Sierra Leone News: As Census kicks-off – 5thto 18th December 2015 … Sierra Leoneans must ensure they are counted- Census Communication Officer

Census information is what the country needs for development planning, therefore every Sierra Leonean must ensure that he/she is counted,” Samuel Serry  Jnr, National Census Communications Officer, Statistics Sierra Leone said.
He said the census process is on course, which means from the 5th to the 18th December 2015 they will be having the numeration exercise that is they will be counting everybody that is within the ambit of Sierra Leone during that period.
“No holiday during the numeration period,” Mr Serry revealed, explaining that the census is going to be a face to face questionaire with the head of a household who will be in the position to give information about everyone in the house.

Questioned on their preparedness, the National Census Communication Officer explained that between July and November 2015 they started the recruitment of field staff who would be in charge of the enumeration process, adding that these field staff are divided into three, namely, Supervisors, Field Officers and Enumerators.
He said they are targeting about thirteen thousand two Hundred (13,200) enumerators (those that will be doing the counting), two Hundred and seventy (270) field officers and four Thousand eight Hundred (4,800) supervisors “who are all well trained and ready for the numeration process.”
Mr. Serry furthered that there is a process called the Cartographic Mapping Exercise which entails the apportioning of the  country into smaller portions called the Numeration Areas which can be a street, a whole village or half a village, explaining that those areas they are referring to as numeration areas have a threshold; each area should have a threshold of around 80 to 120 households and these  households are a group of people with the same cooking arrangement, that is, they eat from the same pot.
He maintained that as at now, they have over twelve thousand (12,000) enumeration areas for this year’s Census.
Furthermore on their preparedness, the National Census Communication Officer said these enumeration areas have to be identified by specialized map which will have to be digitized, disclosing that the process is 70 percent complete.
Unlike previous Census, he continued, “we want to have a colourful map that the enumerators will have to identify the geographical locations, physical boundaries in those areas they will be doing the counting.
Responding to questions regarding the questionaire, Mr. Serry said they have not forgotten that the questionaire is the most important instrument in the enumeration process where you capture the raw data.
Boldly he said, “We have carried out the final pre-test of the census questionaire, printed it and we are about to distribute it.”
Mr. Serry said they have trained national staff on geographical information, adding that they have also trained 60 staff on Census advocacy, disclosing that they have publicity officers in all the districts and have put technical assistance in place.
“We are really ready and on track to have the enumeration process in December,” he emphasised.