Can Project Admins edit workflows in Jira Cloud?

[Ben]

Hi,

In the Atlassian course "Getting more from Jira workflows" I found an overview of what project admins can edit in terms of workflows (see attachment).

I just tried this out. My workflow is only used by one project and not shared. Nevertheless, as a project admin I can't edit the workflow at all (it's greyed out).

This is confusing me a lot right now.

Can anyone help me further?

Kind regards,

Ben

[Pramodh M · Accepted solution]

Hi @Ben 

This concept is related to Data Center which has "Extended Project Administration" Option

I cloud this option is not available

Project admin in Cloud can only view the workflows and screens.

If you need to know what project admin can do in Cloud there is tailored course for that

https://university.atlassian.com/student/activity/908807-managing-permissions-in-jira-for-cloud

Follow the above

Let me know if you have queries

Thanks,

Pramodh

[Ben]

Thank you for answer.

It is REALLY confusing that the information I posted is taken from an OFFICIAL Atlassian course dealing with CLOUD...

But thank you anyways, good sir!

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

This doc is talking about "simplified workflows" - these have to be enabled by a Jira admin before a project admin gets to edit them.

Your admin needs to go to the board that you want to simplify for and click the button to simplity.  This creates a workflow called something like "simplified workflow for board X" and applies it to all the projects the board is including, by applying a new workflow scheme to them all.

But it is possible for the admins to de-simplify, by changing the workflow scheme.  Annoyingly, if this is done, the simplified workflow does not get renamed, it's still named "simplified workflow for ...", which confuses people because they look at a project, see the name and assume the board has been simplified.

[Ben]

Hi Nic,

thanks for your answer.

While this might be correct for Server, it is not for cloud.

In cloud project admins CANNOT edit workflows, even if a simplified workflow is active and not shared (see above).

Kind regards,

Ben

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You have to give them board admin rights as well.

[Ben]

No, this is not how it works. Have a view at the first comment by @Pramodh M .

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Sorry, but it does work like that.

But there is a misunderstanding - Pramodh is talking about the extended admin route to editing workflows, whereas I'm talking about Simplified workflows.

[Ben]

Ok, please than have a look:

- New project using Simplified Workflow, not shared:

- User Vivi is project admin AND board admin (as you suggested):

- User Vivi cannot edit the Workflow (create, update, delete transitions etc):

The only thing the user can do is adding/deleting a status via the board. But that's all.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

>The only thing the user can do is adding/deleting a status via the board. 

Yes, that's editing the workflow.  The point of simplified workflows is enabling the board owner to edit the workflow.

But you don't want them editing the transitions, a simplified workflow is very simple and not intended to allow the users to break it.  There's a reason simplified workflows have a description of "do not edit this workflow" when admins are looking at them in the list of workflows.

[Ben]

Hi @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- ,

thanks for your answer.

Please look again at my first post with the picture of the table.
My point was whether ALL the items listed in the table can be executed by a Project Admin. They can't, as you write yourself, because Transitions can't be changed. It follows that the table is already incorrect.

However, my wording in the initial post was inaccurate. I meant by "edit workflow" that the workflow can be edited in full detail in diagram mode.

Second, I don't know if it is due to the project in some way that I am editing here or if it is a bug, BUT: In my project, a Project Admin no longer needs to be entered as a Board Admin to be able to change the Simplified Workflow. My Project Admin can add / delete in Board Status WITHOUT being entered as a Board Admin.

Kind regards,

Ben

[Yatish Madhav]

Hi - I am with @Ben  on this ... it is slightly confusing when a workflow is "Simplified" or not. But I can also understand why it is so ... Thanks for this post and the comments though.

We have a project with a workflow that is only used in it. But we want to allow the project lead and/or that project Administrators to be able to edit the workflow (i.e. in the diagram/text mode), I added the Administer Projects permission for the project lead - but this does not give access to edit the workflow ... would be great to have this control for projects with signle-project workflows.

For now, because we have a range of workflows and clean up required, we will control the flow of editing a workflow with only jira admins. What can one do :D

Thank you

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Cloud does not support "extended project admin", so the only way you can let your project leads or admins edit the workflow is to simplify the workflow for the board and let them edit it by changing the columns and status on the board.

[sriramcse31]

@Ben Hi Ben, The simplified workflow is to reduce the complexity of Jira workflows. It comprises of status only and not transitions.

A user will be able to add new statuses as long as they are project admin or board admin.

More info here - Use the simplified workflow | Jira Software Cloud | Atlassian Support