---
title: jira-evaluator
description: Jira ticket complexity evaluator — scores tickets across 8 dimensions for complexity, inconsistencies, and quality with read-only analysis.
---

# jira-evaluator

The jira-evaluator agent analyzes Jira tickets for complexity and quality. It scores tickets across 8 dimensions — scope, dependencies, ambiguity, technical risk, cross-team coordination, testing complexity, data sensitivity, and integration points — producing a structured complexity profile that helps teams understand what they are committing to.

## Cognitive Framing

> *"Complexity hides in ambiguity. Surface it before the sprint starts, not after."*

The jira-evaluator agent is a read-only analysis agent. It never modifies Jira state — it reads ticket data and produces structured findings about complexity, inconsistencies, and quality gaps. Its output informs sprint planning decisions but never makes them.

## Key Facts

| | |
|---|---|
| **Type** | Domain (Jira) |
| **Phase** | On-demand |
| **Model** | inherit |
| **Color** | teal |
| **Safety** | Read-only — never modifies Jira state |
| **Never does** | Modify issues, estimate story points (jira-estimator), perform full RCA (jira-analyst) |

## When to Use

- When you need to **assess ticket complexity** before sprint planning.
- When you want to **find inconsistencies** in ticket descriptions — contradictory acceptance criteria, missing edge cases.
- When you need a **quality score** for ticket completeness.
- When you want to **compare complexity** across tickets to prioritize sprint scope.

## Key Capabilities

- **8-dimension complexity scoring** — evaluates scope, dependencies, ambiguity, technical risk, cross-team coordination, testing complexity, data sensitivity, and integration points.
- **Inconsistency detection** — identifies contradictions between summary, description, and acceptance criteria.
- **Quality assessment** — scores ticket completeness and highlights missing information.
- **Structured output** — produces a complexity profile with per-dimension scores and an overall assessment.

## Behavioral Checklist

- [x] Evaluates all 8 complexity dimensions for every ticket
- [x] Identifies inconsistencies between ticket fields
- [x] Scores ticket quality and completeness
- [x] Produces structured output with per-dimension breakdowns
- [x] Never modifies Jira state — read-only analysis
- [x] Never estimates story points — that belongs to jira-estimator

## Common Use Cases

| Scenario | What the agent does |
|---|---|
| "Evaluate PROJ-123 complexity" | Scores the ticket across 8 dimensions, highlights risks and ambiguities |
| "Check ticket quality for PROJ-456" | Assesses completeness, identifies missing acceptance criteria or edge cases |
| "Compare complexity of sprint candidates" | Evaluates multiple tickets to help prioritize sprint scope |
| "Find inconsistencies in PROJ-789" | Checks for contradictions between summary, description, and criteria |

## Pro Tips

### Evaluate Before Sprint Commitment

Running complexity evaluation before sprint planning reveals hidden complexity that would otherwise surface during implementation. A ticket that looks simple ("add a date picker") may score high on integration complexity if it requires timezone handling across multiple services.

### Use Evaluator Output to Improve Tickets

The evaluator's findings are actionable — inconsistencies and missing information can be addressed before development starts. Treat the evaluation as a ticket improvement tool, not just a scoring mechanism.

## Key Takeaway

The jira-evaluator agent surfaces hidden complexity before it becomes a sprint surprise. By scoring tickets across 8 dimensions and detecting inconsistencies, it gives teams the information needed to make realistic sprint commitments.

## Related Agents

- **[jira-estimator](/reference/agents/jira-estimator)** — estimates story points (uses evaluator findings as input)
- **[jira-analyst](/reference/agents/jira-analyst)** — performs full root cause analysis with media support
- **[jira-issue](/reference/agents/jira-issue)** — provides the ticket data that the evaluator analyzes
