At the core of the "Big Society" is the idea of moving power and control over policymaking away from central government and towards local government, citizens, and third sector organizations.

Part of giving up control, however, is giving local people the time and freedom they need to come up with their own solutions to local problems - as well as the space to learn from their failures.

Drawing on the insights from Aubrey Fox's new book, "Trial and Error in Criminal Justice Reform: Learning from Failure" (Urban Institute Press, 2010), this seminar was held as an honest conversation about the inevitability of failure in any area of public policy - and indeed its desirability, provided that it is used as a learning experience.

Aubrey Fox is a Senior Project Developer with the Young Foundation, where he is exploring the feasibility of creating a Centre for Justice Innovation in the UK. Aubrey is also the Director of Special Projects for the Center for Court Innovation, a non-profit organisation that functions as the New York State court system's independent research and development arm, creating demonstration projects that test new ideas.

The Young Foundation's Lunchtime Seminars are a small, eclectic and lively series of events which aim to inspire conversation and new ideas.