1. Navigate to your Out of Office rules list

2. Locate the rule you want to manage

3. Click the people icon 👥 in the Action column

![Screenshot placeholder: Action column with people icon highlighted - 800x200px]

The assignment dialog displays all issues that:

• Match the rule's project scope

• Are currently assigned to you

• Meet the status criteria (default or custom)

Assignment Actions

Available Operations

1. Assign to Coverers ✅

• Transfers issue ownership to designated coverers

• Updates the Assignee field in Jira

• Maintains issue history and audit trail

• Triggers standard Jira notifications

2. Add as Watchers 👁️

• Keeps current assignee unchanged

• Adds coverers to the watcher list

• Ensures coverers receive issue notifications

• Ideal for maintaining oversight without ownership transfer

Bulk Assignment Process

Step-by-step Instructions:

1. Open the assignment dialog by clicking the people icon

2. Review the list of applicable open issues

3. Select issues using:

   • Individual checkboxes for specific issues

   • Select all checkbox for bulk selection

4. Choose your action:

   • "Assign to coverers" button

   • "Add as watchers" button

5. Confirm your selection by clicking the blue Confirm button

![Screenshot placeholder: Bulk assignment dialog with issues list and action buttons - 1000x600px]

Assignment Preview

The dialog shows essential issue information:

Advanced Configuration

Customizing Status Inclusion

Default Behavior:

• Only issues with statusCategory = "In Progress" are shown

• Excludes backlog, to-do, and completed issues

Extending Status Coverage:

To include additional statuses, create a rule with a JQL filter:

Configuration Steps:

1. Create or edit an Out of Office rule

2. Select "JQL Filter" as the project selection method

3. Enter your JQL including desired statuses:

4. Save the rule

5. The assignment dialog will now include issues matching your JQL

JQL Filter Examples

Include specific issue types:

Include issues by priority:

Complex workflow states:

Best Practices

When to Assign vs. Add as Watcher

Assign to Coverers when:

• Issues require active work during your absence

• Coverers need full ownership for decision-making

• SLA or time-sensitive issues need immediate attention

• Clear handover of responsibility is required

Add as Watchers when:

• Issues are in monitoring phase

• You plan to resume work upon return

• Coverers only need to intervene if escalated

• Maintaining assignee context is important

Preparation Checklist

Before reassigning:

• ✅ Update issue descriptions with current status

• ✅ Add relevant comments for context

• ✅ Ensure all attachments are accessible

• ✅ Document any blockers or dependencies

• ✅ Verify coverer has necessary permissions

Communication Guidelines

Notify your team:

Issue Assignment Status: ✅ COMPLETE
Next Step: https://resolution.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/OoO/pages/4848353590