3.7 Strengthening Capacity within the Department The structure of the Department increased from 168 employees in 2009 to 210 in the 2012/13 financial year and will increase to 227 over the MTEF period. The Department has also succeeded in reducing its vacancy rate from 16.7% in 2009 to 11.9% in March 2013. The Department is still faced with challenges in terms of retention of specialists skills, however it is exploring ways to retain key skills beyond increases in remuneration packages.