MoSCoW¶

MoSCoW is a structured method for turning a backlog into a delivery contract between a team and its stakeholders. The four labels (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have) act as a shared commitment: Musts define the minimum viable delivery, Shoulds and Coulds provide a clear buffer if capacity allows, and the Won't list documents what the team has actively agreed to exclude. This makes reprioritization conversations more productive because all parties start from an explicit, previously agreed baseline rather than informal assumptions.

See also: Quality Attributes · Architectural Decision Record