Area Health Education Centers are often tasked with participating in needs assessments and strategic planning processes.  Both of these might vary in scale - a Center might use 3-question stakeholder survey as needs assessment for a programming update or be a partner in a nonprofit hospital's multi-county health needs assessment.  Similarly a center might have the limited role of offering a community partner voice in a K-12 school system's strategic planning process or undergo its own in-depth strategic planning process to provide a new programming focus for the next five years.  Regardless of how small or large the scope of needs assessment and strategic planning activities at your center, there are common threads and best practices you can use.  Join CDCG to hear from a strategic planning consultant and a Center Director who has led needs assessment processes for her host organization and then participate in some CD-to-CD open discussion about these topics.