LocationsAssistance without barriers
A mobile administrative service centre operating in Kryvyi Rih brings much-needed support to the public
Iryna Matiushenko has worked at the “Viza” administrative service centre since 2016, first as a general affairs administrator, and then in 2023 becoming the head of the mobile service section of the Kryvyi Rih City Executive Committee. While she has managerial duties, Matiushenko still deeply values interacting directly with people, which is why she regularly joins the centre’s mobile team on their outreach visits. For her, helping those in need is always a top priority. As she puts it, “It’s very rewarding to help someone. Especially now, in times like these.”
The “Viza” administrative service centre’s mobile service began operating in Kryvyi Rih in 2017, an initiative by the local authorities to ensure that people with limited mobility have accessible administrative services. The team primarily serves residents in remote neighbourhoods of Kryvyi Rih – in community centres or schools, or at temporary locations such as homes, hospitals, and maternity wards. To do this, administrators use specially equipped vehicles and portable digital service kits, which contain all the necessary tools: a laptop, ID card reader, portable printer, handheld scanner, internet modem, and specialized software.
Matiushenko explains that the service “really makes life easier for people,” as it’s both accessible and convenient. “There’s no need to run around offices just to get a certificate,” she says. “People face all sorts of situations – some simply can’t leave their homes.”
The mobile service is available to specific groups of people, including Heroes of Ukraine, people with disabilities as a result of war, veterans, people with first- or second-degree disabilities, children with disabilities, people aged 75 or over, full holders of the Order of Labour Glory, women in maternity hospitals, and individuals temporarily unable to move independently.
Currently, the “Viza” centre operates three vehicles fitted out as mobile offices and three service kits for outreach visits. In 2024, the centre received a new minibus and a new service kit with support from the EU and UNDP, as part of the flagship “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership. The new minibus functions as a mobile administrative service centre with two workstations, allowing employees to assist more than one client simultaneously. In 2024 alone, the mobile team completed 14 outreach missions, assisting 465 clients.
“We’re very grateful to the EU and UNDP for their support,” says Matiushenko. “Our older vehicles were quite large and took a long time to warm up. But in the new van, we can quickly create comfortable working conditions, which is especially important in cold weather. Our staff and clients have praised the improvement.”
Requesting a mobile service is a quick and easy process. A request for a visit from the mobile team can be submitted by a representative such as a family member by calling the centre’s hotline, or by using the online registration feature on the centre’s website. The request must include the full name of the service user, their category, and the desired service.
“Within three working days, an administrator from the designated mobile service sector will contact the applicant to arrange a date and time,” Matiushenko notes. “Once all the necessary documents are received, the team estimates the time required for processing. When the results are ready, we schedule another visit and return to deliver the documents.”
If a client is unavailable for a scheduled appointment due to unforeseen circumstances, the mobile team leaves a hotline number so the client can request a new one.
The mobile team also responds to emergencies. Since Kryvyi Rih, like many Ukrainian cities, frequently experiences air attacks, the team travels to affected areas.
“Since the start of the full-scale invasion, we’ve been visiting these locations across the city,” Matiushenko says. “People come to register damaged property, and we help process compensation claims. They’re already experiencing so much stress – imagine if they also had to navigate a bureaucratic maze on top of that. So, we aim to assist as quickly as possible.”
Photo credit: Viacheslav Ratynskyi / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
