Health, Public Health & Safety
Civil Registration & Vital Statistics (CRVS)
Birth and death registration systems and the statistics they produce.
Syllabus at a glance
Around 12 weeks of guided study, typically two sessions a week plus independent work, so you can keep working while you study.
| Unit | Study block | Module |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weeks 1–2 | CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors |
| 2 | Weeks 3–4 | Birth, death and cause-of-death registration |
| 3 | Weeks 5–6 | Data quality, completeness and digitisation |
| 4 | Weeks 7–8 | Vital statistics production and use |
| 5 | Weeks 9–12 | Community engagement and registration barriers |
Module breakdown
- 1
CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors
Weeks 1–2Build a shared working vocabulary for CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors and set the standards this course expects of you.
What you cover
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors
- Step-by-step methods and templates for CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors, and how to avoid them
- Applying CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors in low-resource and community settings
Assessed work: Case study discussion applying CRVS concepts, legal basis and actors to a local scenario.
- 2
Birth, death and cause-of-death registration
Weeks 3–4Work through the methods and tools used for birth, death and cause-of-death registration in day-to-day programme work.
What you cover
- Step-by-step methods and templates for birth, death and cause-of-death registration
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in birth, death and cause-of-death registration, and how to avoid them
- Applying birth, death and cause-of-death registration in low-resource and community settings
Assessed work: Practical task: draft one working document related to birth, death and cause-of-death registration.
- 3
Data quality, completeness and digitisation
Weeks 5–6Practise data quality, completeness and digitisation on realistic case material drawn from Sierra Leonean community and field settings.
What you cover
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in data quality, completeness and digitisation, and how to avoid them
- Applying data quality, completeness and digitisation in low-resource and community settings
- Recording, reporting and communicating your data quality, completeness and digitisation work
Assessed work: Group simulation using data quality, completeness and digitisation under time pressure.
- 4
Vital statistics production and use
Weeks 7–8Turn vital statistics production and use into documents, plans and decisions your team or employer can actually use.
What you cover
- Applying vital statistics production and use in low-resource and community settings
- Recording, reporting and communicating your vital statistics production and use work
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind vital statistics production and use
Assessed work: Portfolio entry: reflect on how you will use vital statistics production and use in your role.
- 5
Community engagement and registration barriers
Weeks 9–12Review, quality-check and improve your own community engagement and registration barriers work with tutor and peer feedback.
What you cover
- Recording, reporting and communicating your community engagement and registration barriers work
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind community engagement and registration barriers
- Step-by-step methods and templates for community engagement and registration barriers
Assessed work: Guided exercise: produce a short worked example covering community engagement and registration barriers.
Who this course is for
- • Practitioners and volunteers already working in, or moving into, this area of work.
- • Health workers, facility staff and community health volunteers.
- • School leavers and graduates building a first professional portfolio.
Entry requirements
- • Basic literacy and secondary-level education, or relevant practical work experience.
- • Access to a phone, tablet or computer for online and blended study.
- • Commitment to attend sessions and submit assignments on time.
How you are assessed
- • Short module tasks completed during the course.
- • Practical component: Assess registration completeness for one facility or locality.
- • A final assessment or portfolio review covering the full syllabus.
- • Participation in guided sessions, discussions and group exercises.
Materials and support
- • Session handouts, checklists and templates you keep after the course.
- • Case material and worked examples based on community and field practice.
- • Tutor guidance by WhatsApp between sessions.
Certification
Learners who complete all assessments receive an SLIHSD professional certificate of completion. This records completion of an SLIHSD short course and is not presented as an accredited academic award.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the certificate you should be able to:
- Support accurate registration processes
- Assess CRVS data completeness
- Use vital statistics for planning
Practical component
Assess registration completeness for one facility or locality.
How this programme is delivered
Online
Guided sessions and assignments you can follow from anywhere with a connection.
Face-to-face
Classroom sessions at our Mile 91 learning centre, including weekend and evening options.
Blended
A mix of online study with periodic in-person workshops, field exercises and simulations.
Ready to start Civil Registration & Vital Statistics (CRVS)?
Applications for the Founding Student Intake 2026 are open. Register your interest and we will guide you to the right programme.