Grupo FARO is an independent, nonprofit and secular think tank

Think tank

A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...

 established to provide support and promote active participation of civil society

Civil society

Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...

, the business sector and state entities, based on research and analysis, for the purpose of putting forward, implementing and monitoring public policies, aimed to consolidate an Ecuadorian State that is more efficient, equitable, non-discriminatory and democratic. Grupo FARO was founded in Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

 in 2004.

in 2009, Grupo FARO was awarded a grant by the Think Tank Initiative -a global programme funded by IDRC

International Development Research Centre

The International Development Research Centre is a Canadian Crown Corporation created by the Parliament of Canada that supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development...

, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, DFID and DGIS.

Its co-funder and current Executive Director is Orazio Bellettini.

Strategic approaches

1. Information-based dialogue: Grupo FARO will promote dialogue based on information, through the presentation of evidences for a strict analysis and plural spaces to find solutions on public issues.
2. Development of capacities: Grupo FARO will focus its efforts on developing capacities in actors for transformation of ideas into actions, through training, organization improvement and generation of public-private alliances.
3. Promotion of transparency in the impact of individual and collective actions: Grupo FARO will implement systems to improve transparency and evaluate the impact of public policies and actions, both of public and private actors.

Intervention areas

1. Environment
   Natural environment
   The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
   
    and society
2. Public governance
3. Equity
   Equity (economics)
   Equity is the concept or idea of fairness in economics, particularly as to taxation or welfare economics. More specifically it may refer to equal life chances regardless of identity, to provide all citizens with a basic minimum of income/goods/services or to increase funds and commitment for...
   
    and social opportunities
4. Information society
   Information society
   The aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally through using IT in a creative and productive way. An information society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic,...
   
   
5. Economic growth
   Economic growth
   In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
   
   

Associations and partnerships

Grupo FARO has established a number of national, regional and global partnerships including with: The Overseas Development Institute

Overseas Development Institute

The Overseas Development Institute is one of the leading independent think tanks on international development and humanitarian issues. Based in London, its mission is "to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement...

, the Centro de Políticas Comparadas de Educación (CPCE) at Diego Portales Univesity in Chile, and Ecuador Mi Pais

Ecuador Mi Pais

Ecuador Mi País is a non-governmental organization that was born in August 2005 as an initiative of young Ecuadorian professionals living in the Washington D.C. area that felt a moral imperative and a deep desire to contribute to the social and economic development of their country. In Ecuador,...

.

External Links

• Think Tank Initiative
• Grupo FARO