The structural delay between decision necessity and decision execution within a system.
Full Definition
Decision Latency refers to the measurable delay that occurs when a system recognizes the need for a decision but fails to execute it within an appropriate timeframe.
It is not simple slowness.
It is structural hesitation produced by ambiguity, authority diffusion, overloaded escalation channels, or unclear decision boundaries.
Under pressure, decision latency increases when:
Authority is unclear
Escalation thresholds are blurred
Risk ownership is diffused
Decision consequences are politically amplified
When latency accumulates, operational tempo and decision tempo diverge.
Execution continues, but alignment weakens.
Sustained decision latency degrades coordination, increases reactive behavior, and contributes to escalation saturation.
Structural Role in NAP
Within NAP, Decision Latency functions as a time-based instability signal.
It indicates friction inside:
Decision Boundaries
Activation Lines
Authority Structures
Latency accumulation is often an early indicator of:
Authority Diffusion
Cognitive Overload Under Pressure
Emerging Decision Integrity erosion
Engineering against decision latency requires clarifying authority containment, tightening escalation logic, and reducing interpretive ambiguity at operational layers.
Decision Latency is not a performance flaw.
It is a structural timing distortion.
