Prioritise
MoSCoW prioritisation
Also called MoSCoW method
Sort requirements into must have, should have, could have and won't have this time, to agree scope against a fixed deadline.
- Time30 to 60 minutes
- People3 to 10 people
- Steps3
What it's for
MoSCoW works when time is fixed and scope has to give. Must haves are the things without which the release is pointless. Everything else can slip, in order, if time runs short. Naming the won't haves out loud stops them coming back as surprises.
Keep musts to a minority of the effort. If everything is a must, nothing is prioritised.
How to run it
List the requirements8 min
One per note, anywhere on the board.
Sort20 min
Move each into a column. Challenge every must: what happens if it isn't there?
Check the balance10 min
Do the musts fit comfortably in the time? If not, move some down.
Tips
- "Won't have this time" is a decision, not a rejection. It can move up next time.
- A useful test for a must: would we cancel the release without it?
Where it comes from
Created by Dai Clegg while at Oracle in 1994, and adopted by the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) for agile projects.
Pairs well with
Impact and effort matrix
Place each option by how much difference it would make and how hard it would be, to find the quick wins and the big bets.
$100 test
Each person splits an imaginary $100 between the options, which shows not just what people prefer but how strongly.
Objectives and key results
Set an ambitious objective and three or so measurable key results that would show you achieved it.