The operational limits that determine where decision authority begins and ends.
Full Definition
A Decision Boundary defines the operational limits within which authority can act without escalation.
While the Strategic Decision Frame establishes high-level structural constraints, decision boundaries translate those constraints into executable limits at specific organizational layers.
Clear decision boundaries reduce friction, prevent authority overlap, and protect execution stability.
When boundaries are ambiguous, decisions spill across layers, escalation becomes reactive, and ownership diffuses.
Under pressure, unclear boundaries accelerate behavioral drift and degrade coordination.
Decision boundaries do not restrict intelligence; they protect coherence.
Structural Role in NAP
Within NAP, Decision Boundaries function as containment mechanisms inside the execution system.
They regulate how much variance can be absorbed before escalation is required.
Activation Lines, Authority Diffusion, and Decision Integrity are directly influenced by boundary clarity.
Stable systems maintain visible and respected boundaries across operational layers.
Boundary erosion is one of the earliest structural indicators of systemic instability.
Engineering decision boundaries means defining not only what can be decided, but where responsibility must stop.
