Monitoring and Control is the cross-cutting stage that accompanies both planning and execution, ensuring the project stays on track. Performance is monitored in real time, comparing progress with the established plan, identifying deviations, and implementing corrective or preventive actions.

It includes scope change management, quality control of deliverables, and risk and/or emerging issue management. This phase also ensures that strategic and operational decisions are made with up-to-date and reliable information, avoiding deviations that could compromise the project's success..

In essence, it's the system of early warnings and adjustments that keeps the project under control and focused on its objectives.