On September 9, 2024, His Excellency, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, announced the upcoming Decennial Population and Housing Census (PHC) scheduled for 2025. In preparation for this significant national undertaking, a delegation of seven technical experts from esteemed organizations, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United States Census Bureau (USCB), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), concluded a comprehensive five-day assessment and support mission at Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) on January 13, 2025.
The primary aim of this mission was to evaluate Stats SL’s readiness and capacity to conduct a successful Digital Census in 2025, leveraging insights gained from the 2021 Mid-Term Digital Census. The assessment sought to identify critical areas where support and collaboration would be necessary to ensure effective preparations for the upcoming census.
Utilizing various methodologies, the technical experts employed the Tool for Assessing Statistical Capacity (TASC) to gauge Stats SL’s technical capabilities. TASC is a recognized software instrument designed to qualitatively measure and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in their preparedness for conducting censuses or surveys. The assessment covered numerous components essential to the census process, including Institutional Capacity, Planning and Management, Mapping, Sampling, Questionnaire Content and Testing, Field Operations, Data Processing, Data Analysis and Evaluation, and Data Dissemination and Publicity.
The results from the TASC assessment indicated that Stats SL possesses a professional capacity to undertake a census. The organization has made considerable progress in reshaping the census to align with international standards and has actively engaged stakeholders throughout the preparatory stages. Additionally, Stats SL has established a robust census coordination and management structure and has achieved notable advancements in census planning, field operations, and data dissemination. However, the assessment also highlighted several areas that require further capacity building and training, particularly in mapping, sampling, data processing, data analysis and evaluation, mobile data capture, publicity, questionnaire content, and testing.
Andrew Bob Johnny, the Statistician General and Chief Census Officer expressed his gratitude to the technical experts for their meaningful assessment and support mission. He emphasized that the findings from the assessment would be treated with utmost importance and would serve as a valuable reference for future census planning and execution.
Sibeso Mululuma, the Officer-In-Charge of UNFPA Sierra Leone, praised Stats SL for showcasing its technical capacity and strengths during the week-long mission. She underscored the importance of the assessment, stating that its findings would be instrumental in addressing existing gaps and guiding the planning and implementation processes throughout the census. Mululuma reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to providing ongoing critical support for the census.
During the mission, Dr. Emmanuel Gaima, Secretary to the President, addressed the delegation, emphasizing the government’s commitment to inclusivity and citizen engagement in the census process. He highlighted the importance of the census as a national endeavour and expressed the government’s determination to involve citizens from all sectors, ensuring their ownership and active participation in the census activities. Dr. Gaima assured the delegation that he and the Minister of Planning would relay the findings of the mission to President Bio.
In her closing remarks, Madam Kenyeh Barley, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, expressed her appreciation to Stats SL and the assessment delegation for their fruitful engagements and productive findings. She reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to providing the necessary resources for the census undertaking, announcing the establishment of a dedicated account at the Bank of Sierra Leone to manage all funds allocated for the census.
The assessment and support mission is part of a series of preparatory processes aimed at ensuring the successful execution of a credible and internationally accredited digital census. With the findings from this mission, Sierra Leone is poised to enhance its census capabilities, ensuring that the 2025 Population and Housing Census meets both national and international standards. As the country gears up for this pivotal event, the collaboration between Stats SL and international partners will be crucial in achieving a comprehensive and accurate census that reflects the true demographic landscape of Sierra Leone.
