Villages are selected for surveying based on the following criteria:

• Level of Poverty in the village determined through informal conversations with local people
• Number of Poor Households in the village (enough to form at least one sangam) as estimated from census data or informal conversations
• Road Accessibility to the village to ensure safety and navigability by two-wheelers, even in the rainy season - maximum travel time should not exceed one hour
• Political Stability and Safety in the village to ensure a safe political environment for SKS and a low incidence of crime

Once a village is identified, a team of at least two SKS staff members go to the village to collect specific baseline data: (1) village population, (2) number of poor households, (3) sub-section details of population (scheduled castes, backward castes, ST, etc.), (4) main economic activity of poor households, (5) sources of income, (6) seasonal availability of employment for the poor, (7) level of out-migration for work, (8) land under agriculture (irrigated and non-irrigated), (9) sources of irrigation, (10) political context (11) names of important leaders (12) and presence of other non-governmental organizations or government programs.

The information is then analyzed to determine whether or not SKS should form sangams in that particular village.