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Situation
Statutory service delivery agencies increasingly rely on unified entitlements to manage access across complex, integrated systems.
Access rules are consistently applied.
Outcomes remain contested.
Pattern
- Entitlements are evaluated correctly
- Access is granted in accordance with policy
- Automated or assisted actions proceed
- Accountability is identified only after impact
The organisation behaves consistently at the access layer while producing outcomes that cannot be clearly owned.
Structural Cause
Authorisation mechanisms determine eligibility to act.
They do not establish delegated authority when automated systems act on behalf of the state.
Interpretation varies according to:
- legislative intent
- service delivery context
- discretion thresholds
- human versus system decision paths
Where authority is not explicit, legitimacy is assessed retrospectively.
Signals
- “The system followed policy.”
- “No delegate was required.”
- “The outcome met the rules.”
Resulting Condition
Access consistency is achieved, but decision authority remains unresolved.
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