ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Two Albemarle County projects that aim to strengthen services for residents have earned national recognition.

The National Association of Counties recently announced its 2023 Achievement Awards winners.

Following an assessment in 2018, Albemarle County created its Project Management Office in order to centralize organizational initiatives.

That is now called the Performance and Strategic Planning Office, which provides project management for projects across departments as well as tools for management, analytics and performance tracking.

This project is working to replace old data management systems that have been used for managing the county’s administrative functions.

The second project is the Let’s Talk Albemarle program, which aims to build relationships, increase community participation, and create a space for the sharing of information and ideas between the county government and residents.

The Let’s Talk Albemarle van was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a drive-through location where people could get information about assistance efforts, health guidance, and pick up supplies.

The van has helped to increase the visibility of the county’s government as well as raised awareness among residents about projects and programs in which they can participate.

The engagement tool has helped the county expand its ability to meet community members where they are through pop-up locations.

Since April 2021, there have been more than 50 pop-ups using the Let’s Talk Albemarle van.

Several other localities in Virginia have also been recognized for various projects, including Chesterfield County, Henrico County, York County, Botetourt County, Loudoun County, and Roanoke County among others.  

For more information on the Achievement Awards, click here.