A simple prioritization scorecard (with a worked example)

Backlogs grow faster than teams can build, so you need a repeatable way to decide what goes first. A scorecard won't make the decision for you, but it makes your reasoning visible and easy to challenge.

The four factors

1. Reach: how many users per quarter are affected.
2. Impact: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 (minimal to massive).
3. Confidence: 50%, 80% or 100%, based on evidence you can name.
4. Effort: person-weeks.

Score = Reach × Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort. This is the widely used RICE model.

Worked example

Item A: 2,000 users × 1 × 80% ÷ 4 weeks = 400. Item B: 500 users × 3 × 100% ÷ 2 weeks = 750. B goes first.

Get the template

Download the RICE scorecard spreadsheet. The score column calculates itself; replace the two example rows with your own items.