Lab 4 · Module 4 · Create and Calculate

Draft a Memo in Word

18 minSlide 22 2-question quiz

Overview

What we are doing

The situation: Department directors asked for a one-page memo on what the project has found so far. You have the Executive Brief and not much time.
Your role: You are a member of the City of Fernhollow Service Request Improvement Project team.
Your task: Use Copilot in Word to draft a one-page memo to department directors. Then use Copilot to improve one paragraph.
Files you need: File 05 (05_Executive_Brief.docx).
Done when: Every claim in the memo can be traced to file 05, or it is labeled “requires confirmation.”
Why it matters: Copilot writes smoothly, and smooth writing hides added claims. Directors act on memos, so every sentence must trace to the brief.

Check before you finish

Did Copilot add anything that is not in file 05?

How to do it: the basic steps

5 steps, one screen each. Select the ? on a card for why the step is needed and what each entry does.

1
Give Copilot in Word a file it can find (Put the brief in OneDrive and open Word)
Why: Copilot in Word references files from OneDrive. A file on your desktop is invisible to it.
1. Download 05_Executive_Brief.docx
2. Save to OneDrive
3. Word
4. Blank document
Download 05_Executive_Brief.docx from the Files step and save it to your OneDrive. Open Word (web or desktop, work account) and start a Blank document.
2
Draft the memo from file 05 only (Generate the draft)
Why: The prompt names the sections and says every claim must trace to file 05 or be marked requires confirmation.
1. Draft with Copilot
2. Copy prompt
3. Type / and pick file 05
4. Generate
5. Keep it
In the Draft with Copilot box (or Home then Copilot), select Show the prompts below, copy the Draft prompt and paste it. Type / and pick 05_Executive_Brief.docx so it is attached as the reference. Select Generate, read the draft, then Keep it.
3
Rewrite without losing a condition (Refine one paragraph)
Why: Rewrite makes text smoother and sometimes drops a condition on the way. You pick the version that keeps every one.
1. Select a paragraph
2. Copilot icon (margin)
3. Rewrite
4. Pick a version
Select one paragraph. Select the Copilot icon that appears in the left margin and choose Rewrite (or paste the Refinement prompt). Read the options and pick the one that keeps every condition from the original.
4
Trace every claim (Check it against file 05)
Why: A memo to directors with one untraceable claim is a memo that gets you a question you cannot answer.
1. Open file 05
2. Each claim
3. Trace or label
Open 05_Executive_Brief.docx next to the memo. Every claim either traces to a line in file 05 or carries the label requires confirmation. Find at least one claim you cannot trace.
5
Decide what the memo can say (Check and record)
Why: The memo is ready when nothing in it says more than file 05 does.
1. Anything not in file 05?
2. Five Checks
Did Copilot add anything not in file 05? Run the Five Checks: Source, Verification, Context, Resilience, Authorized Owner. Then mark the lab steps done.

= why the step is needed and what each entry does. Like this = something you select or click. Like this = something you type or paste.

Microsoft changes these screens often; a label on your screen may differ slightly. If a button is missing, your organization may not have turned the feature on: use the Path B steps.

Where to click

Word
Blank document
Copilot
type /
file 05

Watch where to click Illustration - not the actual Copilot screen

A simplified, labeled diagram of the clicks. It is not the actual Copilot screen. The step list below the player is the text version.

Word for the web - Document1Illustration - not the actual Copilot screen

FileHomeInsertLayoutReview

BIStyles✦ Copilot

✦

✦ Draft with Copilot

Describe what you would like to write. Type / to reference a file

W05_Executive_Brief.docx

Generate

MEMORANDUM

TO: Department Directors

Purpose: share Phase 1 findings ...

Findings: the backlog doubled between January and May 2026 ...

Recommendations: single intake triage ...

Exact pilot start date: requires confirmation

Keep itRegenerate

✦ Rewrite

Visualize as a table

Rewrite - version 1 of 3

Plain-language version that keeps every condition ...

ReplaceInsert below

Press Play to watch where to click.

Speed

Do it: step by step

Check off each step as you go. Your progress saves in this browser.

Path B (Copilot Chat only)? These steps are for Path A. Use the Path B steps in the Files step instead.

Get the practice filesFiles already in your OneDrive (Step 0)? Pick them there when you attach; nothing to download. Otherwise: Path A: download file 05 (05_Executive_Brief.docx) from the Files step and save it to your OneDrive. Copilot in Word finds files in OneDrive when you type /. Path B: nothing to download. The Files step has the text to paste.
Watch where to clickPlay the demo, then open Word → Blank document → Copilot → type / → file 05.
Generate the draftUnder Draft prompt select Copy prompt, paste it into the Draft with Copilot box, and select Generate. Review the draft, then select Keep it.
Refine one paragraphSelect one paragraph, select the Copilot icon in the margin, and choose Rewrite. Pick a version that keeps every condition (the refinement prompt below says what to look for), then select Replace.
Check it against file 05Every claim traces to file 05 or is labeled "requires confirmation."
Do a final traceFind one claim you cannot trace to file 05.
Check the resultDid Copilot add anything not in file 05?
Use the Five ChecksSource, Verification, Context, Resilience, Authorized Owner. Ask each one before you use the answer. The Toolkit page lists the five questions.
Pass the quizAnswer every quiz question correctly. This step checks itself off.

