The Margin of Purpose: How Institutions Lose What They Claim to Value

Where purpose is lost is where allocation decisions are made. Institutions rarely abandon their mission explicitly—they lose it gradually. This paper shows how purpose thins as it is translated into capital allocation criteria and portfolio rules. As these representations stabilise, what is funded begins to diverge from what is claimed to matter. It introduces the Sovereign Window: the limited interval during which shifts in allocative logic remain visible before they become embedded in budgets and performance signals. Drift does not begin at failure—it begins at the point of translation into allocation. 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 programme traces how purpose becomes action across governance layers, making drift and coherence directly observable within decision systems. The research applies to public institutions, capital allocation, and AI-mediated environments, where the durability of decision rules determines long-term institutional reliability.Programme citation: Mertens, R. E. U. (2026). The Coherence Programme: A Conceptual Overview and Entry Point to the Research Programme. Resources: Coherence Programme OSF repository and https://thecoherenceprogramme.org Version 1.0: First public release (Preprint).Version 1.01: Terminology harmonisation and minor structural refinements to improve consistency across the Coherence Programme. No changes to the theoretical framework, constructs, or research design.Version 1.02: Minor conceptual clarifications, consistency improvements, reviewer-informed refinements, and editorial updates across the programme.