IT Services Knowledge - Assign Calendar Delegates and Folder Sharing in Outlook 2016 for Mac

Sometimes, you may want to allow someone else to manage your Exchange calendar and email folders. This can be done by "delegating" this access which is different from "shared" access. This article explains the differences between delegation and sharing, when to use which features, and provides information on how to delegate your calendar and email folders to others.

Delegation vs. Folder Sharing

Outlook 2016'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 that allows one Outlook user to act on behalf of another. To understand the differences in both functions read the following sections on Folder Sharing and Delegation.

Folder Sharing

Two Outlook 2016 users who both use an Exchange account can share each other's Exchange folders.
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 an Outlook feature by which you grant someone permission to receive and respond to meeting requests or responses on your behalf as well as send email messages as if they were you.
Delegation 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 an assistant, but it can also be used between peers.

Assign a Delegate

Read these Microsoft articles to learn more about using the delegate function in Outlook.

Use Delegate Privileges

Read these Microsoft articles to learn how to use delegate privileges in Outlook.