Resource Management: An Historical Perspective,

This report summarizes the principal lessons of past mobilizations, and identifies critical issues for resource management and organizational planning for future conflicts. As such, it is not a comprehensive historical narrative of prior mobilization experiences, but is an applied history document focusing on policy lessons and illustrations. The organization of this report follows the structure of TASCs conceptual tool created for Federal Emergency Management Agent FEMA that examines the interplay of economic and strategic factors involved in industrial mobilization. This organization places our observations in an overall framework which will facilitate application of the historical lessons to todays needs. Perhaps the major conclusion drawn from our review is that resource management programs must be flexible and must be geared to the intensity of the conflict. Limited wars will require some increased resource management actions, although these actions may be severely constrained. Similar constraints may be applicable during the ambiguous early warning period preceding a major crisis. Development of limited resource management programs which avoid excessive or premature control and over-expansion while still providing the needed levels of resources may be the greatest challenge facing the resource management planner. sdw