<![CDATA[Objective: This study examined how recurrent infrastructural unreliability shapes the enactment of educators’ digital competence and developed an Infrastructure-First Digital Competence Framework (IFDCC). Method: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combined the CheckIn Higher Education self-assessment from 127 teachers at the University of Gujrat, Pakistan, with 32 purposively selected semi-structured interviews across proficiency strata. Survey data were summarized descriptively, and interview data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis. The findings were integrated through participant selection and narrative interpretation. Results: Competence ranged from A1 to C2, with 50.4% at B1-B2. Six themes emerged: structural unreliability, compensatory practice, psychological vulnerability, distributed competence, workload investment tension, and strategic selectivity. Lower- and intermediate-competence accounts emphasized continuity strategies, whereas higher-competence accounts more often described purposeful platform and assessment use. Integration produced four analytically related levels: structural provisions, psychological safety, developmental opportunities, and strategic practice. Novelty: This framework distinguishes between measured competence and enacted capability by treating infrastructure and institutional support as enabling conditions for the expression and development of competence. Conclusion: In resource-constrained higher education, digital transformation should be understood as a shared individual and institutional responsibility. The proposed relationships are context-sensitive and require multi-institutional longitudinal testing.]]>
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