create-jira-initiative

Create Jira Initiative

Initiative Description Format

Every initiative MUST use this exact structure. Do not deviate.

## Background
[One paragraph. Strategic context: why this initiative exists, what problem or opportunity it addresses at the business or product level.]

## Objectives
* [Strategic objective this initiative is working toward]
* [Another objective]

## Key Results / Success Metrics
* [Measurable indicator that signals progress or completion]
* [Another metric]

## Out of Scope
[Only if the user explicitly calls out exclusions. Omit this section entirely otherwise.]

## Additional Information / Links
* [Strategy docs, OKRs, stakeholder contacts, related initiatives or epics]

Rules

• Background: One paragraph. Strategic-level context only. Do not list epics or implementation details here. Focus on the "why": what business problem, user need, or opportunity is being addressed.
• Objectives: 2-4 bullet points. Each objective is a strategic aim ("Improve developer experience to reduce time-to-first-commit for new engineers"). Not tasks.
• Key Results / Success Metrics: 2-5 measurable indicators. Quantify where possible ("p50 build time below 2 minutes", "Net Promoter Score increases by 10 points"). If metrics are not yet defined, note that they are TBD and will be tracked via a linked doc.
• Out of Scope: Only present when the user explicitly provides exclusions. Never add speculatively.
• Additional Information / Links: Include links to strategy documents, OKRs, stakeholder contacts, or related initiatives. Never duplicate information already present in other Jira fields. Omit if empty.
• If any section lacks information, use AskUser to prompt the user rather than leaving placeholders.
• Clear, executive tone throughout -- initiatives are read by stakeholders, not just engineers.
• Always use Markdown formatting. The MCP tools convert Markdown to ADF internally. Never use Jira wiki markup (h2., {{code}}, {code}, # for numbered lists). Use ## Heading, `code`, triple-backtick fenced code blocks, and 1. for numbered lists.

Summary Line

• High-level strategic phrase naming the initiative.
• Not a task or deliverable -- name the effort, not the outcome: "Developer Experience Platform", not "Build developer experience platform".
• Capitalise as a proper name.

Workflow

1. Parse the Request

Extract from the user's message or the context passed from /jira-create:

• The strategic driver or business problem (for Background)
• Strategic aims (for Objectives)
• Measurable indicators of success (for Key Results / Success Metrics)
• Explicit exclusions (for Out of Scope)
• Links to strategy docs, OKRs, or related work (for Additional Information)
• Team preference (if mentioned)

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

Use AskUser when genuinely ambiguous. Common questions:

• Missing objectives: "What is this initiative ultimately trying to achieve for the business or users?"
• No success metrics: "How will you measure success? Are there OKRs or KPIs tied to this initiative?"
• Too tactical: "This sounds more like an epic than an initiative. Should we create it as an epic instead, or keep it at the initiative level?"
• Missing team: "Which team should own this initiative?"
• Scope: "Does this initiative span multiple teams or a single team?"

Do NOT ask about format -- the format is fixed.

3. Draft the Description

Write the description following the mandatory format. Before creating, review:

• Is Background one paragraph at a strategic (not implementation) level?
• Are Objectives strategic aims, not tasks?
• Are Key Results measurable?
• Is Out of Scope only present if the user explicitly said something is excluded?

4. Create the Ticket

Use atlassian___createJiraIssue via the manage-jira skill for API mechanics:

• issueTypeName: Always "Initiative"
• projectKey: Ask the user if not obvious from context

5. Post-Creation Steps

After creating the ticket, follow any post-creation steps defined by the active project skill (e.g. cars-project). These may include setting required custom fields such as team. If no project skill is active, skip this step.

What This Skill Does NOT Cover

• Other issue types (Epic, Story, Bug) -- separate skills.
• Transitioning, editing, or commenting on existing tickets -- use manage-jira skill.
• Codebase analysis -- initiatives are strategic and do not require code investigation.