The traditional management of major water conservancy projects and their owners￠ capabilities have become inadequate to fully address new challenges

as digital technology application expands in width and depth in construction and management. This brings about an urgent need for project owners to develop high-level capability

namely digital competence. In this work

we compile a digital competence dictionary based on a systematic review and synthesis of literature in the classical competence theory framework

and refine the key factors to characterize the digital competence of a project owner through behavioral event interviews. Applying the dynamic capability theory

we establish a digital competence model that integrates three dimensions－sensing capability

integrating capability

and reconfiguring capability. This model clarifies the distinguishing competence elements of the project owners in the digital transformation of engineering projects

helping to promote the capacity building and digital governance of project owners in major water conservancy projects.