Abstract: A System and a method are provided for the monitoring of a control process in a process plant such as a power generation plant. The process plant contains a plurality of plant items to be controlled, such as valves, pumps, turbines and so forth. At least some of these have sensors attached to them which output a digital (binary) or analog signal indicative of the status of that plant item. Many plant items also have control actuators for shutting and opening the valve, for example. The plant item sensor outputs are connected to a network and a control algorithm representing the control logic of the process plant processes the sensor outputs.