Prompts: vague vs detailed

Follow the brackets. The detailed prompt is built from the four C.H.A.T. parts: [Context], [How come], [Assign task], and [Type of output]. Keep the labels when you paste it; Copilot reads them fine, and they help you check that each part is there.

Compare a vague prompt with a detailed, source-checkable prompt. The activity below separates the request from the Guardrails you need before use.

Use CHATPROMPT to shape the request: Context, How come (why you need it), Assign task, Type of output, Persona, References, Optimize, Modularize, Progression, and Transcendence (expert level: the next useful question after the checked answer). Add Guardrails separately for training-only input, source checking, limits, and the Authorized Owner.

Draft prompt

Write a memo about this project.

[Context] I am a member of the City of Fernhollow Service Request Improvement Project team.
[How come] Directors will read this memo, so every claim must trace back to the brief.
[Assign task] Draft a one-page memo to department directors about the Service Request Improvement Project. Use only the executive brief I shared (file 05). Label anything not stated in the brief as "requires confirmation."
[Type of output] Include purpose, three findings, three recommendations, risks, and next steps. Use plain language.

Why the detailed version works (letter by letter)

CContext I am a member of the City of Fernhollow Service Request Improvement Project team
HHow come Directors will read this memo, so every claim must trace back to the brief
AAssign task Draft a one-page memo to department directors about the Service Request Improvement Project
TType of output Include purpose, three findings, three recommendations, risks, and next steps. Use plain language
RReference Use only the executive brief I shared (file 05)
GGuardrail: make it checkable Label anything not stated in the brief as "requires confirmation."

Use CHATPROMPT to shape the request, as described above the first prompt.

Refinement prompt

Make this simpler.

[Context] Same memo draft as the Draft prompt. I want to refine one paragraph: the one I selected, or the Risks paragraph if I did not select one.
[How come] Plainer wording must not change what the paragraph means.
[Assign task] Rewrite this paragraph in plain language. Change nothing else.
[Type of output] Keep every condition and exception, such as anything that says "if approved."

Why the detailed version works (letter by letter)

CContext Same memo draft
HHow come Plainer wording must not change what the paragraph means
AAssign task Rewrite this paragraph in plain language
GGuardrail: keep it off-limits Keep every condition and exception
OOptimize: refine and recheck I want to refine one paragraph

Quiz

1. What is the key check for the memo draft?

Is it one page, with every heading filled in?Did Copilot add anything that is not in file 05?Does it use the agency's memo font and layout?Does it sound confident enough for directors?

2. How should you refine the draft?

Rewrite the whole memo at once, then reread itChange one paragraph at a time, then recheckAsk for a longer memo with more supporting detailAccept the first draft if it reads clearly

Self-check only. Answers stay on your device.

Path B Text Pack and downloads

Download the practice files (Path A)

Path A (full access): these downloads are for you. Save them where Copilot can reach them (OneDrive for the Office app labs). Path B: nothing to download; the files are below as text, ready to paste. Path C: nothing to download; read the text below when you check sources.

Word05_Executive_Brief.docx38 KB

Path B (Chat only): short steps

Select Copy all files + draft prompt below, paste it into the chat, and select Send.
Copy Refinement prompt below and send it in the same chat. Check that the rewrite kept every condition, such as "if approved."
Save the final memo as Lab4_Memo in Word or Notepad. Lab 5 can use it, or file 05A.

=== Lab 4: Draft a Memo in Word - Text Pack (FICTIONAL TRAINING FILES) ===

===== File 05 - Executive Brief (memo source) =====
FICTIONAL TRAINING FILE - The City of Fernhollow, its staff, residents and data are invented for the CPS HR Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop. Do not use real work data.

EXECUTIVE BRIEF: SERVICE REQUEST IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
====================================================
Prepared for: Renata Vossberg, Department Director · Prepared by: Jordan Ekwueme, Senior Analyst · August 29, 2026 · Phase 1 (Diagnosis) findings


Purpose
-------
This brief summarizes what Phase 1 learned about the growth in the service-request backlog and proposes options for Phase 2. It is a briefing, not a decision document.

