Decision Velocity and the Compression of Detectability: Translation Half-Life in Institutional Governance

The faster decisions move, the harder drift is to see. Speed does not just accelerate decisions—it compresses the window to detect misalignment. This paper introduces Translation Half-Life: how quickly interpretive shifts become embedded before they can be corrected. As decision cycles accelerate, drift becomes harder to observe and easier to lock in. Velocity is therefore not neutral—it shapes whether alignment can be maintained at all. About the Coherence ProgrammeThe Coherence Programme studies why institutions drift despite appearing aligned. It shows that decisions are made not on intent itself, but on how intent is translated into criteria, metrics, and allocation rules. Using the Operating Spine, the…