---
title: "Assign reservation and allocate access permissions"
slug: "assign-reservation-and-allocate-access-permissions"
tags: ["Site Administrator", "How-to", "Explainer", "Totara Learn"]
updated: 2026-08-13T16:01:21Z
published: 2026-08-13T16:01:21Z
canonical: "totara.help/assign-reservation-and-allocate-access-permissions"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://totara.help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Assign reservation and allocate access permissions

When a manager is linked to a staff member they are automatically assigned the **Staff Manager** role at the **User** context. This provides them permissions and capabilities (access rights) to manage their staff member's learning. However, by default, this role doesn't provide them access to the courses in which the learners are enrolled or to edit/manage any of the activities that sit within the course.

This means that in order for Staff Managers to reserve and allocate spaces for their team in courses containing seminar activities, a Site Administrator must provide them with specific access.

Depending on the requirements of your organisation, you may want to assign these access rights to one, many, or all managers within one, many or all courses within the LMS.

## Assigning all Staff Managers access to reserve and allocate

To give all Staff Managers the ability to reserve and allocate spaces within a seminar activity, you will need to edit the Staff Manager role (access rights) to add the required permissions/capabilities.

You will still need to assign these Staff Managers access to the relevant course(s).

1. Navigate to *Quick-access menu >* *Users > Permissions > Define roles*.
2. Click on the corresponding cog icon next to the **Staff** **Manager** role.
3. Under **Context types where this role may be assigned**, select **Course**.
4. Under the **Capability** list, find or search for **Reserve or allocate spaces for team members** (facetoface:reservespace), **View seminar activities and events** (facetoface:view) and **Sign-up for an event** (facetoface:signup). You may also want all **Staff Managers** to be able to **Reserve of behalf of other managers** (facetoface:reserveother).
5. Ensure the **Allow permission** has been checked for these items.
6. Click **Save changes** to update the Staff Manager role or **Cancel** to discard your changes.

![Searching for capabilities using the term 'view seminar'.](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/image-1675259615642.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A42%3A09Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A42%3A09Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=rJ9PorCJibk%2FQRdja3POh%2BzREZYzAd1KBhl4QVJWoUs%3D)

## Assigning selected users access to reserve and allocate

To give one or selected users the ability to reserve and allocate spaces within a Seminar Activity, you will need to create a new role which provides the required permissions/capabilities and assign the relevant users this role.

1. Navigate to *Quick-access menu >* *Users > Permissions > Define roles*.
2. Click **Add a new role.**
3. Select **No role** under **Use role or archetype** and click **Continue.**
4. Enter a unique **Shortname** and **Custom fullname** in the boxes provided. (e.g. Reserving and Allocating Manager).
5. Under **Context types** check **System**, **Category**, and **Course**.
6. In the **Capability** list check **Allow** for **Reserve or allocate spaces for team members** (facetoface:reservespace), **View seminar activities and events** *(*facetoface:view*),* **Sign-up for an event** (facetoface:signup) and (optionally) **Reserve on behalf of other managers** (facetoface:reserveother).
7. Click **Create this role** or **Cancel** to discard your changes.

You will still need to assign these users access to the relevant course(s).

You will also need to assign this new role to the selected users at either the **System**, **Category** or **Course** context (see [Assign a system role](/totara-20/docs/assign-a-system-role)).

## Assigning all Staff Managers access to all courses

To provide Staff Managers access to all courses, you will need to provide them the ability to view courses without participation within the Staff Manager role.

1. Navigate to *Quick-access menu >* *Users > Permissions > Define Roles,* click on the corresponding cog icon against the **Staff** **Manager** role.
2. In the **Capability** list check **Allow** against **View courses without participation** (course:view).
3. Click **Save changes**.

![Allowing Staff Managers to view all courses.](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/image-1675259953142.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A42%3A09Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A42%3A09Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=rJ9PorCJibk%2FQRdja3POh%2BzREZYzAd1KBhl4QVJWoUs%3D)

## Assigning all staff managers access to selected courses

To provide Staff Managers access to selected courses, you will need to assign them Staff Manager access to each course. The fastest way to do this is via Audience enrolment. Audience Sync will need to be enabled as an enrolment plugin via the site administration area to be available with each course.

1. Navigate to *Quick-access menu > Audiences > Add new audience.*
2. [Create an new dynamic audience](/totara-20/docs/create-a-dynamic-audience) called 'Staff Managers' with the rule **Has direct reports** = 'Yes'.
3. Click the **Assigned Roles** tab.
4. Check the **Staff Manager** role.
5. Navigate to the relevant course.
6. Within the **Course administration** menu go to *Users > Enrolled users > Enrolment methods.*
7. If not already listed, select **Audience sync** from the **Add method** dropdown list.
8. Choose **Staff Managers** from the **Audience** dropdown list.
9. Choose **Staff Manager** from the **Assign role** dropdown list.
10. Select **Add method.**
11. Audience sync will be added as an available enrolment method within this course and you will be prompted to enrol an existing audience.

![Assigning roles in a dynamic audience.](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/image-1675260111239.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A42%3A09Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A42%3A09Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=rJ9PorCJibk%2FQRdja3POh%2BzREZYzAd1KBhl4QVJWoUs%3D)

## Assigning selected users access to all courses

To provide selected users access to all courses, you will need to provide them the ability to **View courses without participation** within the 'Reserving and Allocating Manager' role (or as named as above).

1. Navigate to *Quick-access menu > Users > Permissions > Define roles*.
2. Click the corresponding cog icon next to the **Reserving and Allocating Manager** role.
3. In the **Capability** list check **Allow** next to **View courses without participation** (course:view).
4. Click **Save changes**.

If both the grid catalogue and self enrolment options are enabled you will need a different permission when using the report catalogue. The capability required in this scenario is **moodle/course:update**. Please note that users with this capability can also make other changes to the course settings and are not limited to just allocation of spaces to team members. For example, users with the **moodle/course:update** capability can change the completion criteria and edit other parts of the course as well.

## Assigning specific users access to selected courses

To provide specific users access to selected courses, you will need to manually assign them a role within each course with the required capabilities, such as Staff Manager.

1. Go to *Course administration* *> Users > Enrolled users*.
2. Click on **Enrol** **users.**
3. Choose the required role from the **Assign Roles** in the dropdown menu.
4. Search for the relevant user(s) and click **Enrol** user for each user.
5. When all users have been enrolled, select **Finish enrolling users.**

![Course badge](https://cdn.document360.io/a007399b-031e-436b-999a-528240e16f58/Images/Documentation/course-badge_seminar-management(1).svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-06T06%3A42%3A09Z&se=2026-11-06T07%3A42%3A09Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=rJ9PorCJibk%2FQRdja3POh%2BzREZYzAd1KBhl4QVJWoUs%3D)Why not visit the Totara Academy for our latest course on [Seminar Management](https://totara.community/course/view.php?id=958) in Totara Learn. Here you can learn more about how to use seminars, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

Join the [Totara Community](https://totara.community/) for more resources to help you get the most out of Totara.

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