text: Planning
  * Who are the formal and informal leaders within the political parties?
  * How can friendly forces exploit political party interests to garner support?
  * Which party represents the majority of the people, but also actively support progress within the
  municipality?
  * What is the status of IRCs within the area of operations?
  4-59. In addition to nominating CCIRs to the commander, the staff also identifies and nominates essential
  elements of friendly information, or EEFIs. EEFIs are elements of information to protect rather than to
  collect, and identify those elements of friendly force information that, if compromised, would jeopardize
  mission success. Although EEFIs are not CCIRs, they have the same priority as CCIRs and require approval
  by the commander. Like CCIRs, EEFIs change as an operation progresses (FM 6-0).
  4-60. Submission of IO-focused requirements for potential inclusion as CCIRs, along with other CCIRs,
  enable the staff to develop the initial information collection plan. Approval of EEFIs enable the staff to plan
  and implement friendly force information protection measures, such as provided by military deception and
  OPSEC.
  DEVELOP THE INITIAL INFORMATION COLLECTION PLAN
  4-61. The staff identifies information gaps, especially those needed to answer IRs. The IO officer identifies
  gaps in information needed to support IO planning, execution and assessment. These are submitted to the G-
  2 (S-2) as IO IRs. The initial information collection plan sets the priorities for information collection in order
  to answer CCIRs. The G-3 (S-3) issues the information collection plan as part of a WARNORD, a
  FRAGORD or an OPORD. Within these orders, the information collection plan is found in Annex L.
  UPDATE PLAN FOR THE USE OF AVAILABLE TIME
  4-62. At this point, the G-3 (S-3) refines the initial time plan developed during receipt of mission. The IO
  officer provides input specifying the long lead-time items associated with certain IRC tasks (such as military
  deception and MISO). Upon receiving the revised timeline, the IO officer compares the time available to
  accomplish IRC tasks with the command’s and threat’s time lines, and revises the IO time allocation plan
  accordingly. The IO product for this sub-step is a revised time plan.
  DEVELOP INITIAL THEMES AND MESSAGES
  4-63. Gaining and maintaining the trust of relevant audiences and actors is an important aspect of operations.
  Faced with a diverse array of individuals, organizations, and publics who affect or are affected by their unit's
  operations, commanders identify and engage entities vital to operational success. The behaviors of these
  entities can aid or complicate the friendly forces' challenges as commanders strive to accomplish missions.
  4-64. The IO officer does not develop themes and messages. This is done by the public affairs officer and
  MISO element. The public affairs officer adjusts and refines themes and messages received from higher
  headquarters for use by the command. These themes and messages are designed to inform specific domestic
  and foreign audiences about current or planned military operations. The Office of the Secretary of Defense,
  Department of State, or geographic combatant commander (depending on the operation) provides applicable
  themes to MISO forces, which then develop actions and messages. The highest level MISO element in theater
  adjusts or refines the themes depending on the situation. It employs themes and messages as part of planned
  activities designed to influence specific foreign targets and audiences for various purposes that support
  current or planned operations.
  4-65. The commander and the chief of staff approve all themes and messages used to support operations in
  their area of responsibility. Although the IO officer does not develop themes and messages, they do assist the
  G-3 (S-3) and the commander to de-conflict and synchronize IRCs used specifically to execute actions for
  psychological effect and deliver messages during operations.