text: Information Collection Planning and Assessment
  3-43. The intelligence staff creates the requirements management tools for the information collection plan.
  The operations staff is responsible for the information collection plan. During this step, the operations and
  intelligence staff work closely to ensure they fully synchronize and integrate information collection
  activities into the overall plan.
  3-44. The operations officer considers several factors when developing the initial information collection
  plan, including—
  * Requirements for collection assets in subsequent missions.
  * The time available to develop and refine the initial information collection plan.
  * The risk the commander is willing to accept if information collection missions begin before the
  information collection plan is fully integrated into the scheme of maneuver.
  * Insertion and extraction methods for reconnaissance, security, surveillance, and intelligence
  units.
  * Contingencies for inclement weather to ensure coverage of key NAIs or TAIs.
  * The communications plan for transmission of reports from assets to tactical operations centers.
  * The inclusion of collection asset locations and movements into the fire support plan.
  * The reconnaissance handover with higher or subordinate echelons.
  * The sustainment support.
  * Legal support requirements.
  Develop Requests for Information and Requests for Collection or Support
  3-45. Submitting a request for information to the next higher or lateral echelon is a method for obtaining
  information not available with organic information collection assets. Units enter requests for information
  into a system where all units can see requests. Hence, analysts several echelons above the actual requester
  become aware of the request and may be able to answer it.
  3-46. When the unit cannot satisfy a collection requirement with its own assets, the intelligence staff
  composes and submits a request for information to the next higher echelon (or lateral units) for integration
  in its own information collection plan. At each echelon, the requirement is validated and a determination
  made if that echelon can satisfy the requirement. If that echelon cannot satisfy the requirement, it is passed
  to the next higher echelon.
  Note: This process continues until the requirement is satisfied and the information or
  intelligence requirement is no longer needed or cannot be satisfied.
  3-47. Throughout the request for information process, units must apprise the submitting organization of the
  status of their request for information as either accepted for action, passed to another organization for
  action, returned without action (invalid or impracticable request), or closed (satisfied). For the priority
  intelligence requirement (PIR), the intelligence staff tracks all production requirements, particularly those
  transmitted to higher echelons. When a requirement is satisfied or overcome by events, intelligence officers
  must notify the higher headquarters that the requirement is closed.
  Develop and Synchronize Production Requirements
  3-48. Intelligence staffs develop and synchronize production requirements to provide timely and relevant
  intelligence analysis and products to commanders, staff, and subordinate forces. Staffs use the unit’s battle
  rhythm as a basis for determining the daily, weekly, and monthly analytical products. The intelligence staff
  then designs an analytical and production effort to answer the CCIRs and meet the commander’s need for
  situational understanding and the staff’s need for situational awareness.
  3-49. Intelligence production includes analyzing information and intelligence. It also includes presenting
  intelligence products, assessments, conclusions, or projections regarding the area of operations and threat
  forces in a format that helps the commander achieve situational understanding. Staffs devote the remainder
  of the analytical effort to processing, analyzing, and disseminating data and information.