Findings
--------
  1. The backlog doubled in five months. Open requests at the end of the month rose from 135 in January 2026 to 270 in May 2026.
  2. Residents are waiting longer. Average days to resolve rose from 6.1 days in January to 8.4 days in June 2026.
  3. Many requests start in the wrong place. In a sample of 300 requests from April and May, 31 percent were first routed to the wrong unit and had to be re-routed, adding an estimated 1 to 2 days each. This is a sample estimate, not a count of all requests.
June was an exception: staff completed more requests than were received (completion rate above 100 percent) by clearing older requests during a focused effort, so the backlog fell in June.

Recommendations
---------------
  1. Add a single intake triage step so each request is routed to the right unit the first time.
  2. Publish a weekly backlog report to unit supervisors.
  3. Send residents a plain-language status update when a request is acknowledged and when it is extended.

Risks
-----
  - Staffing: 4 of 22 positions are vacant; triage may move workload rather than reduce it.
  - Data quality: August data will be incomplete because of the planned case-system migration.
  - Equity: residents who do not use the online portal may not benefit equally from portal-based status updates.

Next steps
----------
  - Phase 2 (Design): September and October 2026.
  - Proposed pilot: November 2026 through January 2027, if approved by the Department Director.
  - Results review: February 2027.

Note: This brief does not set deadlines. Response deadlines are set only by Procedure SR-100.


===== PROMPT (send with the files) =====
Draft prompt (Path A & B):
[Context] I am a member of the City of Fernhollow Service Request Improvement Project team.
[How come] Directors will read this memo, so every claim must trace back to the brief.
[Assign task] Draft a one-page memo to department directors about the Service Request Improvement Project. Use only the executive brief I shared (file 05). Label anything not stated in the brief as "requires confirmation."
[Type of output] Include purpose, three findings, three recommendations, risks, and next steps. Use plain language.

These prompts work on both paths. They say "I shared," which fits whether you attach or paste the files.

Draft prompt (Path A & B)

[Context] I am a member of the City of Fernhollow Service Request Improvement Project team.
[How come] Directors will read this memo, so every claim must trace back to the brief.
[Assign task] Draft a one-page memo to department directors about the Service Request Improvement Project. Use only the executive brief I shared (file 05). Label anything not stated in the brief as "requires confirmation."
[Type of output] Include purpose, three findings, three recommendations, risks, and next steps. Use plain language.

Refinement prompt (Path A & B)

[Context] Same memo draft as the Draft prompt. I want to refine one paragraph: the one I selected, or the Risks paragraph if I did not select one.
[How come] Plainer wording must not change what the paragraph means.
[Assign task] Rewrite this paragraph in plain language. Change nothing else.
[Type of output] Keep every condition and exception, such as anything that says "if approved."

File 05 - Executive Brief (memo source) (2,234 characters)

Download .txt

FICTIONAL TRAINING FILE - The City of Fernhollow, its staff, residents and data are invented for the CPS HR Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop. Do not use real work data.

EXECUTIVE BRIEF: SERVICE REQUEST IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
====================================================
Prepared for: Renata Vossberg, Department Director · Prepared by: Jordan Ekwueme, Senior Analyst · August 29, 2026 · Phase 1 (Diagnosis) findings


Purpose
-------
This brief summarizes what Phase 1 learned about the growth in the service-request backlog and proposes options for Phase 2. It is a briefing, not a decision document.

Findings
--------
  1. The backlog doubled in five months. Open requests at the end of the month rose from 135 in January 2026 to 270 in May 2026.
  2. Residents are waiting longer. Average days to resolve rose from 6.1 days in January to 8.4 days in June 2026.
  3. Many requests start in the wrong place. In a sample of 300 requests from April and May, 31 percent were first routed to the wrong unit and had to be re-routed, adding an estimated 1 to 2 days each. This is a sample estimate, not a count of all requests.
June was an exception: staff completed more requests than were received (completion rate above 100 percent) by clearing older requests during a focused effort, so the backlog fell in June.

Recommendations
---------------
  1. Add a single intake triage step so each request is routed to the right unit the first time.
  2. Publish a weekly backlog report to unit supervisors.
  3. Send residents a plain-language status update when a request is acknowledged and when it is extended.

Risks
-----
  - Staffing: 4 of 22 positions are vacant; triage may move workload rather than reduce it.
  - Data quality: August data will be incomplete because of the planned case-system migration.
  - Equity: residents who do not use the online portal may not benefit equally from portal-based status updates.

Next steps
----------
  - Phase 2 (Design): September and October 2026.
  - Proposed pilot: November 2026 through January 2027, if approved by the Department Director.
  - Results review: February 2027.

Note: This brief does not set deadlines. Response deadlines are set only by Procedure SR-100.

Path C (Watch and verify): Check the trainer's draft against file 05 and mark every claim you cannot trace.

Debrief question: Did Copilot add a deadline, number, or name that is not in file 05?