Moscow Matrix

MoSCoW Matrix Template

Use the MoSCow Method to efficiently place deliverables in a matrix to understand their importance to your team’s projects.

About the MoSCoW Matrix Template

When you’re working on a project with a lot of deliverables, it can be difficult to track priorities. And as deadlines approach, sometimes priorities can shift, further complicating your workflow. How can you keep track of evolving priorities and still focus on a complex project? 

Keep reading to learn more about the MoSCoW method.

What is the MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method is a powerful technique for tracking priorities, which are categorized and placed in a matrix model. Project managers, product developers, and business analysts use the matrix to align their teams when working through a set of project deliverables. Teams collaborate with stakeholders  to analyze and rank the importance of deliverables with MoSCoW, making it easier to stay on track. 

MoSCoW is an acronym for Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have. These four priority categories make up the four segments in the matrix. “Must Have” items are necessary for delivery; “Should Have” items are important but not necessary; “Could Have” items are nice to have (they are not priorities, but your team can work on them if time and resources permit); and “Won’t Have” items do not fit into the scope of the current project. To use MoSCoW, you create four category segments showing your current priorities and their status (Complete, In Progress, or Not Yet Started). 

When to use the MoSCoW method

The MoSCoW method is useful whenever you need to present business needs to an audience, assess priorities, and collaborate on impending deliverables with a group of stakeholders. By drawing and updating the matrix, you can get a snapshot of your priorities and their impact at each stage of a project. MoSCoW allows everyone on your team to easily grasp upcoming tasks and their impact on your timeline.

Create your own MoSCoW matrix

Making your own MoSCoW matrix is easy. Miro’s whiteboard tool is the perfect canvas to create and share it. Get started by selecting the MoSCoW Matrix Template, then take the following steps to make one of your own.

  1. Fill in your Must Haves. The MoSCoW matrix is divided into four categories. The first is Must Haves, the items that are necessary for completion of your project. If you’re unsure whether a task is a Must Have, ask yourself the following questions: If you do not complete this task, will your product or service work as intended? Can you still deliver the product without this item? Does this task allow you to fulfill all legal requirements for your project? Will your product or service be safe without it? Will your customer suffer consequences if you fail to complete this task?

  2. Fill in your Should Haves. Next, move on to the items that are not necessary to complete your project but are still important for success. Remember, the items in this category are not vital, but you should try and incorporate them into your timeline anyway. If you’re unsure, ask yourself: Although it might be painful not to complete this task, could you still ship the product without it? Can you use a workaround to avoid this task?

  3. Fill in your Could Haves. Many teams colloquially refer to these items as “nice-to-haves.” While they might make the service run more smoothly, or make your product look better, these tasks are not important. If you have the time or resources to complete them at the end, then you can do so. If not, you can plan to do them later. To fill out this part of the matrix, ask yourself the following questions: What are the benefits of these tasks? Do they outweigh the costs? How will these tasks impact our timeline? Can we still complete the project on time and within budget if we include these tasks?

  4. Fill out your Won’t Haves. These items are outside the scope of your current project. Maybe you don’t have the budget to complete them, or maybe they don’t fit into your timeline. If you’re not quite sure whether something is a Won’t Have, ask yourself: How does this item impact our budget? Does our team have the bandwidth to complete this task? Will this item have a tangible impact on our customer? No one likes to admit that they can’t complete something, but don’t think of Won’t Haves as failures; they’re projects for another day.

MoSCow Matrix FAQs

How do you use the MoSCow Template?

The MoSCoW abbreviation (except for the o's) is carved with first letters of the priority categories it works with. These are Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves and Won't-haves. And that's how you can define which task falls into which category.

What are the benefits of using the MoSCow Method?

The key benefits of the MoSCoW technique is that it is quick and easy to use. The technique is good in highlighting the priorities of projects that are in progress and for organising efficient time management.

MoSCoW Matrix Template

Get started with this template right now.

Related Templates
Project Planning Thumbnail
Preview

Project Planning Template

Works best for:

Project Management, Project Planning

A project plan is a single source of truth that helps teams visualize and reach project milestones. Project plans are most useful when you outline the project’s “what” and “why” to anyone who needs to give you project buy-in. Use a project plan to proactively discuss team needs; expectations; and baselines for timeline, budget, and scope. The plan will also help you clarify available resources before you kick off a project, as well as expected deliverables at the end of the project.

Project Planning Template
T-Chart Thumbnail
Preview

T-Chart Template

Works best for:

Ideation, Operations, Strategic Planning

T-Charts can help you compare and contrast two different ideas, group information into different categories, and prove a change through “before” and “after” analysis. T-Charts are visual organizational tools that enable you to compare ideas, so you can evaluate pros and cons, facts and opinions, strengths and weaknesses, or big-picture views versus specific details. Designers and content creators can use T-Charts to turn possibilities into actionable ideas. T-Charts are useful for discussing differences and similarities with your team or clients and can help you to reach a decision together.

T-Chart Template
Project Kick-off Thumbnail
Preview

Project Kickoff Template

Works best for:

Project Management, Documentation, Meetings

This Project Kickoff Meeting template helps you have all the information about your project in one shared space, like a project manifesto. This template has seven activities to define your project’s goals and objectives, the team’s roles and responsibilities, and the next steps and resource materials for further consultation. Use the Project Kickoff Meeting template to manage projects effectively and keep everyone aligned.

Project Kickoff Template
Working Backwards Thumbnail
Preview

Working Backwards Template

Works best for:

Desk Research, Strategic Planning, Product Management

Find out how to use the Working Backwards template to plan, structure, and execute the launch of a new product. Using the template, you’ll figure out if the product is worth launching in the first place.

Working Backwards Template
stickies-packs-thumb-web (1)
Preview

Stickies Packs Template

Works best for:

Brainstorming, Meetings, Workshops

Use Miro’s Stickies Packs template to facilitate your brainstorming and group sessions. Use them to organize your ideas, collaborate as a team, and encourage participation from everyone involved.

Stickies Packs Template
RACI Matrix Thumbnail
Preview

RACI Matrix Template

Works best for:

Leadership, Decision Making, Org Charts

The RACI Matrix is an essential management tool that helps teams keep track of roles and responsibilities and can avoid confusion during projects. The acronym RACI stands for Responsible (the person who does the work to achieve the task and is responsible for getting the work done or decision made); Accountable (the person who is accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the task); Consulted (the people who provide information for the project and with whom there is two-way communication); Informed (the people who are kept informed of progress and with whom there is one-way communication).

RACI Matrix Template