The appointment of MGSS was confirmed by the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) on behalf of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) Leadership Group.

The UCCMS Leadership Group is comprised of athletes and representatives from National Sport Organisations (NSOs), multi-sport service organisations and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network (COPSIN).

Subject matter experts and Sport Canada are also part of the group.

The appointment of MGSS has been billed as the next step in the process to develop and implement the UCCMS, which was published in December 2019.

MGSS will be tasked with building on work conducted in the sector over the past 18 months, including extensive stakeholder consultations and the engagement of external legal and maltreatment experts.

"The national sport community is committed to creating a safe sport environment in Canada that protects athletes, and all participants, from abuse and harassment," said Debra Gassewitz, SIRC President and chief executive.

"We are entering a new phase in the UCCMS process having completed a wide-ranging consultation process that involved experts from across the country.

"MGSS's report will ensure the approach to administering the UCCMS is informed by the latest research and best practices."

SIRC said MGSS was selected through a public request for proposals process in June 2020.

The organisation were chosen due to its "deep understanding of the Canadian and international safe sport landscape".

SIRC said MGSS will bring an independent lens to the project, which they say will be critical to conducting a credible analysis that will help inform how the UCCMS is implemented, as well as ensuring it is scalable to all levels of sport within Canada.

McLaren and his MGSS team have been appointed to several high-profile cases in sport in recent years, including investigating state-sponsored doping in Russian sport and allegations of corruption in weightlifting.

McLaren said the organisation will review international and Canadian models to help build a mechanism to protect participants in sport.

"MGSS is delighted to be working with SIRC and the UCCMS Leadership Group on this very important initiative for Canadian sport,” said McLaren said.

"The MGSS team is confident that we can bring a unique level of expertise to the process.

"We will consolidate all research, review international and Canadian models, and consult with subject matter experts.

"Our goal is to deliver an analysis that can then be used to build a robust mechanism to protect all participants."

Analysis by MGSS will help inform the identification of proposed requirements, necessary structure, and key responsibilities and services for the UCCMS administrative body, SIRC said.

The UCCMS administrative body is expected to be in place by April 1 in 2021.

MGSS is expected to produce a report to the UCCMS Leadership Group at the end of September 2020.

The UCCMS project is funded by the Government of Canada.