Copilot in Government: Your Questions Answered In Webinar 2

Microsoft Copilot can transform the way public sector teams work, but its value depends heavily on how you interact with it. Writing clear, effective prompts ensures you get accurate, actionable, and context-aware responses. 

During our second webinar in our copilot for public sector series:, Mastering Microsoft Copilot: Effective Prompt Writing for Public Sector Professionals, attendees explored how to optimise prompts, leverage Copilot for a variety of tasks, and understand the tool’s scope and reliability.  

Below, we’ve gathered the most useful questions and insights to help you master Copilot in your day-to-day work. 

(Watch the full webinar recording below to see these examples in action.)

Using and Saving Prompts

• Can I save prompts in Copilot like I can in ChatGPT?
  Currently, Copilot doesn’t allow you to save prompts as “projects” in the same way ChatGPT does. However, you can save effective prompts externally, for example in OneNote or a shared document, and reuse them across your team. Microsoft is exploring additional prompt management features, so this functionality may evolve over time. 
• How do I schedule prompts or receive results outside Copilot Chat?
  At present, scheduling features primarily work within Copilot Chat. You can plan prompts to run at specific times, but automated delivery to email or Teams is limited. Watch this space, Microsoft is developing ways to expand how you receive generated outputs. 

Copilot Scope and Intelligence

• When I ask Copilot to book a meeting, can it detect conflicting times?
  Yes, when connected to Microsoft 365, Copilot considers your calendar and existing commitments. It will alert you if a slot is unavailable or suggest alternatives, making it a helpful assistant for diary management. 
• How reliable is Copilot for technical or engineering tasks?
  Copilot can assist with summarising technical documents or supporting basic calculations, but it shouldn’t replace expert analysis for engineering design, project loss calculations, or critical technical decisions. Think of it as a productivity booster rather than a technical authority. 
• Can I use the free version to summarise emails?
  No, summarising internal emails requires access to your organisation’s Microsoft 365 environment, which is only available in Copilot for Microsoft 365. The free web version is limited to public sources. 
• How does Copilot prioritise sources of truth?
  Copilot relies on the internal Microsoft ecosystem and the context of the files and emails it can access. It respects your organisation’s permissions and uses the most relevant internal documents, ensuring it draws on accurate, up-to-date information. 
• Does Copilot learn from the prompts or information I provide?
  Copilot generates responses in the moment and doesn’t directly improve from individual prompts. It doesn’t train on your organisational data outside of that session. However, feedback mechanisms help Microsoft improve overall AI performance safely and securely. 

Admin Support Use Cases

• Can Copilot help with HR or administrative tasks, such as drafting CVs?
  Yes, Copilot can assist with drafting, rewording, or formatting documents. For example, it can help create CV drafts, letters, or reports, saving time and ensuring consistency. Always review the final output to ensure accuracy and tone. 
• Can Copilot interact with files, such as updating a spreadsheet?
  You can ask Copilot to generate formulas, suggest edits, or guide you through updating data in Excel. Directly instructing it to change specific cells is limited, but it’s very effective at showing you the fastest way to achieve your goal. 
• When uploading documents for Copilot to review, should the content be anonymised?
  Yes, if the documents contain sensitive or personal information, anonymisation is strongly recommended before sharing them with AI tools. This ensures compliance with data protection and privacy policies. 

Writing Effective Prompts

• What makes a good prompt?
  A strong prompt is: Specific: Clearly outline what you want. Contextual: Provide relevant background, such as the audience or type of document. Actionable: State the desired output format or style. 

Example:
❌ “Write an email about the project.”
✅ “Draft an email to the finance team explaining the revised budget timeline, using a professional but approachable tone.” 

• How detailed should prompts be?
  More detail generally improves accuracy but keep them concise. If the response isn’t perfect, you can refine iteratively by asking Copilot to adjust tone, shorten, expand, or focus on specific points. You can even write a rough prompt and ask Copilot to make the prompt better before using it! 

Best Practices for Public Sector Teams

• Start with familiar applications: Begin in Word, Excel, or Outlook, then expand into Teams or PowerPoint. 

• Document effective prompts: Keep a shared library of successful prompts to save time and encourage consistency across teams. 

• Review outputs carefully: Copilot is powerful, but human oversight ensures accuracy, compliance, and tone. 

• Protect sensitive information: Always anonymise personal or sensitive data when working with AI tools. 

• Experiment and iterate: The more you refine prompts, the better your results. Encourage a culture of curiosity and learning.