text: Chapter 5
  5-38. During crisis and armed conflict with a specific operational or geographic focus, as time and the
  situation allows, producing general intelligence products on the threat and regional civilian population is of
  value. The greater the level of understanding of the OE at the general or holistic level, the better the
  understanding of the OE for a specific mission.
  OPERATIONAL VARIABLES (INTELLIGENCE FOR CONTINGENCY AND FUTURE PLANS)
  5-39. The next level of operational focus is moving from generalized analysis, information, and intelligence
  to analysis, information, and intelligence specific to a contingency, possible operation, or known future
  operation. This can include the employment of ADM. In these instances, the joint force may perform joint
  IPOE, and higher-level Army echelons may perform a rather broad IPOE. However, lower-level Army
  echelons that have not received a mission do not perform IPOE yet. Another important aspect of intelligence
  support at this point during competition is analysis of threat systems, which is different from joint TSA. Joint
  intelligence and higher-level Army intelligence, even when not structured based on the operational variables,
  directly address one or more of the operational variables. This joint intelligence and higher-level Army
  intelligence flow to lower-level units and organizations.
  5-40. The operational variables provide a second useful checklist, along with the domains and dimensions,
  to judge the completeness of intelligence products and information and intelligence gaps. The operational
  variables assist the commander and staff in understanding important factors, within and across the domains
  and dimensions, in a more focused manner and relevant to Army operations. At all echelons, intelligence
  staffs must practice their intelligence skills and compile or create intelligence products (focusing on one or
  more operational variables) to further build their knowledge and proficiency as analysts.
  THREAT, TERRAIN, WEATHER, AND CIVIL CONSIDERATIONS (PREPARING FOR THE
  MILITARY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS)
  5-41. After contingency or other future plans are established, the next level of operational focus is preparing
  for receipt of mission, which starts the MDMP. Data, information, and intelligence focused on a specific
  threat (including the human and information dimensions), as well as localized terrain, weather and weather
  effects, and civil considerations (including the human and information dimensions) are invaluable to
  successfully performing IPOE. Beyond compiling data, information, and intelligence from other sources,
  conducting analysis and developing intelligence products for these categories are very similar to performing
  steps 2 and 3 of the IPOE process. While all aspects of building as much data, information, and intelligence
  are important, it is especially crucial to prepare detailed threat characteristics, models, and capabilities
  (considering the dimensions and domains), as much as possible, before receipt of mission.
  PERFORM INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION OF THE
  OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
  Notes. IPOE should not be confused with joint IPOE. IPOE is used during Army operations; joint
  IPOE is used by joint headquarters and joint units. JP 2-0 describes joint IPOE differently than the
  conduct of the Army’s IPOE.
  Intelligence preparation of the operational environment 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. IPOE was previously known as intelligence
  preparation of the battlefield (IPB). FM 2-0 has changed the term from IPB to IPOE to better
  reflect the multidomain aspects of the OE within the name of the process. However, IPB has
  already accounted for and discussed the domains and dimensions of the OE across its four steps;
  therefore, there is no change to the definition of IPOE, which matches the definition of IPB, and
  there is no change to the four steps of IPB, now IPOE. Despite the name change, readers should
  still refer to ATP 2-01.3.