Collection Management Framework (CMF):

Collection management framework (CMF) is a systematic process for identifying data sources and determining what information can be gathered from those sources to satisfy the Intelligence Requirements (IRs). The collection management framework validates whether the data source is feasible for collection by evaluating the relevance, reliability, accuracy, and completeness of the data; as it relates to accumulating data and producing threat intelligence from it.

The collection management framework has two core aspects:
1. Collection Requirements Management (CRM)
2. Collection Operations Management (COM)

Collection Requirements Management (CRM) defines the data sets and sources required to collect the right information to answer the intelligence requirement (IRs).
Collection Operations Management (COM) operationalizes collection resources and activities as well as develops and tracks the rationale for each data source used and regularly checks for new data sources available to assist the collection effort.

The core questions driving a collection management framework are:
• What data is obtained and from where?
• What is available in the data?
• How long is the data stored?
• What types of questions can the data answer?

Reference:
1. Robert M. Lee , Ben Miller, Mark Stacey, (2018), Collection Management Frameworks – Looking Beyond Asset Inventories in Preparation for and Response to Cyber Threats, Dragos Inc.
2. Tom Hofmann, (2018), Oversight of Intelligence Operations Begins with Collections Management, Flashpoint.