ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that actors brought their social capital, a capital of connections and awareness that facilitates and nurtures the collective process of assessment. It argues that the social attributes, nurtured and developed by leaders of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP), help to explain the success of the TEAP as an important governing institution. Human capital is typically described as the skills and knowledge necessary to generate additional, usually financial, resources. The experts assembled were endowed with substantial human capital— the education and professional skills that are the hallmarks of their expertise. Fluency in English acts an important filtering device or empowerment mechanism for international work where English is the official language. It facilitates the information-sharing process. An important element of social capital is the network of connections an individual has or has the potential to develop. Beyond their technical skills, the technical options committee members brought their connections in industry, government and non-governmental organisations.
