Low Support, Too Much Politics. - Senior Manager/Head of Department MDeC Employee Review

Internally it often feels like an organisation trying to lead the digital economy while struggling to manage its own house. The culture can be highly political, with unclear direction, moving goalposts, and leadership priorities that seem to change depending on who is in the room. A lot is said about innovation, transformation, and national impact, but internally, employees can be left dealing with poor structure, weak support, and very little clarity. For an agency that speaks so much about digital transformation, the internal experience can feel surprisingly outdated. Processes are slow, decision-making is unclear, and employees are often expected to deliver “national-level” outcomes without national-level resources, benefits, or support. The benefits are not particularly attractive, especially when compared to the workload, pressure, and expectations placed on staff. It can feel like employees are expected to carry big mandates with small support, while internal politics takes up more space than actual execution. The industry perception is also not as strong as the branding suggests. Many external stakeholders appear to engage because they need to, not because they genuinely see MDEC as the gold standard for innovation leadership.