The backlog prioritisation can often feel like a never-ending tug of war. Everyone insists their request is critical, and without a clear framework, everything risks becoming a “must.”
That’s where the MoSCoW method comes in. Simple, collaborative, and widely used in Agile, it helps you and your stakeholders sort work into categories that actually make sense.
What MoSCoW Stands For
- Must have → Non-negotiable essentials.
- Should have → Important, but not critical right now.
- Could have → Nice to include if there’s time.
- Won’t have (for now) → Agreed as out of scope.
How to Apply MoSCoW
1. List your backlog items.
Gather the features, fixes, and improvements under discussion.
2. Run a session with stakeholders.
Collaboratively place each item in a category. This makes prioritisation a visible, shared activity.
3. Challenge the “musts.”
If everything is a “must,” then nothing is. Push for clarity on what’s truly essential.
4. Revisit regularly.
A “could” today might become a “should” in the next quarter. Categories aren’t permanent.
How to Apply MoSCoW
1. List your backlog items.
Gather the features, fixes, and improvements under discussion.
2. Run a session with stakeholders.
Collaboratively place each item in a category. This makes prioritisation a visible, shared activity.
3. Challenge the “musts.”
If everything is a “must,” then nothing is. Push for clarity on what’s truly essential.
4. Revisit regularly.
A “could” today might become a “should” in the next quarter. Categories aren’t permanent.
Example: Travel Booking Platform
- Must Have → Payment system must process securely.
- Should Have → Support multiple currencies.
- Could Have → Add dark mode to customer accounts.
- Won’t Have (this time) → Build chatbot this quarter.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- Easy to understand.
- Great for workshops and stakeholder discussions.
- Forces explicit choices instead of vague “high priority” lists.
⚠️ Cons
- Can get political if stakeholders push everything into “must.”
- Doesn’t consider effort or business impact directly.
- Needs discipline to stick to agreed categories.
When to Use MoSCoW
MoSCoW is ideal when:
- You’re at the start of a project and need to clarify scope.
- You want a simple, collaborative way to bring stakeholders together.
- You need to make tough trade-offs without endless arguments.
It’s less effective if you need quantitative comparisons (for that, try RICE or ICE scoring).
Final Thoughts
MoSCoW isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the best ways to break through backlog debates. By making the categories explicit — must, should, could, won’t — you turn a noisy argument into a structured discussion.
👉 Reflection: Next time your backlog feels overwhelming, grab a whiteboard (or Miro board), write down your items, and run a MoSCoW session. You’ll be surprised how quickly things fall into place.
