Delegation vs. Folder Sharing

Before you attempt to set up the delegation features of Outlook 2010, you should understand the difference between folder sharing and delegation. Outlook 2010’s collaboration features allow an Outlook user to share any folder with another Outlook user. This should not be confused with Delegation, which is a feature allowing one Outlook user to act on behalf of another Outlook user. Below are the primary distinctions between folder sharing and delegation.

Folder Sharing
- Two Outlook 2010 users who both use an Exchange account to share their Exchange folders with each other. For example, you could share your Calendar with another Outlook user so that person can view your Calendar.

- Folder sharing is a way to provide access to another person’s folders, but it does not include permissions for one to act on behalf of the other.

Delegation

- Delegation is the Outlook feature by which you grant someone permission to receive and respond to meeting requests or responses and to send e-mail messages on your behalf. This is a more advanced feature than simple folder sharing.

- The person granted this permission is called the delegate.

- You can grant the delegate limited permissions or up to full control over items in your mailbox and calendar.

- Delegate access is commonly used between a manager and his or her assistant, but can also be used between peers.

Setting up Delegation (what the Manager does)

Requirements for Delegation

Outlook 2010’s Delegation features only work under the following conditions.

- Both the manager and the delegate need to use an Exchange account

- Both the manager and the delegate need to use the same version of Outlook.

- The manager’s mail must be delivered to his or her mailbox on the Exchange server, not to a Personal Folders file (.pst) on a computer.

Turn on Delegate Access

The manager who grants delegate access determines the level of permission that the delegate has to his or her Outlook folders.

Default Access
A delegate automatically receives what is called Send on Behalf permissions.

- By default, when you add a delegate, the delegate has full access to your Calendar and Tasks folders.

- The delegate can create meetings on your behalf.

- The delegate can also receive meeting requests sent to you, the Manager, and respond to meeting requests on your behalf.

- The delegate can compose and send an e-mail message that, when received, will have Delegate Name on behalf of Manager Name next to From.

NOTE: The delegate can read only the meeting requests and responses sent to the manager

– the delegate does NOT have access to read any other messages in your Inbox.

To turn on delegate access:

- Click on File - Info - Accounts Settings - Delegates tab - Add
- Search for or type the name of the person you want to be your delegate.
- Click Add and then click OK.

Setting Custom Access Levels for a Delegate

You can accept the default permission settings or use the Delegate Permissions dialog box to select custom access levels.

To change permissions for your delegate:

- Click on File - Info - Accounts Settings - Delegates tab
- Choose the Name of Delegate and click Remove if you want to remove all Delegate permissions or click Permissions if you want to change them.
- You can change the permissions for any Outlook folder that the delegate has access to.
- To send a message to notify the delegate of the permissions, select the Automatically send a message to delegate summarizing these permissions check box.

NOTE: To make sure that copies of meeting requests and responses that you receive are sent to your delegate, make sure your Calendar permission setting is Editor (can read, create, and modify items).

Work with another Person’s Calendar and Mail (commonly what an assistant will do)

How to manage another person’s calendar or mail. Before you can work with another person’s Outlook folders, that person must grant you permission to do so. That is what we just covered in Setting up Delegation. You may need to help your manager set up your delegate access or give him/her these instructions.

Add another person’s mailbox to your profile

If you frequently work with someone else's Exchange folders, you will probably want to add that person’s mailbox to your Outlook profile.

- This will automatically open the other person’s mailbox each time you open outlook.

- The other mailbox appears in the Navigation Pane below your mailbox folders.

- Click File - Info - Accounts Settings

- Click the Exchange account type and then click Change

- Click More Settings - Advanced Tab - Add

- Enter the mailbox name of the person whose mailbox you want to add to your user profile.
Open another Person’s Folders

You don’t have to add the manager’s mailbox to your Outlook profile to work with his or her folders.
- Click File - Open -Another’s Folders
- In the Name box, enter the name of the person who granted you Delegate Access permissions.
- In the Folder type list, check the folder that you want to open.

Respond to a meeting request for another person
- Open the person’s Inbox if his or her meeting requests are not being sent to you directly.
- Open the meeting request.
- Click Accept, Tentative, or Decline

Create meeting requests on behalf of another person
- Open the other person’s calendar.
- Create and schedule a meeting.


Create an e-mail message on behalf of another person
- Click Home - New e-mail
- In the From box, type the name of the manager or person you are sending the message on behalf of (If you don’t see the From box, in the Show Fields group on the Options tab, click From.)
- Add recipients, subject, and message and click Send


Reply to or forward an e-mail message on behalf of another person
- Open the other person’s inbox (see Open Another Person’s Folders)
- Select the message you want to reply to on behalf of the manager
- Click the Reply, Reply to All or Forward button in the Respond group on the Home tab
- In the From box, type the name of the manager or person you are sending the message on behalf of (If you don’t see the From box, in the Show Fields group on the Options tab, click From. See above.)
- Add recipients, subject, and message and click Send