Nexus allows users to delegate management of their calendar, inbox, tasks etc. to other Nexus users. For example, you may want to allow your assistant to schedule your meetings or a colleague to send emails from an account you normally maintain (usually a non-personal email account, such as 'webmaster@unit.ox.ac.uk'). This is achieved by using Delegation.

Please note, delegation is different from Sharing, which allows others to access a particular folder or feature, but does not allow them to act on your behalf. Instructions for sharing calendars and contacts are to be found within the calendar and contacts pages (other folders including the Inbox can be shared in a similar way).

A separate page describes how to configure and access Project Accounts - non-personal accounts used by a group of people to, for example, send messages from a generic address or maintain a shared events calendar.

To add a delegate in Outlook 2007, or to act as a delegate for someone else, you will need to have Outlook set up to connect to your Nexus account. If you have not already done so, please follow the Configuration instructions.

1. Adding a delegate

From the Outlook menu, click [Tools/Options] and go to the Delegates tab:
Delegates tab shows a list of existing delegates (empty)
Click Add...:
A list of Nexus users to choose from
Select the person you want to add as a delegate (type in the beginning of their name to zoom), click Add to add them to the box at the bottom, and then click OK. A new screen will open, where you can set their permissions:
Individual permissions can be set for calendar, tasks, inbox, contacts, notes and journal
Set your desired permission levels for each of the features, and click OK. You will now return to the list of delegates, with the new person showing:
The list of delegates now includes the person you just added
Click OK to complete the process. You can change their permissions at a later date by returning to this screen, clicking on their name, and then clicking Permissions or Remove.
Please note that if you want the delegate to be able to open your mailbox automatically alongside their own mailbox, you have to make the containing folder visible. To do this:
  1. Right-click on Mailbox - Your Username (top of the list of email folders in the left-hand pane in Outlook). Select Change Sharing Permissions.
  2. The new window opens and shows you the Permissions tab.
  3. If the delegate is not in the Name list displayed, click Add and search for the user in the Global Address List. Once found, select the user and click OK. The user will now appear in the Permissions list.
  4. Once the delegate is listed, click on their name and then tick the box saying Folder Visible
  5. Click OK to complete.

The delegate can now see your list of mailboxes, but can only access (read messages, reply, etc) the one(s) for which access has been delegated.

2. Acting as a delegate

If another user has delegated access to their email or calendar (or other features) to you, then you have the authority to act on their behalf. You can send an email as if from them (on the compose screen menu, click [View/From Field] to enable the From text box, and then enter their name in that field). You can also create and edit items in their calendar, and respond to meeting requests on their behalf. Depending on the permissions and options they have chosen, you are likely to receive meeting requests sent directly to your own inbox, asking you to respond on their behalf.

Managing calendar
If you are only responsible for managing another user's calendar, the easiest way to do so is to open their calendar. You can then create and edit calendar items, and view all existing entries in a grid just like your own calendar. When you create a meeting request by double-clicking on a date in their calendar, Outlook will automatically mark the invitations as being from Your Name on behalf of A.N. Other and the responses will come to you as well as the calendar owner (depending on the permissions and options chosen).

Managing email
If you are responsible for managing someone's email, you can open their inbox by clicking [File > Open > Other User's Folder...] on the Outlook menu.

On the Open Other User's Folder screen, click on the Name button and select their name from the list that pops up. Check that the Folder type box has the right option chosen (Inbox, Calendar, Contact etc). Click OK.
Open Other User's Folder screen
If you intend to do this regularly, you may prefer to open a delegated Nexus mailbox alongside your own.
  • Select [Tools > Account settings] from the Outlook 2007 menu.
  • The Account Settings window opens. Click on Change...
    Account settings window with Change icon circled
  • When the Change email account window opens, click on the More settings button to open the Nexus settings screen.
    'Change email account' window with 'More settings' button circled
  • Go to the Advanced tab and click Add....
    Advanced tab contains list of additional mailboxes to be opened (empty in the example)
  • When the Add Mailbox window opens, type in the name of the owner of the mailbox you want to open. Click OK.
    Box to type in the name of the user
  • If more than one user exists with the same name, or Nexus does not recognise the name you entered, you will see a screen where you can choose between suggested users:
    List of users to choose from. In this case Stuart R was entered as the name, and Outlook offers three options from the global address book.
  • Click on one and click Properties... to see further details. Unfortunately this is not very helpful but at the end of the E-mail address field, you can see their username. If you are not sure which is the correct user (e.g. where a name is shared), check this with the user or by looking at their Alias in the global address book. Once you have chosen the correct one, click OK. You will now see the user listed in the Mailboxes section:
    List of mailboxes now includes the one just added
  • Click OK, then Next, and finally Finish to complete the process.
  • You will now see the new mailbox listed in your Navigation Pane, and depending on which permissions you have been given, can read and send emails, create and edit calendar entries, or perform other tasks on behalf of the user.