Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) has recorded an average score of 95.1 per cent in the final examination of 122 master trainers undergoing preparation for the country’s upcoming national population and housing census.
The results were announced by Stats SL Director for Data Science, Theophilus Blaudfaust, during the official closing ceremony of a 10-day master trainers’ training programme held in Freetown from October 14 to 23, 2026.
Blaudfaust disclosed that the assessment programme involved 878 tests administered to the 122 participants, with a median score of 92.3 per cent and an average passing mark of 80 per cent.
He said the assessment included seven tests conducted throughout the training, alongside a separate test designed to evaluate participants’ understanding of data quality management.
According to him, daily assessment results showed an average score of 24.1 per cent on the first day, rising to 91.3 per cent on the second day before recording 84.1 per cent on the third day. He described the final examination average of 95.1 per cent as encouraging, saying the results indicated that participants had gained a stronger understanding of the training materials.
Blaudfaust added that the highest overall performance recorded during the assessment was 96.2 points, while a separate data quality management assessment involving 52 master trainers produced an average score of 83 per cent.
He explained that the assessment was intended to measure participants’ understanding, identify areas requiring improvement and strengthen their capacity to maintain data quality during the census process, rather than create unnecessary competition among them.
The Director for Data Science encouraged the master trainers to review questions they found difficult and revisit the relevant sections of their training manuals to address weaknesses and improve their understanding ahead of their field responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Deputy Statistician General Lansana K. Kanneh said the master trainers would play a critical role in preparing other census personnel across the country. He urged them to work collaboratively in their respective districts and ensure that the standard operating procedures and knowledge gained during the training were accurately passed on to enumerators, area officers and supervisors.
Kanneh stressed that the quality of training must be maintained at every stage to prevent important information from being distorted as it moves from master trainers to other field personnel.
He further explained that participants would undergo performance assessments before selection for subsequent assignments, which could include roles as enumerators, field coordinators, district coordinators and Data Quality Controllers.
The Deputy Statistician General said the personnel trained by the master trainers must be adequately prepared for the main data collection exercise, which he said was scheduled to begin on December 24, 2026.
The training programme was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners. Kanneh officially declared the programme closed, expressing appreciation to the participants and the teams involved in the training.
The master trainers are expected to support the next phase of preparations by training additional personnel and helping ensure that census field staff are equipped to carry out their duties effectively.
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