What is the MoSCoW Method?

What is the MoSCoW Method?
Origin & Use Cases
When & How to Apply
Stakeholder Involvement
Quick Checklist

What is the MoSCoW Method?

Must have: These requirements are essential. Without them, the project cannot be successfully completed.

Should have: These requirements are important, but not critical. They contribute to project quality, but are not essential.

Could have: These requirements are desirable but not necessary. They can be implemented if time and resources allow.

Won't have: Diese Anforderungen werden in diesem Projektzyklus nicht berücksichtigt. Sie können für zukünftige Projekte in Betracht gezogen werden.

Origin & Use Cases

The MoSCoW method was popularized in agile and software development circles as an efficient way to manage time-boxed projects. It’s especially useful when resources—like time and budget—are limited. By labeling tasks with Must, Should, Could, or Won’t, you get clear priorities and avoid the trap of trying to complete everything at once.

When & How to Apply

Applying MoSCoW is straightforward:

1. List Your Requirements: Gather all tasks, features, or goals.
2. Assign Each to a Category: Be strict about “Must Haves” so the label stays meaningful.
3. Revisit & Validate: Collaboration is key—everyone should agree on what truly belongs in each category.
4. Act on Must Haves First: Begin with critical tasks to ensure the project’s success if time runs out.

It’s particularly powerful for product roadmaps, project kick-offs, and agile sprints, where you need to remain flexible.

Stakeholder Involvement

A major advantage of the MoSCoW method is how easily it involves stakeholders:

• Collaboration: By asking clients, team members, or executives to help categorize tasks, you build consensus.
• Transparency: Everyone sees which items are non-negotiable. This fosters a shared vision of the end product.
• Adaptability: If new requirements emerge, you can redistribute priorities without disturbing the project’s core structure.

Quick Checklist

Here’s a concise checklist to keep you on track:

☑️ Start with Clear Objectives: Know the overall goal.
☑️ Limit the Musts: “Must” means absolutely non-negotiable—use it sparingly.
☑️ Involve Key People: Align your categories with stakeholder input for better buy-in.
☑️ Stay Flexible: As scope or context changes, reassign tasks to keep priorities accurate.
☑️ Review Regularly: Make sure tasks haven’t drifted between categories.

Realization in Merlin Project

Merlin Project allows you to easily prioritize tasks and requirements. To do this, you can increase (>500) or decrease (<500) the priority in the inspector under Activity: Plan in the "Advanced" tab.

Our suggestion:

• Must Have = Priority 1.000
• Should Have = Priority 750
• Could Have = Priority 250
• Won't Have = Priority 0

This categorization means that all new activities are still categorized with a priority of 500, allowing you to see at a glance which elements you have not yet prioritized individually.

You can now filter your project by priority, for example to only see or group activities with priority 1,000. By grouping, you can now always see all activities of the same priority level one below the other.

Conclusion

Use the MoSCoW method to ensure that your most important tasks are completed first. With Merlin Project's visual tools, you can keep track of your priorities and make adjustments if project requirements change.

In the next part of our series, we will take a look at the RICE Scoring Method.