How to Create a Jira SCRUM Project: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a SCRUM project in Jira can streamline your workflow, enhance team collaboration, and improve project management. Whether you’re new to Jira or looking to improve your process, this guide will walk you through the steps needed to create an effective SCRUM project.

What is Jira?

Jira is a popular project management tool developed by Atlassian, and is widely used in software development, project tracking, and issue management. It is particularly well-suited to agile methodologies, such as SCRUM, allowing teams to efficiently plan, track, and manage their projects.

Why use SCRUM in Jira?

Scrum is a popular Agile framework for managing software development projects. With its powerful features and flexibility, Jira is an excellent tool for applying Scrum principles. This guide will walk you through the process of creating a Jira project tailored to your Scrum team.

SCRUM is also an agile framework that promotes iterative progress through short cycles known as sprints. Using SCRUM in Jira allows teams to:

Enhance collaboration: Enhance communication and collaboration among team members.

Improve transparency: Provide clear visibility into project progress and tasks.

Increase flexibility: Adapt to changes quickly and efficiently.

Delivery faster: Ensure features and improvements are delivered faster.

Step-by-step guide to creating a Jira SCRUM project

1. Create and configure the project:

Create a new project:

• Open your web browser and navigate to your Jira instance.
• Enter your credentials to log in.

Configure project settings:

• In Jira, go to “Create Project”.
• Click Projects in the top navigation menu.
• Select Create Project from the drop-down menu.
• In the project creation screen, choose SCRUM Template.
• Select “Scrum” as the project template. 
• This pre-configures the project with the appropriate Scrum defaults, such as sprints and backlogs.

Project Name: Enter a name for your project that reflects its purpose.

• Provide a descriptive name and key for your project.
• Choose the appropriate permissions and issue types.

Key: This is a unique identifier for your project. Jira will automatically suggest an identifier based on the project name, but you can customize it.

Project Type: Choose whether the project will be managed by a team or by a company based on your team’s needs.

Sprint Configuration:

• Define the sprint duration (e.g., 2 weeks, 1 month) in the project settings.
• Create a sprint board to illustrate the workflow within each sprint.

Customize the workflow:

• Adjust the default workflow to suit your team’s specific needs.
• Add custom statuses (e.g., “In Progress,” “In Test,” “Done”) and transitions between them.

Set up your SCRUM board:

• After you create the project, you’ll be directed to the project dashboard.
• Click “Board” in the left sidebar.
• Select Create Board and then choose SCRUM Board .
• Choose to create it from an existing project or create a new one.

2. Create a board:

Create a Scrum board:

• Use the built-in Scrum board template in Jira.
• Configure the board to display classic Scrum columns: To Do, In Progress, Done.
• Customize the board with swim lanes for different teams or components.

Kanban board (optional):

• For teams that prefer the Kanban approach, create a Kanban board within the same Jira project.
• Configure the board with columns representing different stages of work (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Review, Done).

Add Team Members:

• Go to Project Settings in the left sidebar.
• Click Users & Roles.
• Invite team members by entering their email addresses and assigning appropriate roles (e.g. Developer, Scrum Master).

3. Backlog Management:

Create User Stories:

• Define user stories in Jira using the “Issue” feature.
• Use the “Epic” issue type to group related user stories.
• Use story points to estimate the effort required for each user story.

Create epics and user stories:

• Go to the Backlog view in your SCRUM board.
• Click “Create Epic” to define larger features or goals.
• For each epic, create user stories that detail the individual tasks or requirements.

Prioritize Backlogs:

• Use techniques like the MoSCoW (Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won’t Have) method or the Value vs. Effort matrix to prioritize user stories in the backlog.

4. Sprint Planning:

Define Sprint Goal:

• Collaboratively define a clear and concise sprint goal for the upcoming sprint.

Select Sprint Backlog:

• Select user stories and tasks from the Product Backlog to include in the sprint.
• Consider team capacity and sprint length when making selections.

Task Estimation:

• Estimate the effort required for each task within the specified user stories.

Plan your sprints:

• In the Backlog view, select Create Sprint.
• Drag user stories into the sprint to prioritize tasks for the upcoming cycle.
• Define the sprint duration (typically 1-4 weeks) and ensure that the team agrees on the goals.

Start your sprint:

• Once the sprint is planned, click Start Sprint.
• Define the sprint goal and confirm the start date.

5. Daily Scrum Meetings (Stand-Up Meetings):

Use Jira for daily updates:

• Each team member can update their progress on their assigned tasks within Jira.
• Use the “Comment” field to provide daily updates and communicate with the team.

6. Sprint Review and Review:

Conduct sprint reviews:

• Use Jira to display completed work to stakeholders.
• Gather feedback on the functionality delivered.

7: Monitor Progress

• Use the Active Sprint view to track progress during the sprint.
• Use Jira’s reporting features to analyze team performance and identify areas for improvement.

8: Conduct sprint reviews and reviews

• At the end of each sprint, conduct a sprint review to showcase the work completed.
• Conduct a sprint review to discuss what went well, what didn’t, and how to improve in future sprints.

Facilitate the review:

• Use Jira to document action items and insights from sprint reviews.
• Track progress on implementing improvements identified during the review.

9. Continuous improvement:

Regularly review and adjust:

• Regularly review and adjust project settings, workflows, and board configurations to improve the process.
• Continuously gather feedback from the team and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement.
• By following these steps and leveraging Jira’s powerful features, your Scrum team can effectively plan, track, and execute projects, leading to increased productivity and improved product quality.

Key considerations:

• Team training: Ensure that all team members are adequately trained in Jira and Scrum principles.
• Regular communication: Maintain open and ongoing communication within the team and with stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Be prepared to adapt your approach based on the specific needs and challenges of your project.
• By implementing these best practices, you can effectively leverage Jira to support the success of your Scrum team and achieve your project goals.

Additional Tips

• Training: Consider holding training sessions for team members who are not familiar with Jira or SCRUM.
• Customization: Tailor your project settings and workflows to fit your team’s specific needs.
• Use Add-ons: Explore the Jira Marketplace for additional components to enhance functionality.
• By implementing these practices, you’ll be on your way to mastering SCRUM in Jira and achieving successful project outcomes.

Conclusion

Creating a SCRUM project in Jira is a simple process that can greatly enhance your team’s productivity and project management capabilities. By following these steps, you can set up an organized and efficient workflow that leverages the power of the SCRUM methodology.