I usually reply: Give me a week to look into it then I will have more insight into how long it might take.
But you are right the problem is you can't estimate (correctly) how long it will take to do something your organization has never done before, that's what should be made clear to them.
At the same time it is true that estimates get better as we start working on it, and the work can start by focusing on the unknowns to figure out how difficult they are to do. If that is a plan they agree to.
But you are right the problem is you can't estimate (correctly) how long it will take to do something your organization has never done before, that's what should be made clear to them.
At the same time it is true that estimates get better as we start working on it, and the work can start by focusing on the unknowns to figure out how difficult they are to do. If that is a plan they agree to.