World Bank Delegation Meets with Stats SL to Enhance Sierra Leone’s Statistical Capacity

The World Bank Implementation Support Team has commenced a crucial two-week mission at Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) as part of its ongoing effort to evaluate the progress of the Harmonizing and Improving Statistics in West Africa (HISWA) Project. This mission not only focuses on assessing the project’s implementation but also aims to provide technical support for the upcoming Sierra Leone Integrated Household Survey (SLIHS-2024), a vital initiative for data collection in the country.

The delegation is comprised of distinguished experts, including Senior Economist and Statistician Abdoullalai Beidou, who also serves as the Team Lead for the HISWA Project across seven West African countries. He is joined by Senior Economist Rose Mungai and Senior Statistician Gervais Yama, both of whom bring extensive experience and insights to the mission.

During this two-week engagement, the team will hold meetings with Stats SL management and HISWA Project staff to discuss a range of critical topics. These discussions will encompass the current status of the HISWA Project’s implementation, the results framework (RF) that guides the project’s objectives, and the progress of the SLIHS-2024. Additionally, the team will review the Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-7) and the status of Stats SL’s office building projects, which are essential for supporting the agency’s capacity to deliver high-quality statistical services.

The HISWA initiative, spearheaded by the World Bank, is designed to enhance and harmonize the collection of credible and quality statistical data across Sierra Leone and other participating West African countries. By fostering collaboration among nations, the project aims to improve data reliability and accessibility, ultimately supporting better decision-making processes for development policies and programs.

As the mission unfolds, it will serve as an important opportunity for capacity building, knowledge sharing, and strengthening partnerships between the World Bank and Stats SL. This collaborative effort underscores the commitment to advancing statistical systems in the region, which is essential for driving sustainable development and addressing the needs of the population.