Let's think about how the community plays a part in the entire thought process. Prior to writing a letter of intent, as is knowing the need for your proposed project. Assessing the community's needs is the first step before developing and implementing a program. In determining exactly what services a community can best benefit from, you can do a variety of things. For instance, you can conduct focus group discussions, town meetings, interviews with stakeholders, or even do telephone or mailed surveys to partnership members and the community. Why might it be important to have community input prior to starting a program? What might be some disadvantages if there is a lack of support?