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People living with disabilities currently account for about 6% of Ukraine’s total population. The elderly make up 15% of that population, while mobility-impaired groups account for an even larger percentage. Mindful of this context and looking to fully consider the needs of every city resident, in November 2018 the city council of Zaporizhia launched a ‘Mobile Administrator’ service with the support of the Partnership for Local Economic Development and Democratic Governance Project (PLEDDG). This unique service has been created for the elderly and people living with disabilities, who are unable to move about on their own and therefore need to receive administrative, permitting and approval services at their home.

Against the backdrop of the constantly growing number of citizen requests filed with administrative services centres (‘ASCs’), there is a need to not just expand the network of ASCs but also maintain a high quality of services and make them more accessible to various categories of the population. Looking to support an inclusive environment, PLEDDG through their Democratic Governance and Development Initiatives Support Fund supported modernisation of administrative services in Zaporizhia, in particular by purchasing a special mobile case for the administrative services centre branch in the city’s Shevchenkivsky District. The case holds a full-fledged portable office: a laptop, portable scanner and printer, 3G USB modem, battery and web camera. Personnel additionally received special training. The mobile administrator service has already become popular.

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‘I learned about the availability of mobile administrator services at one of the administrative services centre branches in the city. They gave me a phone number where a pleasant administrator took my order for a house call. I ordered the service for my elderly husband whom I take care of. Unfortunately, he is unable to leave home and moves around only when assisted and using a cane. He also recently returned from the hospital and is unprepared for such stress. He needed an excerpt evidencing title to immovable property. We are very pleased with this innovation in our city. They visited us at home and did everything efficiently’, says Tamara Cherevychna, a resident of Zaporizhia.

To use the ‘Mobile Administrator’ service, residents of Zaporizhia have to call one of the administrative services centre branches or fill out an online request form on the relevant website. As of January 2020, 36 services were available as part of house calls. Example of such services include registering title to immovable property, obtaining a building data sheet for existing construction on a plot of land, and other documents mostly relating to immovable property. Administrators make house calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At the time agreed upon in advance with the client, the administrative services centre staff arrives with the mobile case at the applicant’s home, prepares all the needed paperwork and orders services. Once the order has been filled, the administrator returns the deliverables to the client.

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‘In 2019 the number of available mobile services increased from 14 to 36 of the services in highest demand by clients. Over the next year and a half, we plan to make absolutely all administrative services available through the mobile case.

In addition to improvements to the mobile administrator services, the network of administrative services centres is being expanded in Zaporizhia. We have already finalised the design for retrofitting of the premises for the Khortytsia branch that will open to visitors already in 2020. This will be the seventh administrative services centre branch that will complete the territorial accessibility of administrative services all over the city’, says Maryna Hlushchenko, deputy director of the administrative services and promotion of private enterprise department at Zaporizhia City Hall.

Zaporizhia currently has six district branches of the administrative services centre. The newest one of them – the Shevchenkivsky District branch – opened in May 2018 at 34 Motorobudivnykiv Street. It is owing to PLEDDG that it was created and provided with computer and office equipment.

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‘We currently have six administrators on staff, including the branch director who also serves residents. While the current staff is insufficient to meet all needs of the administrative services centre, we are doing our best to satisfy all of our visitors’ needs. The number of visitors varies depending on the time of the month, week or quarter. On the busiest days we serve up to 200 people.

We offer 149 administrative services just like the other district branches in Zaporizhia. The most popular services are registration of immovable property, registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs.

We devote particular attention to making sure the services are accessible to visitors with special needs. Visitors with children can use a play area, while those with infants are served out of turn’, says Olena Vitkova, director of the administrative services centre branch in Shevchenkivsky District of Zaporizhia.

When it comes to developing Ukrainian communities, it is important to focus on all categories of the population without exception. When the public authorities understand the need to develop an inclusive environment, this enables residents to get involved in social life irrespective of their age or physical condition. This example of effective cooperation between PLEDDG and the city authorities of Zaporizhia aimed at making administrative services more accessible to residents is a step toward popularisation of inclusion in the regions and in Ukrainian society in general.


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