15 Methods to Prioritize Tasks in Project Management

For each project, time and resources are limited whereas project requirements are higher. To meet customer demands we need task prioritization in project management which can bridge this gap and enable team members to focus on high-value activities first and manage resources efficiently.

Without the right prioritization strategy, projects can easily derail which can lead to delays and unmet goals.
This blog dives deep into 15 task prioritization methods using which you can ensure complete coverage of your project development and deliver them on time.

1. Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is one of the most popular and simplest methods of prioritizing tasks. You can categorize tasks based on urgency and importance:

• Do First (Urgent & Important): These are the high-priority tasks that need to be completed immediately
• Schedule (Important but Not Urgent): Plan these tasks later
• Delegate (Urgent but Not Important): Assign these tasks to other team members
• Eliminate (Neither Urgent nor Important): Free up your time by eliminating these tasks

Example: For a product launch project, finalizing the design is urgent and important whereas planning the next year’s roadmap is important but not urgent.

The Eisenhower Matrix is the best technique for individual task management and faster decision-making.

2. MoSCoW Method

MoSCoW is an acronym for:

• Must-Have: These are the tasks important for project success
• Should-Have: These are Important tasks but not immediately necessary
• Could-Have: These include tasks that are nice to have not important so they can be kept for a later
• Won’t-Have: These are the tasks that are out of scope

This method is employed in Agile projects to prioritize backlog items.

Example: In a software development project, the login feature can be categorized as a must-have whereas social media integration can be categorized as a must-have.

Best For: Agile teams and feature prioritization.

3. RICE Scoring

RICE scoring technique is implemented to prioritize tasks using four key factors:

• Reach: How many people will be impacted by the project?
• Impact: How much change will the project bring?
• Confidence: How certain are you about the estimates?
• Effort: How much time and resources are needed?

The formula:

RICE Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort

Example:

Feature	Reach	Impact	Confidence	Effort	RICE score
Push Notification	5,000	4	90%	50	360
Dark Mode	10,000	2	80%	70	229
Social Media Integration	8,000	3	70%	60	280
Bug Fix (Login Issues)	20,000	5	100%	40	2,500

Explanation:

• Push Notifications: It is moderately impactful and high in confidence
• Dark Mode: It has a high reach but low impact.
• Social Media Integration: It has a good balance of impact, reach, and effort.
• Bug Fix: It has a high reach, critical impact, and a low effort.

4. Value vs. Effort Matrix

This task prioritization technique places tasks into four quadrants:

• High Value, Low Effort: Quick execution to prioritize first.
• High Value, High Effort: Plan and allocate resources.
• Low Value, Low Effort: Optional tasks that will be executed when convenient.
• Low Value, High Effort: Deprioritize these tasks.

Example: Resolving a critical bug on a live website will fall under the category of high value, low effort; hence they need to be addressed first.

Best For: This method of task prioritization is suitable for teams who are handling multiple tasks of varying complexity.

5. Critical Path Method (CPM)

The Critical Path Method technique in project management is implemented to identify the sequence of tasks that will directly affect the project timeline. Delays in executing these tasks still lead to delayed project delivery.

Example:

Steps to implement CPM for Construction project

1. List all tasks (excavation, foundation pouring, framing)
2. Identify task dependencies (foundation must be completed before framing starts)
3. Estimate task durations.
4. Identify the critical path (the sequence of tasks that impacts project completion)

In construction, laying the foundation is a critical path task since it affects subsequent activities.

Best For: Projects with strict deadlines or interdependent tasks.

6. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

The Pareto principle is also called the 80/20 principle which suggests that executing 20% of the tasks can yield 80% of the results.

In project management, this principle is employed to identify and prioritize high-impact tasks first which enables team members to achieve more results with little effort.

Example: In marketing projects, 20% of the campaigns generate 80% of the leads. By focusing on optimizing those high-performing campaigns you can achieve more results.

Best For: High-level strategic planning.

7. Weighted Scoring Method

In this method tasks are evaluated based on three categories i.e. Business value, complexity, and cost:

• Business Value: How much will it contribute to project management?
• Complexity: How difficult is it to execute?
• Cost: How resource-intensive is it?

By using this process you can assign scores to each category and calculate the total to prioritize tasks.

