The Translation Trap: When Strategic Intent Becomes Allocation Logic in European Governance (RRF, NZIA/CRMA, Horizon Europe)

Alignment at the level of rules can hide divergence from actual policy intent.

Policies define broad goals—but decisions are made on what those goals become. This paper shows how strategic intent in EU governance is translated into criteria, rules, and signals that ultimately determine allocation. As intent is converted into forms that are measurable and comparable, what cannot be expressed in those terms drops out of decision-making. The result: systems that appear fully aligned in their metrics while drifting from underlying policy purpose. Using EU programmes, the paper demonstrates how this drift becomes visible directly in governance artefacts.

About the Coherence Programme
The 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 1.00: First public release.
Version 1.01: Minor textual corrections and clarifications following initial release.
Version 1.02: Minor conceptual clarifications, consistency improvements, reviewer-informed refinements, and editorial updates across the programme.