3-47. Assess is part of the overall assessment activity of the operations process. For intelligence purposes, assessment is the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the current situation, particularly significant threat activities and changes in the operational environment. Assessing the situation begins upon receipt of the mission and continues throughout the intelligence process. This assessment allows commanders, staffs, and intelligence leaders to ensure intelligence synchronization. Friendly actions, threat actions, civil considerations, and events in the area of interest interact to form a dynamic operational environment. Continuous assessment of the effects of each element on the others, especially the overall effect of threat actions on friendly operations, is essential to situational understanding.