Design and Construction: Accurately documenting and assessing the condition of historic resources in order to develop and prescribe appropriate protection, preservation, and maintenance strategies is an essential component of the preservation process. A careful, thorough documentation and diagnostic process is a key to understanding symptoms of decay and system failure. It is the facility of preservation practitioners with information gathering and analysis tools that ultimately determines the welfare of the resource. Preservation is also hampered by an inadequate information flow in the exchange of professional experiences and expertise concerning these diagnostic processes and the manner in which they shape decisions regarding the rehabilitation of structures and the repair of historic (and often archaic) materials. Unfortunately, current examination and inspection techniques depend predominantly on the skills of the individual professional. As the implications of preservation issues become more complex, even the most effective decision maker seriously inhibits the diagnostic process with a sole reliance on personal experience and intuition. While personal insight, supported by traditional techniques and tools, can continue to play an important role in the diagnostic process, the increasing sophistication of cultural resource management concerns demands the skillful formulation of new analytical strategies. Resource Management Needs Resource Management and Planning Preservation Design