What are project controls in construction?

Project controls are the practice of assessing if the proposed work is worth doing, of preparing for work before it is done, of thinking about what might go wrong before it is done, and of doing something about it if it does. Project controls involve the specialisation of core project management skills of managing scope, time, cost, risk and change.

Once the work has started, project controls are about measuring what has been done objectively, forecasting what might happen in the future, and assessing and suggesting action to correct any failings or exploit any successes.