The Coherence Problem: How Institutions Learn, Drift, and Realign

This paper introduces the coherence problem: how institutions maintain—or lose—alignment as strategic intent is translated across governance layers over time. It develops the concept of translation drift to explain how meaning shifts structurally as it moves between policy, strategy, and operational decision-making. The paper argues that drift is not primarily a failure of execution, but an emergent property of institutional learning processes. It proposes a conceptual framework for observing coherence longitudinally through governance artefacts and decision criteria, providing a basis for diagnosing alignment in complex institutional systems. This paper is part of the Coherence Programme. Further materials and companion papers are available at: https://thecoherenceprogramme.org/