Which resource management task ensures providers are paid in a timely manner?

The task that ensures providers are paid in a timely manner focuses on the financial aspects of resource management within the NIMS framework. "Reimburse and Restock" explicitly addresses the need for financial transactions, including the reimbursement process for services and supplies used during emergency operations. This ensures that providers who support incident management efforts receive payment for their resources and expenses promptly, which is crucial for maintaining the operational readiness of these providers during and after an incident.

In contrast, the other options relate to different aspects of the resource management process. "Acquire and Deploy" pertains to obtaining resources and sending them to the incident location, "Track and Monitor" deals with keeping an eye on resource usage and status, and "Identify and Resolve" focuses on addressing issues that arise in resource management. While these are important tasks, they do not directly ensure timely payment to providers, which is the specific concern addressed by "Reimburse and Restock".