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Issue Context Assignment and Availability Display

Overview

The Out of Office Issue Context provides real-time visibility into team member availability directly within Jira issues, enabling informed assignment decisions and preventing work allocation to unavailable users. This intelligent interface displays current and future availability status, suggests available assignees, and automatically handles coverage rules during the assignment process.

Understanding Issue Context Assignment

What is the Issue Context?

The Issue Context is an intelligent assignment interface that enhances Jira's native assignee field by providing:

  • Real-time availability status for all project team members

  • Visual indicators showing current and upcoming absences

  • Smart suggestions for available assignees

  • Automatic coverage handling when assigning to out-of-office users

  • Detailed absence information including coverage arrangements

How it Works

The Issue Context integrates with Out of Office rules to display up-to-date availability information. When viewing any Jira issue, the context appears below the standard issue fields, providing both a collapsed summary view and an expanded detailed view with assignment capabilities.

Availability Status Types

The system recognizes four distinct availability states, each with unique visual indicators:

1. Unassigned Status

  • Indicator: Grey status

  • Meaning: Issue is unassigned

  • Display: Shows in both collapsed and expanded views

2. Available Status

  • Indicator: 🟒 Green status

  • Meaning: User is currently working and accepting assignments

  • Display: Shows in both collapsed and expanded views

3. Leaving Soon Status

  • Indicator: 🟑 Yellow/amber warning

  • Meaning: User has upcoming time off scheduled

  • Display: Alerts assigners to impending unavailability

4. Out of Office Status

  • Indicator: πŸ”΄ Red status

  • Meaning: User is currently away and has active OOO rules

  • Display: Shows coverage information if configured

Using the Issue Context

Accessing the Issue Context

  1. Navigate to any Jira issue

    • Open the issue in full view mode

    • Scroll past Details, More Fields, and Automations sections

  2. Locate the Out of Office section

    • Position: Below standard Jira fields

    • Default state: Collapsed view showing current assignee status

ooo_isssue_context_4.webp

Basic Assignment Process

Step 1: Check Current Status

The collapsed view immediately shows:

  • Current assignee name and avatar

  • Availability status indicator

  • Quick visual reference for assignment decisions

Step 2: Expand for Options

  1. Click on the issue context to expand

  2. View available information:

    • Current assignee details

    • Available team members roster

    • Status indicators for all users

ooo_isssue_context_5.webp

Step 3: Quick Assignment

  1. Select from available users:

    • Click any avatar in the "Available Assignees" section

    • System shows spinner during processing

    • Assignment updates in real-time

  2. Verify assignment:

    • Check updated assignee in context

    • Confirm native Jira field updated

    • Note any coverage information displayed

Advanced Assignment Features

Finding All Project Members

  1. Click "Change assignee" button

    • Opens full team member list

    • Sorted by availability status

    • Shows all project users regardless of status

  2. Review team availability:

    1. Team Member List Structure:
    2. β”œβ”€β”€ βœ… Available Users
    3. β”‚ └── [List of currently available team members]
    4. β”œβ”€β”€ 🟑 Leaving Soon
    5. β”‚ └── [Users with upcoming absences]
    6. └── πŸ”΄ Out of Office
    7. └── [Currently absent users with coverage info]
ooo_isssue_context_3.webp

Assigning to Unavailable Users

When assigning to out-of-office users:

  1. System checks for active rules

  2. Automatic reassignment occurs if coverage configured

  3. Coverage indicator appears: "covering [original assignee]"

  4. Both users shown in the context

Viewing Detailed Information

Check Absence Details

  1. Click arrow icon next to user with "Leaving Soon" or "Out of Office" status

  2. View comprehensive rule information:

    • Rule period (start and end dates)

    • Designated coverers

    • Approver coverage settings

    • Custom out-of-office message

Check Coverage Arrangements

  1. Click arrow icon next to "covering" indicator

  2. View reverse coverage details:

    • Who is being covered

    • Coverage period

    • Original rule configuration

Best Practices

Assignment Strategy

Prioritize Available Users:

  • Always check the availability roster first

  • Use quick assignment for efficient triaging

  • Consider workload distribution among available team members

Plan for Upcoming Absences:

  • Review "Leaving Soon" indicators

  • Reassign long-running tasks before absences

  • Document handover requirements in issue comments

Team Coordination

Leverage Coverage Information:

  • Understand coverage chains before assigning

  • Verify coverer availability when assigning to OOO users

  • Use coverage details to maintain accountability

Maintain Accuracy:

  • Refresh browser if assignment data seems outdated

  • Report any synchronization issues to administrators

  • Keep OOO rules updated for accurate displays

Integration Considerations

Customer-Facing Teams:
πŸ’‘ Tip: The availability information can be displayed in JSM customer portals. See Displaying agent availability in the customer portal for configuration details.

High-Volume Environments:

  • Use bulk assignment features where available

  • Consider automation rules for standard coverage scenarios

  • Monitor performance with multiple reassignments


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