Overview
Microsoft Power BI is a leading business intelligence (BI) tool that empowers government professionals to transform complex datasets into actionable insights. As data-driven decision-making becomes increasingly critical in federal, state, and local agencies, Power BI provides a robust solution for analyzing, visualizing, and securely sharing data across departments.
This Power BI Intermediate course is designed for professionals with a foundational understanding of Power BI who are looking to expand their skills in data modeling, reporting, and analysis. The course explores advanced techniques for cleaning, transforming, and analyzing data, as well as best practices for creating dynamic dashboards, interactive reports, and secure data applications that meet agency needs.
Participants will gain proficiency in DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) functions to perform complex calculations and uncover deeper insights. The course also introduces Microsoft Copilot in Power BI. This is an AI-powered assistant that helps analysts draft report pages, generate measure suggestions, and produce plain-language summaries of data findings. Participants will learn how to use Copilot as a productivity accelerator while developing the critical skills needed to validate and refine its outputs.
Additionally, participants will learn how to optimize performance, security, and visualization techniques to enhance data storytelling and support mission-critical decision-making. Understanding where AI tools add value, and where human judgment remains essential, is treated as a core competency throughout the course.
With the skills gained in this training, attendees will be equipped to drive data-informed decisions, improve operational efficiency, and support transparency initiatives within their agencies.
By attending this course, government professionals will gain the skills and confidence needed to harness the power of data, and the latest AI capabilities, to support agency objectives through actionable insights.
Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for government professionals at the GS-7 to GS-13 levels (and their state and local government equivalents) who want to enhance their data analysis, visualization, and reporting skills using Power BI. Participants will learn how to transform raw data into meaningful insights, enabling more informed decision-making and improved reporting capabilities.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Perform advanced data transformations, including merging, appending, unpivoting, and grouping data.
Apply the M language to customize data processing and improve automation.
Enhance data quality through fuzzy matching and data profiling techniques.
Build optimized data models that improve performance and accuracy.
Utilize DAX functions, such as CALCULATE and Time Intelligence, for advanced analytics.
Incorporate geospatial visuals, drill-downs, hierarchies, and custom sort orders to enhance reports.
Implement interactive filtering, including synchronized slicers, drill-throughs, and cross-filter editing.
Apply row-level security to restrict data access based on user roles.
Publish and share reports through Power BI Service, including managing permissions.
Use Copilot to accelerate reporting, DAX drafting, and insight summarization.
Online Training
Power BI Intermediate for Government
Session details
- Government agencies are rapidly adopting data-driven decision-making at every level.
- By 2025, 80% of analytics will be handled by business users.
- Power BI is used across agencies for reporting and analysis.
- Enable non-technical staff to generate insights without relying on IT teams.
- Replace static spreadsheets with interactive, real-time dashboards that drive better decisions.
- Use Copilot to accelerate builds, draft measures, and validate outputs critically.
Some familiarity with topic is recommended
Key Sessions
11.00am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Session 1
Overview of Power BI and Data Transformation
- Review of Power BI and its Components
- Data Sources and Connections
- Query Editor deepening
- Data cleaning patterns (types, nulls, trimming, dedupe)
- Shaping transformations (merge, append, group by, aggregate)
- Merging queries, grouping and aggregating (practical patterns)
- Building repeatable, readable Power Query steps (naming and documentation)
- Copilot touchpoint: Document Transformations
- Using Copilot-style thinking to narrate transformation intent but keep the build manual
1:00pm
Break
Session 2
Data Modelling in Power BI
- Best practice for effective Data Modeling
- Star schema concepts
- Naming conventions, hide columns, sort by columns
- Creating Relationships between Tables
- Cardinality, filter direction, active vs inactive
- Hierarchies and drill-down
- Copilot touchpoint: Model summary and sanity check prompts
- Use Copilot to summarize the semantic model
- Learners validate relationships and business logic
3:00pm
End of day 1
11:05am
Welcome and Recap
Session 1
Visualizing Data in Power BI
- Introduction to Data Visualization Principles
- Data storytelling principles
- Building effective report pages in Power BI Desktop
- Enhancing reports
- Slicers, filters, drill-through
- Tooltips, page navigation patterns
- Designing interactive reports
- Copilot touchpoint: Create a new page: you are the editor
- Copilot generates a draft page
- Learners critique & improve (visual choice, titles, accessibility, filtering logic)
1:00pm
Break
Session 2
Advanced Features and Power BI Service
- Usability enhancements
- Themes, bookmarks, drill-through (deeper)
- Introduction to Power BI Service
- Publishing reports to Power BI Service
- Sharing, permissions, collaboration basics
- Copilot touchpoint: DAX assist and smart narrative
- Use Copilot to draft a measure
- Use smart narrative and Copilot to create an executive summary and validate citations back to visuals
- Reinforce governance: review outputs; don’t copy-paste blindly
3:00pm
End of day 2
Meet Your Facilitator
Shannon Lynch
The PowerBI Coach
With a passion for data visualization and a knack for turning complex information into easily digestible insights, Shannon is the go-to guy for all things Power BI. When he’s not crafting visually stunning dashboards and reports, you can find him sharing his knowledge and expertise as a Power BI trainer and consultant. Shannon’s unique blend of technical skills and creative flair have made him a hit with clients, who rave about his ability to turn their data into powerful storytelling tools.
What your peers had to say
Register Today
Join this training for professionals working within the Public Sector
Regular
Ends 22 Jun
$995 CAD
per person + taxFor group or payment enquiries or custom training solutions, please contact [email protected]
Can't see what you need?
Download our training catalogue to review all available topics