The gradual mutation of an approved decision as it moves through execution layers.
Full Definition
Decision Drift describes the progressive alteration of a decision’s original intent during execution.
A decision does not fail only when it is reversed.
It fails when its scope, constraints, timing, or authority conditions mutate without explicit redesign.
As decisions move across organizational layers, translation replaces precision.
Urgency compresses nuance.
Interpretation introduces variance.
Local optimization overrides systemic alignment.
What is executed may no longer reflect what was structurally approved.
Decision Drift is rarely abrupt.
It accumulates incrementally through micro-adjustments, reinterpretations, and boundary erosion.
Under pressure, drift accelerates.
Left unchecked, it becomes structural distortion.
Structural Role in NAP
Within NAP, Decision Drift is a degradation dynamic inside the execution system.
It operates between Strategic Decision Frame and operational action.
It emerges when:
– Decision Boundaries are unclear
– Activation Lines are inconsistently respected
– Authority Diffusion increases
– Cognitive Overload alters judgment
– Handoffs distort translation
Decision Drift is the precursor to Decision Integrity erosion.
Systems do not destabilize because decisions are wrong.
They destabilize because decisions mutate silently.
Engineering against Decision Drift requires boundary clarity, escalation discipline, and execution coherence.
