What It Means
The MoSCoW method is a way of prioritizing work by putting each requirement or task into one of four groups: Must Have, Should Have, Could Have and Won't Have this time. It comes from DSDM, an agileAgileA way of working, set out in the 2001 Agile Manifesto, that delivers in small pieces, gets feedback early and adjusts the plan as it learns. See more project framework now owned by the Agile Business Consortium, and it's built for projects where the deadline is fixed, so what gets delivered has to flex instead.
Try It: Check Your Plan Against DSDM's 60% Guidance
Enter the effort, in hours or days, for everything in each group. Won't Haves aren't counted, since they're out of this round.
Must Haves are within DSDM's guidance of no more than 60% of the effort, leaving room to drop lower priorities if time runs short.
Must Haves are above 60% of the effort. DSDM advises staying at or under 60%, so there's something to give if the work runs long.
A thin pool of Could Haves leaves little to drop. DSDM mentions around 20% of effort as usual.
How People Say It
- "Is that a must or a could?"
- "Let's MoSCoW the list before the meeting."
- "That's a won't for this release, not never."
The Breakdown
The four groups
| Letter | Group | In plain words (Buhata's reading) |
|---|---|---|
| M | Must Have | The minimum the result can't go out without |
| S | Should Have | Important, and painful to leave out, with a workaround if it has to wait |
| C | Could Have | Nice to have; the first to drop if time runs short |
| W | Won't Have this time | Agreed out of this round, which keeps focus and expectations clear |
How to use it
- List everything that could go into the project or the next timebox.
- Put each item in one group, asking "what happens if this isn't done by the deadline?"
- Estimate the effort for each group.
- Check the Must Haves take no more than about 60% of the effort, as DSDM recommends, with a pool of Could Haves around 20%.
- Work in priority order, and drop Could Haves first if time runs short.
- Tell people what's in Won't Have this time, so nobody is surprised later.
A worked example (Buhata's own). A family has four weekends to get the garden ready for a party. Must: mow and clear the lawn, fix the gate. Should: plant the front beds. Could: build a fire pit. Won't this time: the new patio. With 24 hours of Must work in a 50-hour plan, Musts are 48% of the effort, under DSDM's 60%.
Where It Comes From
MoSCoW is part of DSDM, the Dynamic Systems Development Method, a project framework now maintained by the Agile Business Consortium.
Good to Know
W stands for Won't Have this time, which is different from never. The Agile Business Consortium explains that naming Won't Haves manages expectations that some requirements won't make it into this delivery, and keeps attention on what matters most. It also points out that when each timebox is planned, most of the full list sits in Won't Have for that timebox, since only the work planned for it gets a Must, Should or Could.
FAQ
What does MoSCoW stand for?
Must Have, Should Have, Could Have and Won't Have this time. Each capital letter is the first letter of one group.
What is the 60% rule in MoSCoW?
DSDM, the framework MoSCoW comes from, recommends that Must Haves take no more than 60% of the effort on a typical project, with a sensible pool of Could Haves, usually around 20%. That leaves room to drop lower priorities and still hit the deadline.
How is MoSCoW different from the Eisenhower matrix?
The Eisenhower matrixEisenhower matrixA four-box grid that sorts tasks by two questions, whether each is urgent and whether it's important, to decide what to do now and what to plan. See more sorts tasks by whether each is urgent and important. MoSCoW ranks requirements by how essential they are to one fixed deadline, and it plans for the lower groups to be dropped if time runs out.
Do It in Buhata
Tasks and Notes (Premium)
Tag each item in Tasks in Buhata as M, S, C or W in its title, and keep the Won't Have this time list in Notes (Premium) so it's written down for the next round.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Eisenhower matrix
A four-box grid that sorts tasks by two questions, whether each is urgent and whether it's important, to decide what to do now and what to plan.
- Pareto principle
The observation, also called the 80/20 rule, that a small share of causes produces most of the effect, such as a few tasks bringing most of the results.
- Scope creep
The uncontrolled growth of a project's scope, when work gets added without anyone adjusting the time, budget or people to match.
- Product backlog
In Scrum, the ordered list of everything needed to improve a product, and the single source of work for the Scrum Team.
Sources
Agile Business Consortium, "What is MoSCoW Prioritization?"; Agile Business Consortium, "MoSCoW Prioritisation", DSDM Project Framework Handbook
- www.agilebusiness.org/dsdm-project-framework/moscow-prioritisation.html
- www.agilebusiness.org/content/moscow-prioritisation-0
Last updated .