Digitalisation has substantially expanded the technical availability of policy, subsidy, project, and public-finance information in rural communities; however, access alone does not ensure that households can locate, understand, verify, and use such information effectively. This study examines Transparency Capability as a substantive conversion mechanism linking ICT Usage to productive functioning and rural well-being within a Resource–Capability–Functioning–Quality of Life (RCF-QoL) framework. ICT Usage is conceptualised as a developmental resource, Transparency Capability as the effective opportunity to access clear, timely, and monitorable institutional information, New-Type Productive Forces as realised productive functioning, and Quality of Life as the final well-being outcome. Using 401 valid household questionnaires from flower-cultivation communities in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, China, the results show that ICT Usage is positively associated with Transparency Capability (? =0.429, p < .001). Transparency Capability predicts productive functioning after controlling for ICT Usage (? = 0.275, p < .001) and remains positively associated with Quality of Life after ICT Usage and productive functioning are entered simultaneously (? = 0.209, p < .001). A 5,000-resample nonparametric bootstrap confirms a significant ICT ? Transparency Capability ? QoL indirect effect of .090, 95% CI [.050, .134], and a significant serial ICT ? Transparency Capability ? productive functioning ? QoL effect of .031, 95% CI [.017, .049]. The combined indirect contribution involving Transparency Capability is 0.121, 95% CI [.079, .167]. These findings demonstrate that digital information becomes developmentally meaningful when households can convert access into usable transparency that reduces information asymmetry, clarifies institutional rules, strengthens accountability, and supports informed choices. The study contributes to capability-based ICT4D research by identifying Transparency Capability as a distinct household-level conversion mechanism and by showing the importance of separating resource use, capability, functioning, and well-being in questionnaire design.
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