Linking Features to Epics as parents in a Jira Plan View

[David]

Dear community,

I am running a Jira project using epics that have stories as children. Furthermore, stories realize a specific feature. Also, the features are realizing the same epic the stories are linked to. So, the hierarchy level is as follows: Epic is realized by features and features are realized by stories. In the Jira Structure view I am able to visualize the hierarchy top down (1 Epic -> 1:n features -> 1:n stories).

When I transfer the structure view to a Gantt-diagram in Jira Plan I can display the stories as children of epics. However, the features are at the same hierarchy level as the epics and there is no option to link the features as children of the epics that they are realizing. Do you know whether there is a way to indicate the features as children of epics in Jira plan, as well? If not, do you know a workaround?

Thanks a lot!

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @David 

Are you referring to the Plans menu in the Jira application when you say "Jira Plan View"? Or are you talking about a plan view available from a third party app?

Can you provide a screen image of the plan view you are viewing?

If you are looking at a plan view within Jira...

The native issue type hierarchy for Jira is:

Epic > "standard" issue types > subtasks

If you are using a Standard subscription for Jira you are limited to that hierarchy. In that case both Features and Stories would be in the "standard" issue types group. Any issue in the "standard" issue types group can be made a child of an Epic in Jira, by setting the Parent field or using the "Add parent" option.

If you are using a Jira Premium or Enterprise subscription it is possible for your Jira Administrators to add issue type levels above Epic in the hierarchy. If they have placed Feature above Epic, then you could not make the Feature a child of the Epic. 

So, check for the Add parent option on your Feature issues and see if that will let you select an Epic.

Making that change might impact other reports so you might want to change only one and then review your reports to see if there was any impact.

[David]

Hi @Trudy Claspill 

I am referring to the Plans menu in the Jira application.

Jira Plan View

Jira Structure View

[Trudy Claspill]

I added more to my previous reply after saving it. Did you see the additions?

I see that in your Jira Plan view you are filtering the levels that are shown.

That suggests to me that you are displaying issues from just one issue type hierarchy level. Since it is showing both Epics and Features, it may be that your Issue Type Hierarchy has been modified by the Jira Administrators to add Features to the same level as Epics. If that is the case you will not be able to make Features children of Epics.

Can you access the Issue Type Hierarchy screen and share an image of it with us? Only Jira Administrators will be able to access that screen.

https://yourJiraURL/jira/settings/issues/issue-hierarchy

[David]

Unfortunately, I do not have access to the issue hierarchy screen. I am afraid so, too. It seems like features are at the same level as epics. Thanks a lot for your help, though.