As an admin, I can change an email now it just takes too many steps.
Addressing either (or both) of these two needs would help a lot"
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Allowing an admin to change a user’s email from its Admin view (not only the public profile)
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Allowing the change even if the site setting is disabled.
As for SSO, presumably the source of authentication already knows about the new email.. the goal of the change in discourse would be to prevent an undesired second account from being created on the user’s next visit.