How can we allow users to manage some permissions but not all on a SharePoint site?

Question

We want some users of one of our SharePoint site to manage permissions on their site but do not want them to give the permission called "Manage Permissions". Because if we do so, the users start assigning the built in permission level “Full Control” to themselves. How can we achieve this?

Please note that the users with the permission level "Manage Permissions" can create and change permission levels on the Web site [Ref: Microsoft]. What we want for them to only be able to create users, groups, and assign certain permissions on the site to those users and groups.

Answer 1

1. "we want for them ... and assign permissions" you DO realize that they can just as easily be assigning Full Control to these groups? isn't that what you say you want to AVOID?

2. manage the permissions for them, and allow them to self manage the GROUP MEMBERS. that way they can add people to the "publishers" group... and net result is that the user has "publish" permissions.

solution 2 can be extrapolated for some very granular needs, but I don't explain how because I wouldn't recommend it.