Study title

This qualitative data set comprises transcripts from focus group discussions (FGDs) with small-scale water service providers and their customers in Kisumu, Kenya. The study aims to assess the long-term sustainability, transferability and potential for scale-up of Kisumu’s Delegated Management Model (DMM) of water service delivery. DMM devolves responsibility for localized water service delivery from a utility to micro-enterprises or community-based organisations, known as Master Operators. This qualitative study was part of a sequential explanatory mixed methods study, particularly seeking explanations for patterns in water interruptions and pricing identified via an earlier questionnaire survey in the same communities. FGDs were conducted with two groups each of kiosk operators and water consumers in both DMM areas and matching control areas. Additionally, in DMM areas only, FGDs were also conducted with Master Operators. In total, this gave ten FGDs with an average of ten participants in each one. FGDs consisted of a series of open-ended questions that examined potential barriers to sustainability and scale-up, possible drivers of issues such as water pricing and supply interruptions, as well as the scheme’s potential to be applied to delivery of other services, such as wastewater or solid waste collection. FGDs were audio-recorded, then transcribed, translated in some parts from Dholuo or Kiswahili into English, and anonymized prior to being made available as this data set.According to WHO/UNICEF, whilst 91.8% of urban households in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) had access to piped or protected groundwater sources in 2015, only 46.2% had safely managed water available when needed. Vendors provide a key role in supplying urban off-grid populations, with consumption of bottled or bagged water (sachets, water sold in 500ml plastic bags) growing in SSA. Whilst several studies show bottles and bags are usually free from faecal contamination, given that many...