In 1991 a major reform was implemented in the school realm, which led to that the detailed state regulations was changed to a goal- and result-oriented system where the municipalities became responsible for the school. The goals that the school now had to fulfill came about through democratic decisions in the Swedish Riksdag and the Government. As a result these objectives have the strength of a law, which gives them particular weight, when it becomes important realizing the goals. The decentralization was administrative as well as political, which led to the municipalities gaining more influence, but also more liability (Riksdagens skrivelser 1996/97:12). In the mid 1990´s a debate about the lack of evaluations in municipalities started in Sweden, and as a result of that discussion the Government decided that every school should do evaluations of quality (Skolverket, 2000, report nr 193). 

Today, decentralization, the implementation of a new control system, and concern for different parties´ interests are part of a principals´ everyday life. Not only do principals implement political decisions, they also interpret those decisions within established guidelines, resulting in a balancing act between the degrees to which the local level would interpret goals to suit local conditions and make its own decisions. Decentralization also gave individual school principals more authority over their activities (Cregård, 1996) and today the principal is carrying greater responsibility regarding the use of economic resources, the creation of local curriculum and constructing an organization that can tackle all the expectations. All this include the work with evaluations of quality (Stålhammar, 1996). What do principals think is important regarding to the process of evaluation of quality? Do sex, age and experience matters when it comes to which kind of leadership the principals develop?