ICRISAT with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) organized a three-day (3-5 May 2008) Scoping meeting on VDSA at ICRISAT, Patancheru, to define the scope of a full project. The scoping study would be helpful in developing a full project proposal which aims to create a high quality longitudinal panel database for South Asia (India and Bangladesh).

Dr Prabhu Pingali of the BMGF stated the foundation's expectations from ICRISAT’s VLS. Among the participants were economists of ICRISAT who were associated with the first phase of VLS in 1975, notably Drs Tom Walker, NS Jodha and PK Joshi. Delivering the keynote address, Director General Dr William Dar said, “The VLS data proved vital in identifying and designing appropriate interventions to help the poor achieve preferred livelihoods. This scoping meeting involving all key partners and stakeholders is the first step towards establishing high quality data.” He pointed out that the unique dimension of the coordinated approach would be the generation of local level perspectives on global issues and its local manifestations. About 50 participants from the USA, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines and India shared their experiences.

Dr MCS Cynthia Bantilan emphasized that the project would re-establish a premier source of collection of high quality longitudinal micro-level data from carefully stratified geographical locations in India and Bangladesh. It would develop a valuable information repository that would inform policy decisions on critical issues affecting future agriculture and livelihoods in the rural economies of the two south Asian countries.

The methodological approaches would be augmented by the use of meso/macro datasets and micro-macro level modeling, statistical analysis and GIS tools. The datasets would be placed in the public domain for easy access to researchers and students worldwide. It would further serve as an exemplar for national programs in developing countries.