text: Chapter 4
  4-8. The integration of civil knowledge allows commanders to increase their situational understanding of
  the OE and allows staffs to produce plans and operations orders armed with the most accurate and current
  understanding of the civil component of the OE. As missions intersect with varying types of civilian activity,
  this increased understanding is essential to enable unified action at all echelons and achieve the mission,
  goals, and end state of the commander.
  CIVIL PREPARATION OF THE BATTLEFIELD
  4-9. Civil preparation of the battlefield is the systematic process of analyzing civil considerations in an
  area of interest to determine their effects on friendly, neutral, and enemy operations. The role of CA
  forces is to engage and leverage the civil component of the OE while enhancing, enabling, or providing
  governance. This systematic process is informed by IPB and also informs IPB and these integrating processes
  are critical to the development of the common operational picture.
  4-10. CPB is conducted by all CA forces at all echelons, is critical to informing the CNDE process, and
  provides direction for the engagement and development of specific civil networks. CPB analyzes and
  evaluates the political, economic, and social operational variables in an area of interest to determine
  opportunities and risks in an AO. The goal is to provide the commander with the capability to enhance,
  enable, or provide governance. The analysis and evaluation of civil information gained through CNDE, area
  studies, initial and deliberate assessments, and other CA processes, is developed into civil knowledge.
  CA forces integrate civil knowledge into CAO and all Army planning processes and use this civil knowledge
  to inform the warfighting function. This civil knowledge—
  * Provides commanders with a greater situational understanding of the OE.
  * Enables the commander’s visualization of the battlefield.
  * Provides options that facilitate decision making and enables information advantage.
  * Allows planners to develop effective plans and operations.
  INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION OF THE BATTLEFIELD
  4-11. Intelligence preparation of the battlefield is the systematic process of analyzing the mission variables
  of enemy, terrain, weather, and civil considerations in an area of interest to determine their effect on
  operations (ATP 2-01.3). IPB is normally led by the S-2 or G-2, or the intelligence functional cell—with staff
  participation from all functional and integrating staff cells. The CAO staff provides operationally relevant
  civil knowledge to the S-2 or G-2 within the fusion cell of the command (where civil knowledge is used to
  inform IPB). Within the IPB process, analysts examine information and knowledge related to predetermined
  and evolving civil information requirements. These civil information requirements include the effect of
  sociocultural factors within a particular geographic area, the availability of critical resources for use by
  military or civilian activities, and the efficiency of integration of important or influential civil network
  structures in achieving mission objectives.
  4-12. Civil considerations of ASCOPE assist commanders in refining their understanding of the operational
  variables of PMESII-PT and mission variables of METT-TC within the AO. CAO staff integrate civil
  knowledge into the IPB process to increase understanding of civil considerations and identify risk to mission.
  4-13. Understanding the relationship between military operations, populations, local governance structures,
  properties of cultural significance, and other aspects of the OE is essential to developing effective plans and
  conducting successful operations. Combat operations directly affect the population, infrastructure, and the
  ability of the force to transition authority to local control. The degree to which the population is expected to
  support or resist U.S. and friendly forces also affects the offensive and defensive operational design.
  Commanders and staffs use personal knowledge, civil knowledge gained from CA forces and staff, and
  running estimates to assess social, economic, and political factors.
  4-14. Commanders consider the relationship between these factors as they relate to illicit activities such as
  lawlessness, subversion, or insurgency that adversely affect the operation. Commanders then use this
  understanding to estimate the effects of friendly actions, predict potential outcomes, and direct subordinates.