Example:

Imagine you need to decide which new feature to develop for your software product. You have shortlisted three features:

1. Feature A: Advanced reporting dashboard
2. Feature B: Mobile app enhancements
3. Feature C: Integration with a popular third-party tool

Use the Weighted Scoring Method to prioritize these features:

1. Customer Impact (Weight = 40%): How much value the feature brings to customers.
2. Revenue Potential (Weight = 30%): How much revenue the feature could generate.
3. Development Effort (Weight = 20%): How easy or difficult it is to implement the feature.
4. Strategic Alignment (Weight = 10%): How closely the feature aligns with the company goals.

Best For: Multi-stakeholder projects requiring objective prioritization.

8. Kano Model

The Kano Model is implemented to rank tasks based on their ability to meet customer satisfaction:

• Must-Have: Essential features for functionality.
• Performance: Features that add value.
• Delighters: Additional features that delight users.

Example: For a mobile app, push notifications could be a must-have feature, while gesture controls could be a delight feature.

Best For: This method is implemented for customer-focused projects.

9. Dependency Prioritization

This technique determines the sequence of task execution. It focuses on the previous tasks to avoid bottlenecks.

Example: Completing system architecture design before coding ensures a smooth development process.

Best For: This method of task prioritization is implemented for complex projects with interlinked tasks.

10. Scrum Prioritization

Scrum teams can use backlog grooming to prioritize tasks based on the following:

• Business value
• Customer impact
• Dependencies
• Team capacity

Example: The team employs user stories, determines the task of  the highest value, and takes them to the next sprint.

Best For: Scrum prioritization is best implemented for Agile development teams.

11. ABC Analysis

The technique classifies tasks into three categories:

• High-priority and urgent tasks.
• Medium-priority tasks that can be worked on later.
• Low-priority tasks with minimal impact.

Example: Completing a client presentation could be categorized as a high-priority and urgent task while updating documentation could be a low-priority task with minimal impact.

Best For: It is best implemented in projects with simplified prioritization.

12. ICE Framework

ICE (Impact, Confidence, and Ease) framework can be implemented to categorize tasks into 3 categories:

• Impact: How beneficial is it?
• Confidence: How sure are you of the impact?
• Ease: How easy is it to execute?

Example:

A digital marketing manager working on a campaign to boost website traffic and conversions.

Tasks to Prioritize

• Task A: Launching a Google Ads campaign.
• Task B: Redesign the website homepage.
• Task C: Write and publish a series of SEO-optimized blog posts.
• Task D: Run an email marketing campaign.
• Task E: Collaborate with influencers to promote products on social media.

Task	Impact (1-10)	Confidence (1-10)	Ease (1-10)	ICE Score (I x C x E)
Task A: Google Ads campaign	8	7	6	8 × 7 × 6 = 336
Task B: Homepage redesign	9	6	4	9 × 6 × 4 = 216
Task C: SEO blog posts	7	8	7	7 × 8 × 7 = 392
Task D: Email campaign	6	8	8	6 × 8 × 8 = 384
Task E: Social media influencers	9	5	5	9 × 5 × 5 = 225

Best For: Startups and fast-paced teams.

13. 100-Dollar Test

Stakeholders allocate 100 imaginary dollars across tasks. Tasks with the most dollars get the highest priority.

Example: This method is used during roadmap planning to align with team members or stakeholders.

Best For: Collaborative prioritization.

14. Deadline-Based Prioritization

This is a process in which tasks with the most immediate deadlines are completed first, ensuring the projects are completed on time and within budget.

Example: Submitting compliance documents by a legal deadline is prioritized over internal tasks.

Best For: Time-sensitive projects.

15. First In, First Out (FIFO)

Complete all your tasks in the order they arrive. This technique is employed to prevent task pile-ups as well as to maintain steady progress.

Example: Resolving customer tickets in the order they arrived.

Best For: Help desks and teams who handle repetitive tasks.

Takeaways

Effective task prioritization is the crux of project success. Before the tasks are executed the project managers must strategize task completion based on their priority and importance.

Techniques like Eisenhower Matrix, RICE, and other prioritization methods in project management can empower all team members to deal with unexpected situations. You can experiment and adapt these techniques to meet your team’s specific requirements.

FAQs

Q1: Which method works best for my team?

It depends on your project management. Agile teams often use Scrum or MoSCoW. Data-driven teams might prefer RICE or Weighted Scoring.

Q2: Can I combine methods?

Yes! For instance, use RICE for high-level prioritization and Eisenhower Matrix for daily tasks.

Q3: How often should I reprioritize?

Revisit priorities regularly, especially when there are changes in scope, deadlines, or resources.