text: Chapter 4
  4-159. Plan requirements and assess collection is a commander-driven, coordinated staff effort led by BCT
  S-2, in coordination with the BCT S-3. The continuous functions of planning requirements and assessing
  collection identify the best way to satisfy a requirement. These functions are not necessarily sequential.
  4-160. The BCT S-3 (based on recommendations from the staff, specifically the S-2) tasks, directs, and,
  when necessary, retasks the information collection assets. Tasking and directing of limited information
  collection assets are vital to their control and effective use. The staff accomplishes tasking information
  collection by issuing warning orders, fragmentary orders, and operation orders. The staff accomplishes
  directing information collection assets by continuously monitoring the operation. The staff conducts
  retasking to refine, update, or create new requirements.
  4-161. Executing collection focuses on requirements tied to the execution of tactical missions (normally
  reconnaissance, surveillance, security operations, and intelligence operations). Information acquired during
  collection activities about the threat and the area of interest is provided to intelligence processing and
  exploitation elements. Typically, collection activities begin soon after receipt of mission and continue
  throughout preparation for and execution of the operation. They do not cease at the conclusion of the mission
  but continue as required. This allows the commander to focus combat power, execute current operations, and
  prepare for future operations simultaneously.
  Planning Requirements and Assessing Collection Functions
  4-162. Collection management is the task of analyzing requirements, evaluating available assets (internal
  and external), recommending taskings to the operations staff for information collection assets, submitting
  requests for information for adjacent and higher collection support, and assessing the effectiveness of the
  information collection plan. The continuous functions of collection management identify the best way to
  satisfy the requirements of the supported commander and staff. These functions are not necessarily
  sequential. Collection management inherently requires an understanding of the relative priority of incoming
  requests for collection and processing, exploitation, and dissemination. Additionally, collection management
  includes the staff vetting requirements against current intelligence holdings to ensure resources are not wasted
  collecting information that is already available. (See figure 4-11.)