The key focus areas of the Department for the medium term is to build and strengthen STI human capital; generate and maximise the use of knowledge; and strengthen international co-operation in science, technology and engineering (SET). Table 1 show that the Department's budget allocation speaks directly to this. Hence, the first key focus area, namely human capital development, received in 2011/12 at a programme level (Programme 4), 44.4 per cent of the Department's total allocation and 72 per cent of Programme 4's allocation. The second key focus area, namely, generating and using knowledge, received 19.4 per cent (Programme 2) and 28.8 per cent (Programme 5) of the Department's total allocation. The last key focus area, namely, strengthening international co-operation, received 3.1 per cent (Programme 3) of the Department's total allocation. Here the spending focus is on advancing and facilitating South Africa's participation in strategic bilateral and multilateral agreements and leveraging resources that support the NSI through global science initiatives.