Getting Started with Copilot in Word for Government Users

Overview

This beginner-friendly video introduces federal employees to Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word. You’ll learn practical techniques for drafting documents, summarizing content, and improving your writing using AI assistance—all within the secure boundaries of your GCC environment.

No technical background required. Just bring curiosity and a willingness to experiment with this powerful new productivity tool.

What You’ll Learn

• Basic Prompting: How to ask Copilot to draft, revise, or summarize content
• Document Creation: Generate first drafts of common government documents
• Content Refinement: Improve clarity, tone, and structure of existing text
• Summarization: Extract key points from lengthy reports or briefings
• Security Awareness: What data Copilot accesses and how it protects sensitive information

Transcript

[00:00 - Introduction]

Hi, I’m Jane Smith, and welcome to this introduction to Copilot in Word for government users. Today, we’re going to explore how Copilot can help you work faster and smarter while maintaining the security standards your agency requires.

[00:30 - What is Copilot in Word?]

Copilot in Word is your AI-powered writing assistant. It can help you start a document from scratch, summarize lengthy text, rewrite sections for clarity, and even suggest content based on other documents you have access to within Microsoft 365.

The key thing to remember: Copilot only works with data you already have permission to access. It respects all your agency’s security policies and permissions.

[01:45 - Starting Your First Draft]

Let’s say you need to write a project status memo. Instead of starting with a blank page, click the Copilot icon and type a prompt like: “Draft a project status memo for the modernization initiative, including progress updates, current challenges, and next steps.”

Copilot will generate a structured first draft. It won’t be perfect—you’ll need to add specific details, dates, and context—but it gives you a framework to build on, saving significant time.

[03:30 - Working with Prompts]

The quality of Copilot’s output depends on the quality of your prompts. Be specific about what you want. Instead of “write about the budget,” try “write a two-paragraph summary of the Q3 budget performance, highlighting areas that are over or under forecast.”

The more context and structure you provide in your prompt, the better Copilot’s results will be.

[05:00 - Summarizing Existing Documents]

Copilot is excellent for summarization. Open a long document—maybe a 50-page policy manual or detailed report—and ask Copilot to “summarize the key points in bullet format” or “create an executive summary of this document.”

This is incredibly useful when you need to brief leadership or quickly understand a document you’ve just received.

[06:15 - Refining Your Writing]

You can also use Copilot to improve existing content. Highlight a paragraph and ask Copilot to “make this more concise” or “rewrite this in a more formal tone for executive review.” Copilot will suggest alternative versions you can accept, reject, or modify.

[07:00 - Security and Privacy]

A common question: what can Copilot see? Copilot has access to the same documents you do within Microsoft 365. If you can open and read a document in SharePoint or OneDrive, Copilot can reference it. If you don’t have access, neither does Copilot.

Your prompts and Copilot’s responses stay within your agency’s GCC tenant. Microsoft doesn’t use your data to train AI models. Your work remains yours.

[08:00 - Conclusion]

Copilot in Word is a powerful productivity tool for government employees. Start simple, experiment with different prompts, and you’ll quickly discover how it can help you work more efficiently. Check out our prompt engineering guide linked below for more advanced techniques.