text: Civil Affairs Operations
  critical to the commander’s understanding, visualization, and planning for permissive, uncertain, and hostile
  environments. Figure 2-4 depicts how data is converted to the achievement of understanding.
  Figure 2-4. Achieving understanding
  2-91. CA forces at all echelons collect civil data and information through the conduct of CND, CR, CE, and
  initial and deliberate assessments and surveys. The data collected provides current civil component
  information for analysis and evaluation through the CKI process. Civil considerations are analyzed and
  developed from civil knowledge with use of the framework of ASCOPE within the civil component of the
  commander’s OE.
  2-92. The six steps of the CKI process are designed to logically generate situational understanding by taking
  raw civil data from multiple sources, applying proven analysis techniques to the data, fusing the analyzed
  data with the intelligence and information systems of units, prioritizing and integrating the resulting civil
  knowledge at all military echelons and with unified action partners, and integrating civil knowledge. The
  CKI process is conducted in the following six steps:
  * Develop a civil information collection plan.
  * Collect civil data.
  * Process civil information.
  * Analyze and evaluate civil information.
  * Produce civil knowledge products.
  * Integrate civil knowledge.
  2-93. This civil knowledge informs all warfighting functions to ensure synchronization with the civil
  component to reduce operational friction. This continual process ensures the timely availability of analyzed
  and evaluated civil information to military forces throughout the AO in order to—
  * Enhance understanding of the common operational picture.
  * Update CA running estimates.
  * Inform all integrating processes.
  * Update critical information pertaining to all warfighting functions at higher echelons of command.
  2-94. CA forces should also actively incorporate the supported unit’s information requirements into the civil
  information collection plan to enhance the common operational picture, the CA running estimates, and the
  IPB process through CKI. Every CA Soldier has the ability to conduct basic analysis and evaluation of civil
  information. CMOCs, CKI sections, and higher CA headquarters analysts conduct in-depth analysis and
  evaluation of that civil information as part of the process that enhances the situational understanding of the
  supported commander, staff, and unified action partners.
  2-95. The six steps are depicted in figure 2-5, page 2-18.