There are two evaluation modes you and your team can use in Ducalis when estimating your backlog for prioritization:
- Regular Evaluation mode – everyone in the team can see other members’ scores during evaluation
- Evaluation poker – in this mode the team’s scores are kept private until the evaluation period is over.
One of the principles of the Evaluation poker technique is that when estimating a backlog for prioritization, members in a board should not see each other’s scores. Everyone in the team except Facilitators cannot see other members’ scores. This idea helps to remove bias of opinions and improve accuracy of the prioritization results.
The scores are hidden during the entire evaluation period. They are then revealed when the evaluation period is over. The next step after evaluation would be to discuss the results and everyone in the team will now be able to see other members’ scores.
Switching on the Evaluation Poker
- Head to Evaluation progress and Sprint planning settings.
- Under the sprint planning settings, Scroll down to the Start section.
- Find and click Evaluation Poker to open the dropdown menu.
- Click the checkbox to switch on Evaluation poker mode.
Once the Evaluation poker is on, everyone in the team, except Facilitators, will not be able to see other people’s scores during the evaluation period.
The Evaluation period is the phase when the team is evaluating the backlog for prioritization. Its starting date and duration is set by the organization’s owner/ board admins in the Evaluation progress and Sprint planning settings.
The period when scores will be public for everyone in the team is the Reveal. The date is a set by the owner/admins in the Evaluation progress and Sprint planning settings. It can be any number of days before the Final.
Areas Where Scores Will Be Hidden
Total Scores on the Top Priorities Page
Re-evaluation Block in the Issue Cards
Matrix Page
Team Alignment Pages
Scores will be revealed on a date that the owner or an admin of the board would have set. After reveal the team can see all scores and discuss them.
Re-evaluation is done for issues that have misalignment.
Block Users from Editing Scores after Reveal
Owners/ Admins can choose to block their teammates from editing their scores after Reveal – During the Evaluation period team members can edit their scores as many times as they want, but when the Reveal starts for the team to discuss their scores, everyone, except facilitators, is blocked from editing scores. Blocking users from editing scores after Reveal:
- helps to restrict members from editing their scores after seeing other members’ scores.
- means that the team will only focus on discussing their scores.
- leaves only the facilitators with the ability to edit final scores after the team finishes discussing
