MoSCoW is an acronym for Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, and Won’t-have this time. It is a prioritization technique that many organizations use in project management, software development, business analysis, etc., to categorize and prioritize requirements or tasks based on their importance and urgency. The method provides a simple and effective way to prioritize work items by assigning them to one of the four categories12:
Must-have: These are the critical and non-negotiable requirements or tasks that must be completed for the project or product to be successful. Without them, the project or product will fail or become useless. For example, compliance with legal or security standards, or core functionality of the product.
Should-have: These are the important but not essential requirements or tasks that should be completed for the project or product to be satisfactory. They add significant value or benefit, but they are not as time-sensitive or critical as the must-haves. They can be postponed or omitted without compromising the project or product. For example, performance improvements, minor bug fixes, or nice-to-have features.
Could-have: These are the desirable but not necessary requirements or tasks that could be completed for the project or product to be enhanced. They improve the user experience or customer satisfaction, but they have a low impact or benefit. They can be included if time and resources permit, or they can be left out without affecting the project or product. For example, aesthetic changes, extra functionality, or user feedback.
Won’t-have: These are the least important or relevant requirements or tasks that won’t be completed for the project or product at the current time. They have a low or negative impact or benefit, or they are not appropriate or feasible at the moment. They can be excluded, deferred, or reconsidered for future projects or products. For example, out-of-scope requests, low-priority issues, or unrealistic expectations.
MoSCoW prioritization helps to manage the expectations and needs of the stakeholders, and to focus on the most valuable and urgent work items. It also helps to deal with changing requirements, scope creep, and resource constraints. MoSCoW prioritization is often used with timeboxing, which is a technique that sets a fixed deadline for the completion of a project or product34. References:
What is MoSCoW Prioritization? | Overview of the MoSCoW Method
MoSCoW method - Wikipedia
Simplify Requirement Prioritization With the MoSCoW Method - Geekflare
MoSCoW: Framework for Effective Prioritization | craft.io
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