MoSCoW Prioritisation
Overview
MoSCoW is a popular prioritization technique used in project management and software development to help stakeholders agree on the importance of various requirements, features, or tasks.
Breakdown of the MoSCoW Acronym
| Letter | Priority | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M | Must have | Essential requirements for project success; without these, it fails. |
| S | Should have | Important but not critical; can be deferred if necessary. |
| C | Could have | Desirable but not necessary; included if time/resources allow. |
| W | Won’t have (this time) | Explicitly excluded from the current delivery, but may be revisited later. |
Why Use MoSCoW?
- Helps teams and stakeholders focus on what truly matters
- Aids in scope control and release planning
- Encourages transparent prioritization of features or user stories
- Supports agile, iterative delivery models (like Scrum or Kanban)
Example in Software Development
Suppose you’re building a customer feedback portal:
| Feature | MoSCoW Category | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Users can submit feedback | Must have | Core functionality |
| Admin dashboard for viewing feedback | Should have | Valuable but not immediately needed |
| Feedback tagging with emojis | Could have | Nice UI touch but not essential |
| Social media integration | Won’t have | Out of scope for current release |
Best Practices
- Use collaboratively with product owners and stakeholders
- Clearly define what qualifies for each category
- Be honest about “Won’t haves” – don’t let them linger in ambiguity
- Reassess regularly during sprint reviews or release planning
Summary
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Prioritize features or requirements clearly |
| Useful For | Agile planning, MVP scoping, backlog grooming |
| Key Benefit | Aligns teams on what's essential vs. optional |
| Related To | Scrum, Agile, Lean, Product Management |