Following the initial ‘direction’ stage in the intelligence cycle, once you have clearly established the intelligence you require, and have considered all of the options available for how to deal with the situation, you then move on to the collection phase.
The ‘collection’ phase consists of establishing the priorities and collection the intelligence required in order to achieve your desired outcome. Once the objectives have been set out in the direction stage, you then need to focus on collecting your sources of data that will support you in achieving your outcome.
Steps taken in the Collection Phase are:
- Research – Firstly, you need to see what data already exists that will help you with your investigation, that can easily be obtained with minimal cost as it is readily available. These are your sources.
- Identify – Once you have identified what data already exists, you then need to look for gaps and any missing data.
- Formulate – You then need to formulate a collection plan based on the data you have already collected, and what else you will require and what you will need to do to collect this information.
This infographic below is the second stage of an infographic series detailing in depth each phase of the intelligence cycle, with a step by step guide to each step taken. Part three of the infographic series is to follow, and will be focused on the ‘evaluation’ section.