THE ENGINEERING SYNDROME VS. THE MANPOWER, PERSONNEL AND TRAINING DILEMMA

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Abstract
The engineering syndrome takes us technologically to a point that is faster, farther, higher or deeper than ever before. Unfortunately, the human component gets lost in the equation. Humans have several limitations which are not clearly recognized by weapon system program managers, and thus the people component receives only limited consideration during the system design process.A weapon system is the sum of hardware and manpower. Without trained and qualified operators and maintainers, systems will not fulfill their designated mission. This is the essence of the HARDMAN Program, an acronym which means military manpower/hardware integration. OpNav Instruction 5311.7 of 12 August 1985 directs that all weapon and total ship developers conduct front end manpower and training analysis at the conceptual stage of Navy acquisitions. The rationale for focus on the earliest phase is because this is where the greatest commitment of personnel resources is made when one considers the life cycle spectrum.In the past, equipment design determined manpower and training requirements rather than being considered as a part of an interactive procedure in which manpower and training requirements were viewed as a component of the system and thus integrated with the design requirements. To complicate things even further, supportability of human resource requirements was not often addressed before the program decisions concerning new hardware procurements were made.A favorable endorsement of the HARDMAN Program will improve the management and control of limited Navy personnel management resource requirements growth in terms of affordability and availability during all phases of weapon system acquisition and development and will improve the weapon system product.

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