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Copilot Mastery Lab

Master Microsoft Copilot prompt engineering through hands-on practice. Perfect preparation for government AI adoption—learn the skills that transform AI from "frustrating" to "game-changing" for your daily work.

4 Hours

Intensive crash course

50% Time Saved

On daily government tasks

Zero Tech Skills

Required to start

Core Concepts

  • How Copilot processes your requests (context + intent)
  • The anatomy of a great prompt (WHAT + WHY + HOW + FORMAT)
  • Common mistakes that produce bad results
  • Vague vs. specific prompts
Bad Prompt:

"Write a report about budget"

Good Prompt:

"Create a 2-page executive briefing note on Q4 budget variances for the Deputy Minister. Include: 1) key findings, 2) root causes, 3) mitigation strategies. Use Treasury Board format with plain language (Grade 8 reading level). Tone: professional but accessible."

Practice Exercise - AI-Powered Feedback

Rewrite this vague prompt into a specific one:

C - Context: Who are you? What's the situation?
L - Length: How long should the output be?
E - Examples: Show what you want
A - Audience: Who will read this?
R - Requirements: Format, tone, constraints
CLEAR Template Example
Context: I'm a policy analyst preparing a briefing for the Minister on AI adoption in government services.

Length: 1-page executive summary (300-400 words)

Examples: Similar to our previous briefings on digital transformation, but focus on AI-specific opportunities and risks.

Audience: Minister (non-technical, wants key decisions and impacts)

Requirements:
- Start with TL;DR (3 bullet points)
- Include 2-3 quick wins we can implement immediately
- Address privacy/security concerns
- Use plain language (no jargon)
- End with recommended next steps
- Treasury Board format

Technique 1: Role Assignment

"Act as a senior policy advisor with 15 years of experience in digital government transformation. Review this draft policy and provide feedback as if you're preparing it for Treasury Board submission."

Technique 2: Chain Prompting (Multi-Step)

Step 1: "Analyze this public consultation data and identify the top 5 themes"

Step 2: "For each theme, suggest 2-3 policy responses that align with our departmental mandate"

Step 3: "Draft a 1-page action plan prioritizing these responses by impact and feasibility"

Technique 3: Constraints & Guardrails

"Write a citizen-facing FAQ about passport renewals. Requirements: Grade 8 reading level, 5 Q&As max, each answer under 50 words, avoid legal jargon, include links to official resources, bilingual-friendly structure."

Use Case 1: Policy Development
I need to develop a new policy on AI use in hiring processes for the public service.

Please:
1. Research similar policies from other G7 governments
2. Identify key principles (fairness, transparency, accountability)
3. Draft a 3-page policy framework including:
   - Purpose and scope
   - Guiding principles
   - Implementation requirements
   - Governance and oversight
   - Risk mitigation measures
4. Use Treasury Board policy template structure
5. Include plain language summary for employees

Consider: Official Languages Act, Privacy Act, accessibility requirements
Use Case 2: Plain Language Translation
Convert this technical briefing note into plain language suitable for public-facing web content:

[Paste bureaucratic text]

Requirements:
- Grade 8 reading level (Flesch-Kincaid score 60+)
- Active voice, short sentences
- Explain acronyms on first use
- Break complex ideas into simple chunks
- Keep key facts accurate
- Maintain professional tone
- Max 300 words
Use Case 3: Data Analysis & Insights
Analyze this public consultation feedback (1,000+ comments) and:

1. Identify top 10 themes with frequency counts
2. Extract specific citizen pain points for each theme
3. Highlight any urgent concerns or safety issues
4. Suggest 3-5 actionable responses we can implement quickly
5. Flag any accessibility or equity gaps mentioned
6. Create a 1-slide executive summary for leadership

Present as: structured data table + narrative insights + visual recommendations

Quick Reference: Common Mistakes & Fixes

DON'T
  • "Help me with this report" (too vague)
  • "Write a policy" (no context)
  • "Summarize this meeting" (wrong format)
  • Accept first output without review
DO
  • Use the CLEAR framework
  • Specify audience and format
  • Include quality requirements
  • Ask Copilot to review its own work

Your Progress

Hour 1
Skills to Master
Prompt Structure
CLEAR Framework
Role Assignment
Chain Prompting
Government Templates
Course Schedule

Hour 1: Foundation & Basics
Hour 2: CLEAR Framework
Hour 3: Advanced Techniques
Hour 4: Real Use Cases

Success Metrics
  • 50% reduction in drafting time
  • First draft usable with minimal edits
  • Creating custom prompt library
  • Training colleagues on Copilot
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